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Selling a junk Kia Optima

Any Optima sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Kia Optima

NHTSA has 10,428 owner complaints on file for the Kia Optima, model years 2001 to 2020, the 41st-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (3,161, 30%), other (964, 9%), electrical system (947, 9%). 505 complaints involved a crash, 651 a fire, and 854 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 80,000 miles. The 2013 model year has the most complaints (1,895). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Kia Optima by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
2001231Body and structure260380,000
2002168Body and structure285391,400
2003190Latches and locks102284,226
2004306Latches and locks144185,854
2005180Latches and locks72080,000
2006214Air bags31267,980
2007218Air bags206280,000
2008189Air bags267373,500
2009166Transmission and drivetrain610165,000
201099Transmission and drivetrain112170,818
2011782Engine3851592,300
20121,263Engine37120582,581
20131,895Engine77171989,000
2014800Engine3868780,000
20151,406Engine56118481,000
20161,083Engine4838570,000
2017356Engine714361,000
2018334Engine1417242,100
2019328Engine309130,000
2020220Engine96064,875

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Kia Optima recalls

NHTSA lists 22 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (5), fuel system (4), brakes (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2011 model year, brakes (campaign 23V652000, Sep 2023): Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento,…
  • 2016 model year, latches and locks (campaign 23V594000, Aug 2023): Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the insid…
  • 2012 model year, body and structure (campaign 22V560000, Aug 2022): Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Optima vehicles. The right and left headliner plates may not be secured properly, which can result in the plates detaching in the event of a side curtain air bag dep…
  • 2013 model year, fuel system (campaign 22V093000, Feb 2022): Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Optima vehicles that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 20V-100. The low pressure fuel hose may be damaged, or missing heat-protective tape, which c…
  • 2013 model year, brakes (campaign 21V331000, May 2021): Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly r…

What a Kia Optima is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Optima on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Kia Optima worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Optima gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Kia Optima that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Kia Optima?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Kia Optima numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.