Before you buy a used Kia Optima (III).
Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.
The essentials.
- 2 documented, sourced faults across its 2 engines.
- That is not much data: if no other faults show up here, it does not mean it has none.
- They all depend on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
- 2 official recalls on record: ask for the chassis number (VIN) and confirm they have been done.
- According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.
Typical faults by engine
The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.
2.0
Petrol
- Period mentioned
- 2009–2019
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Same Theta II engine as the cars in the campaigns; confirm by VIN.
1.7 CRDi
Diesel
- Period mentioned
- Approx. 2005 onwards
- Mileage mentioned
- What the sheet says: German guides rate these engines as robust if maintained: the faults are the typical wear of a modern diesel. Specific points: a stretched chain on some 1.7s (ix35), cracked heads cited by the TÜV on the i30 I, the 1.1 silencer (Rio III), diesel clutches at 60,000–100,000 km (Cee'd I) and a recall of the 1.7 CRDi vacuum pump (5/10/2010–30/4/2011).
Applies if: U-family CRDi diesel; the specific points were documented on other models with the same engine.
Which engine has the fewest documented faults?
| Engine | Documented faults | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0Petrol | 11 with conditions | 2 |
| 1.7 CRDiDiesel | 11 with conditions | 2 |
According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.
We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.
Official recalls: ask before you pay
A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.
- Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
- Ask an official Kia dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
- Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Kia brake recalls (2003–2024)Brakes
How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.
View full entryKia engine, transmission and software recalls (2004–2025)Powertrain and engine management
How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.
View full entryOn the test drive: what to look and listen for
Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.
0 of 2 checked
Engine
Look out for: Metallic engine knock that rises with revs, oil-pressure warning, loss of power and, in the worst case, a broken connecting rod with an oil leak and fire risk.
Ask them to check: Ask Hyundai or Kia by VIN about a campaign or KSDS update; with knocking or the oil warning, stop and do not keep driving; check the oil level often.
Injection / turbo
Look out for: At high mileage or with short trips: carbon in injectors and EGR, a clogged particulate filter, dual-mass flywheel and turbo; isolated cases of a stretched chain (1.7) and cracked heads (early 1.6); a clutch that wears early; on some cars, a cracked silencer (1.1) or the brake-servo vacuum pump (1.7 campaign).
Ask them to check: Drive long trips to regenerate the filter; listen to the chain when cold; test injectors and EGR; check the vacuum-pump campaign by VIN on the 1.7.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.
More Kia buying guides
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- Kia Rio (III)2011–2017
- Kia Soul (I)2009–2013
- Kia Venga2010–2019
- Kia Cee'd (II)2012–2018
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