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All models / All cars / Saloons & estates / Kia Optima

Kia Optima

All generations and engines together · 10,952 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 87k

Reliability verdict
CBy age
CBy miles

Graded against its peers

Middling among saloons and estates, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and brakes. A fair used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.

First-time failure at age 7
18.6%
Across 2,878 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 17.4%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
17.6%
Across 1,164 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 16.8%.
Rank in its class
24 of 34
1 = lowest failure rate among the 34 saloons and estates we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
87k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

Generation

Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

DPF and EGR clogging on the 1.7 CRDi diesel

EmergingDiesel only

The 1.7 CRDi's diesel particulate filter and EGR valve silt up on cars mostly used for short runs, showing up as sluggish pulling away, a lit engine warning light, or heavy fuel use. Parkers' own used-buying advice for the Optima flags this specifically, telling buyers to take any diesel example on a 20-minute test drive including a proper 60-70mph stretch to prove the regen system still works. It tends to bite from around 60-80k miles on stop-start cars; a clean or replacement DPF runs to a few hundred pounds, an EGR valve less. No recall involved, it is down to how the car has been used.

Reported 60-80k miles on short-journey cars · sources: Parkers, Kia Owners Club forum

DCT judder on the 1.6 T-GDI automatic

Confirmed patternGT-Line automatics only

GT-Line and GT-Line S cars with the 1.6 T-GDI petrol and 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox can judder or hesitate pulling away, feel grabby in reverse, or shudder while crawling in traffic. Kia's own technical bulletin for this JF-generation model covers dual-clutch judder inspection, with the fix being a replacement clutch pack and a transmission control unit update. It does not touch the diesel-manual or diesel-DCT cars, only the 1.6 petrol automatic.

Reported from new up to around 40k miles · sources: Kia technical service bulletin (DCT judder), Kia Owners Club forum

Front suspension knocks and clonks

Partly in the MOT data

A recurring owner complaint on both the saloon and Sportswagon: clonks or creaks from the front end over speed bumps and ridges, usually traced by owners to drop links or the strut top mounts rather than anything structural. It tends to start from around 50-70k miles. The measured MOT data for this model backs the general shape of the complaint, suspension is the standout failure category once these cars reach test age, though the data does not identify which specific part is failing, so treat the drop-link and top-mount diagnosis as the likely explanation rather than a certainty.

Reported 50-70k miles · sources: Kia Owners Club forum, Optima Forums (shared JF-generation platform)

Door won't open from outside (latch wear)

Emerging

The plastic and cable latch mechanism inside the front doors wears with age, so the door stops opening from the outside handle even though central locking shows it as unlocked. Owners often work round it for a while by pulling the interior handle repeatedly to free it up, but the lasting fix is a full latch assembly rather than just the handle. It shows up as the car gets older, roughly 5-8 years, rather than tracking to a specific mileage, and there is no UK recall covering it.

Reported from 5-8 years old · sources: Autodoc, Optima Forums

Forward collision/AEB software fault

Confirmed pattern

Optima models sold in the UK up to 2018 were subject to a recall because the forward collision warning software could fail to trigger automatic emergency braking when it should, for instance against a stationary vehicle ahead. Kia's fix is a free software update at a dealer. Parkers flags this directly in its used-buying advice for the model, so it is worth checking on any pre-2018 car that the work has actually been carried out, as dealers do not always chase owners for outstanding recalls.

Affects cars built up to 2018 · sources: Parkers used-buying guide

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this model Follow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 3.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%
A binding brakeRuns high on this model After the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 1.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%
ExhaustRuns high on this model Listen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%
Leaks Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 2.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
Handbrake holdRuns high on this model Stop on a hill and put the handbrake on. It should hold the car firmly within a few clicks, or straight away on the button if it is electronic. Roll-back means adjustment at best, new cables or a caliper motor at worst.Recorded on 1.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.0%
Bushes and ball joints Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%
Lights and horn walkround With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 0.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this model Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 30.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 15.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Cold-start the diesel and take it on a test drive long enough to include a 60-70mph stretch. Hesitation, smoke or a limp-mode warning light points to a neglected DPF or EGR valve on the 1.7 CRDi.
On any 1.6 T-GDI automatic, do several stop-start crawls and a reverse manoeuvre. Shuddering or a delayed pull-away is the DCT clutch-pack judder Kia's own bulletin covers.
Drive slowly over a speed bump or rough patch and listen to the front end. Clonks or creaks point to worn drop links or strut top mounts, the model's most common suspension complaint.
Open and close every door from outside and inside a few times, including at speed of a normal exit. A door that won't release first time is the latch mechanism starting to wear out.
Check the registration against Kia's UK recall checker. An outstanding AEB software recall on a pre-2018 car means emergency braking may not always trigger as it should.
Ask for service history showing DPF regeneration or EGR-related visits. Repeated DPF warnings with nothing properly resolved means the same limp-mode issue is likely to return.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Kia OptimaClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 8,189 tests in this band.

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
3.9%class 1.9%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
2.0%class 2.0%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
1.8%class 0.7%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
1.6%class 5.9%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
1.4%class 0.3%
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.
Advisory
1.3%class 0.6%
Parking brake control missing, defective or inoperative
Advisory
1.2%class 0.0%
Warning device shows system malfunction
Fail
0.8%class 0.3%
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
Fail
0.8%class 0.4%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
34.5%class 22.9%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
15.7%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
13.6%class 10.1%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
11.4%class 13.4%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.4%class 3.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
4.3%class 1.6%
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
Advisory
4.1%class 1.5%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
3.6%class 2.2%

Others in its class

Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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