YearToAvoid

2009 Kia Optima Electrical System Problems

NHTSA has 23 owner complaints about electrical problems in the 2009 Kia Optima, 20% of all 116 complaints for this model year. That is #13 highest electrical complaint count among 16 Optima model years. These complaints report 3 fires. Median mileage at failure: 69,000 miles.

Electrical System complaints
23
20% of 116
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
69,000 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2009 Kia Optima electrical complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 3, 2010, latest Oct 16, 2019.

2009 Kia Optima electrical system complaints: complaints filed per month2Jun 2010May 2012Jul 2013Mar 2014Oct 2014Mar 2016Jul 2018
23 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2010 to Oct 2019; peak Aug 2014 (2).

Electrical System recalls for the 2009 Kia Optima

  1. NHTSA 13V114000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System980,377 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

    Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

Electrical System complaints by Optima model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200531 (22%)
  2. 200633 (21%)
  3. 200738 (23%)
  4. 200822 (15%)
  5. 200923 (20%)
  6. 201014 (19%)
  7. 2011143 (24%)
  8. 2012146 (16%)
  9. 2013175 (13%)
  10. 201475 (13%)
  11. 2015150 (15%)
  12. 2016140 (19%)
  13. 201736 (14%)
  14. 201842 (18%)
  15. 201925 (12%)
  16. 202013 (9%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Kia Optima have electrical problems?
NHTSA has 23 owner complaints about the electrical in the 2009 Kia Optima, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Median mileage at failure is 69,000 miles.
Which Kia Optima year has the most electrical complaints?
The 2013 Kia Optima has the most electrical complaints (175), compared with 23 for the 2009.
Is there a electrical recall for the 2009 Kia Optima?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2009 Kia Optima concerns the electrical: 13V114000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.