2015 Kia Optima Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 36about this part
- Share
- 4%of 1,010 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 61,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 36 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2015 Kia Optima, 4% of the 1,010 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 61,000 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“3 months prior to my car going into limp mode I had an incident where I was on the highway and had to come to a stop of major traffic and suddenly my car cut off out of nowhere. I got it to crank after putting it in park, but it was very scary being on the highway thank God it was traffic to where cars wasn't going so fast. …”
NHTSA complaint #11570912, filed 2024-02, 101,650 miles“I was driving the road when out of the sudden the engine stops and sometimes turns on on itself,its seems like the engine locks and the cars stops suddenly.it also happens and I turn on intersections,when I accelerate to gain speed it turns off and I have to put the car on neutral and turn it on. On all of these occasions my family traveling with me.”
NHTSA complaint #11171544, filed 2019-01, 61,000 miles“I was driving down the street came to a red light and when I tried to press the gas my wheels locked and the car wouldn't go. I had to push it down a hill and use neutral to get at least get the car off the main street and towed. The next day it was taken to Kia and now they are telling me they can't help because I couldn't provide receipts of any maintenance that was done on the car over time.”
NHTSA complaint #11406196, filed 2021-04, 86,000 miles“My vehicle is randomly displaying 'goodbye' on the dashboard and is shutting off while driving. This started from nowhere with no warning lights or warning signals. I've only had this vehicle for 6 months and it has less that 30,000 miles on it. There are no open recalls on the vehicle, however I'll read about similar issue with the same make and model. I maintain my vehicle according to how Kia suggests. This is extremely dangerous as I am sometimes heading to work, going about 65 miles or more or the highway and the car just stops. …”
NHTSA complaint #11064696, filed 2018-01, 27,000 miles“I was driving home from work and I noticed my vehicle having a hard time picking up speed and soon after it was a noticeable knocking noise coming from the engine. The RPM and dashboard gauges were very sporadic. I parked the car and popped the hood to find that there was somehow absolutely no oil, but no current sign of leaking from underneath. The car continues to knock when I start it up and am afraid of it overheating and it is currently parked. It smells definitely like burntness and when shifting into d3 and d it seems to be the most apparent that the engine could be having touble. …”
NHTSA complaint #11413136, filed 2021-04, 122,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10197337Sep 1, 2015Service Action: Exterior Door Handle Trim Cap Replacement (SA198)
- 10089987Apr 24, 2015Pitstop: smart pedal feature - the smart pedal is an integral part of the engine management system (ems) functionality which monitors and prevents the simultaneous activation…
Vehicle speed control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6 | 4% |
| 2019 | 10 | 5% |
| 2018 | 10 | 4% |
| 2017 | 13 | 5% |
| 2016 | 29 | 4% |
| 2015 | 36 | 4% |
| 2014 | 21 | 4% |
| 2013 | 39 | 3% |
| 2012 | 40 | 4% |
| 2011 | 19 | 3% |
| 2010 | 6 | 8% |
| 2009 | 11 | 9% |
| 2008 | 7 | 5% |
| 2007 | 5 | 3% |
| 2006 | 7 | 5% |
| 2004 | 5 | 2% |
| 2003 | 2 | 1% |
| 2002 | 2 | 2% |
| 2001 | 7 | 5% |
Other parts of the 2015 Kia Optima
623 complaintsOther or unknown
140 complaintsElectrical system
135 complaintsBrakes
90 complaintsBody and structure
76 complaintsSteering
69 complaintsFuel system
56 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
49 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 30, 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