2019 Kia Optima Plug-in: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
206 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 206 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 29.43
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
While driving, my vehicle suddenly began shuddering and shaking. The vehicle lost power and would not accelerate properly. I had to press the brake pedal unusually hard. After parking, the vehicle would not move properly in reverse or drive. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it, and it moved only a short distance before shuddering again and losing power. The engine was making a loud buzzing or scooter-like sound…
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on two occasions, the vehicle lost power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven over to the side of the road and then towed to the dealer twice; however, the failure was not duplicated on the first visit. During the second visit, the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was in…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 40 MPGe · estimated annual energy cost $1,600 · EPA range 29 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine88 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other41 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Forward Collision Avoidance36 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Electrical System23 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes19 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train17 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Kia Optima Plug-in years
Kia Optima Plug-in years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Kia Optima Plug-in?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (88 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Kia Optima Plug-in a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 65/100, computed from 206 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Kia Optima Plug-in's most common problem?
88 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Kia Optima Plug-in sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2019 Kia Optima Plug-in cost to run per year?
About $3,809 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $19,045 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2019 Kia Optima Plug-in really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 206 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 206 NHTSA complaints on record (29.4/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (16.0/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems