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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2015 Kia Optima Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
49about this part
Share
5%of 1,010 total for the year
Median mileage
82,794miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 49 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2015 Kia Optima, 5% of the 1,010 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 82,794 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“When taking off at a stop light or getting onto the interstate (basically when accelerating) the car feels like it has no power. You can hear a weird noise and sometimes you will smell burnt oil or something burnt. Also, I had a recent oil change and within the month I had to add oil again. There is no sign on my driveway that there is a leak. Please look into this as there are multiple people with the same issues.”

NHTSA complaint #11300028, filed 2020-01, 65,000 miles

“Engine seized while driving and wouldnt start.I bought a new battery and tried to start it and it almost caught on fire.I had it towed to a Kia dealer and they replaced the engine and the turbo system which had a recall on it in 2016that was for the knock sensorsystem on 2018/”

NHTSA complaint #11373757, filed 2020-11, 98,387 miles

“Takata recall: the tire low light on he dash is always on no matter what I do. I have always had my tires changed from the dealer never from a third party. This is inconvenient for me because this is the identification for a low tire. So anytime I suspect a low tire I have to stop my vehicle where ever I may be get out and walk around the vehicle to manually test the pressure in my vehicles tires..”

NHTSA complaint #11032333, filed 2017-10, 45,000 miles

“Recently my transmission case cracked as it passed over a manhole cover on a street being resurfaced. My dealers service department said this has happened a lot. I waited nine weeks for the part to come in. I lost $1,100.00on car rentals. Car's transmission case is too low to the ground.”

NHTSA complaint #10956873, filed 2017-02, 12,000 miles

“I have never had any problems with my vehicle since the day I bought it brand new. I make sure to get regular maintenance and I am not a harsh driver. I was driving about 50 MPH on a 2 lane road. The light ahead turned yellow and I slowed down to stop. Once my vehicle came to a stop at the red light, it made a weird noise like it was going to cut off but didn't. The light turned green and I began to press the gas and it seemed as if it was stalling and would not accelerate as quickly. …”

NHTSA complaint #11101574, filed 2018-06, 82,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20202718%
2019178%
2018198%
2017218%
20167410%
2015495%
2014203%
2013645%
2012546%
2011254%
20102432%
20093328%
20081813%
2007138%
2006149%
200532%
200484%
200386%
200266%
2001128%

Other parts of the 2015 Kia Optima

Engine
623 complaintsOther or unknown
140 complaintsElectrical system
135 complaintsBrakes
90 complaintsBody and structure
76 complaintsSteering
69 complaintsFuel system
56 complaintsVehicle speed control
36 complaintsEngine cooling
31 complaintsAir bags
26 complaintsExterior lighting
23 complaintsElectronic stability control
10 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2015 Kia Optima

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology