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    GREEN CHOICE
    2012
    Used 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

    Kia Optima

    RECALL ALERT:
    There are 5 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
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    Overall Reliability
    Reliability Details
    Owner Satisfaction Details
    See All Ratings & Specs
    Road Test

    The Kia Optima stands out among typical humdrum midsized sedans with a well-tailored coupe-like silhouette. It also comes with a generous helping of standard equipment for the price. But look past these initial draws and the Optima proves quite ordinary. Neither noise isolation nor ride comfort are stellar.

    2012 Sedans & Hatchbacks Reliability

    This Car
    vs. Similar Cars
    See All Models Reliability

    Crash and Rollover Tests

    IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
    Good
    IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
    Acceptable
    IIHS Side Crash
    Good
    NHTSA Overall Crash
    NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
    NHTSA Overall Side-Crash
    See All Ratings & Specs

    Crash and Rollover Tests

    IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
    Good
    IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
    Acceptable
    IIHS Side Crash
    Good
    NHTSA Overall Crash
    NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
    NHTSA Overall Side-Crash
    See All Ratings & Specs

    Kia vs. Other New Car Brands

    See How All Brands Stack up

    Owner Reports

    Worse Better
    Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
    2000
    2001
    NA
    2002
    NA
    2003
    NA
    2004
    NA
    2005
    NA
    2006
    NA
    2007
    NA
    2008
    NA
    2009
    NA
    2010
    NA
    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    2017

    2018

    2019

    2020

    2021
    2022
    2023
    Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
    Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
    Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
    View all Owner Satisfaction

    Kia vs. Other New Car Brands

    See How All Brands Stack up

    Kia vs. Other New Car Brands

    See How All Brands Stack up

    Crash and Rollover Tests

    IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
    Good
    IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
    Acceptable
    IIHS Side Crash
    Good
    NHTSA Overall Crash
    NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
    NHTSA Overall Side-Crash
    See All Ratings & Specs

    2012 Midsized cars Ratings

    See All Midsized cars Ratings
    Seating
    2 front, 3 rear
    Drive Wheels
    Front
    Warranty
    Coverage varies among versions of this vehicle

    In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

    Read more about extended warranties
    Body Styles
    sedan
    Transmissions Available
    • 6-speed Automatic
    • 6-speed Manual
    Engines Available
    • 2-liter 4 turbo (274 hp)
    • 2.4-liter 4 (200 hp)
    • 2.4-liter 4 hybrid (206 hp)
    Model History