Kia Motor Optima Hybrid - Problems, Statistics, and Analysis

Kia Motor Optima Hybrid owners have reported a total of 356 problems for their cars built in the 8 model years listed in the chart below. The chart shows the number of problems reported across all service years for each given model year of the Kia Motor Optima Hybrid. The 2012 Kia Motor Optima Hybrid cars have the most problems reported (136 problems).

Table 1. Total number of problems by model year for Kia Motor Optima Hybrid

🔍 Common problems of Kia Motor Optima Hybrid

The following chart shows the 21 most common problems for Kia Motor Optima Hybrid cars. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's engine and engine cooling (128 problems). The second most common problem is related to the vehicle's electrical system (62 problems).

Table 2. Common problems of Kia Motor Optima Hybrid

Problem Category Number of Problems
  Engine And Engine Cooling
128
  Electrical System
62
  Power Train
26
  Service Brakes
25
  Equipment
24
  Steering
17
  Vehicle Speed Control
16
  Air Bag
12
  Other Fuel System
9
  Hybrid Propulsion System
7
   
  Exterior Lighting
6
  Electronic Stability Control
5
  Suspension
4
  Structure
4
  Visibility
2
  Seat Belt
2
  Seats
2
  Wheel
2
  Air Brake
1
  Tire
1
  Back Over Prevention
1

📉 Compare Reliability Across Model Years Using PPMY Index

It would not be fair to compare the Kia Motor Optima Hybrid of an older model year to newer model years since older vehicles have been in service longer and thus are expected to have more problems. In order to compare the reliability across Optima Hybrid model years, we use the PPMY index which is defined as the problems reported per thousand vehicles per Year. A smaller PPMY index indicates greater reliability of the given model year cars.

    PPMY = P / S / Y * 1000,

where P = total problems reported during the life of a Kia Motor Optima Hybrid model year; S = total units sold of the model year; Y = years since the debut of the model year (the age of the vehicle).

The results are shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Use PPMY Index to Compare Reliability Across Optima Hybrid Model Years

Optima Hybrid
Model Year
Problems Sales [1] Vehicle
Age
PPMY Index
  2018 21,5708    
0.16
  2017 286,7419    
0.46
  2016 35,39910    
0.06
  2015 1710,89411    
0.14
  2014 499,74312    
0.42
  2013 7516,02713    
0.36
  2012 13612,75714    
0.76
  2011 463,88615    
0.79

📊 Number of Problems Reported During the First Year

Another way to measure the reliability across the model years of the Kia Motor Optima Hybrid is to use the total number of problems reported during the vehicle's first year in service, as shown in the Table 4.

Table 4. Number of problems in vehicle's; first service year

Model YearProblems Reported
  2018 Optima Hybrid
1
  2017 Optima Hybrid
1
  2016 Optima Hybrid
1
  2014 Optima Hybrid
7
  2012 Optima Hybrid
2
  2011 Optima Hybrid
4


Safety Ratings of Optima Hybrid Cars
Fuel Economy of Optima Hybrid Vehicles
Optima Hybrid Defect Investigations
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