Tesla Model S vs Kia Optima Plug-in: which is more reliable?
The Kia Optima Plug-in is ahead of the Tesla Model S on the federal record, 80/100 against 72/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Tesla Model S
- 7 model years scored
- 883 owner complaints on record
- about 11 complaints per year on the road
- 60 recall campaigns, 45 safety-critical
- best year 2025 (89/100) · worst 2013 (58/100)
Kia Optima Plug-in
- 4 model years scored
- 473 owner complaints on record
- about 16 complaints per year on the road
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (96/100) · worst 2018 (63/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Model S against Optima Plug-in
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Tesla Model S
- Electrical System — 363 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 215 complaints
- Suspension — 190 complaints
Kia Optima Plug-in
- Engine — 236 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 86 complaints
- Electrical System — 68 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Model S's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Optima Plug-in's in Engine. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Tesla Model S: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2012, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
Kia Optima Plug-in: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2017, 2020.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Tesla Model S prices at about $33,100 and a Kia Optima Plug-in at about $17,800 — the Kia Optima Plug-in is roughly $15,300 less, and they return 124.0 against 41.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Tesla Model S or the Kia Optima Plug-in more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Kia Optima Plug-in scores 80/100 against the Tesla Model S's 72/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Tesla Model S and Kia Optima Plug-in years should I avoid?
Tesla Model S: no year scores below 45. Kia Optima Plug-in: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Tesla Model S and the Kia Optima Plug-in?
The largest complaint group on the Tesla Model S is Electrical System (363 complaints); on the Kia Optima Plug-in it is Engine (236).
Is the Tesla Model S or the Kia Optima Plug-in cheaper to own?
A recent used Tesla Model S prices at about $33,100 and a Kia Optima Plug-in at about $17,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.