2015 Kia Optima fuel/propulsion system problems
44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the fuel/propulsion system on the 2015 Kia Optima — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“12-01-2025 driving to work in the morning approx 7:00A.M. and turned on the heater and had a very strong smell like fuel so immediately turned it off. Cracked my windows to air it out and then was super cold again and had turned on the heater to try again. Immediately had to turn it off and rolled…”
filed Dec 2, 2025
“While driving my 2015 Kia Optima (VIN: [XXX] ) at highway speed, the engine suddenly shut off without any warning lights, alerts, noises, or check-engine indicators. This created a dangerous situation for me and surrounding drivers. The vehicle had passed state inspection only 3 months earlier with…”
filed Nov 23, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Fuel/propulsion System problems in other Optima years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Optima | 9 | 7% |
| 2019 Optima | 15 | 7% |
| 2018 Optima | 13 | 6% |
| 2017 Optima | 20 | 8% |
| 2016 Optima | 53 | 7% |
| 2014 Optima | 41 | 7% |
| 2013 Optima | 91 | 7% |
| 2012 Optima | 42 | 5% |
| 2011 Optima | 21 | 4% |
| 2010 Optima | 1 | 1% |
| 2009 Optima | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 Optima | 3 | 2% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2015 Kia Optima
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.