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Kia Optima 2008 Power Train Problems

18 distinct owners reported a power train problem on the 2008 Kia Optima - 13% of all complaints for this model year.

Recall Coverage18 complaints

18 complaints; 1 recall campaign covers this system.

Campaigns Covering This System

11V153000Reported March 9, 2011 - 70,115 vehicles potentially affected

Recall covering the power train system, reported to NHTSA on March 9, 2011. The campaign covers an estimated 70,115 vehicles across all affected models.

Other Systems on This Model Year

Air Bags58Engine24Electrical System16Visibility14Unknown Or Other9Lighting8
How to Read These Counts: complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not failure rates. Older and higher-volume vehicles accumulate more reports, and counts are not adjusted for vehicles sold - no per-sales rate or reliability ranking is shown, because the public data does not support one.

Data as of October 30, 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaints, recalls, and investigations files (U.S. Government public domain). DefectRecord is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. For your specific vehicle, use NHTSA's VIN lookup. Report an error.