2020 Kia Optima Safety Rating — 5 Stars Overall
NHTSA rates the 2020 Kia Optima 5 out of 5 stars overall — 5 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 5 for rollover. Check a specific Optima’s crash and title history below.
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2020 Kia Optima— By the Numbers
- Overall rating
- 5★
- Frontal crash
- 5★
- Side crash
- 5★
- Rollover risk, single-vehicle crash
- 9.8%
- Recall campaigns on NHTSA's file
- 0
Overall rating
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover risk, single-vehicle crash
Recall campaigns on NHTSA's file
Quick Answer
- What is the 2020 Kia Optima safety rating?
- NHTSA rates the 2020 Kia Optima 5 out of 5 stars overall — 5 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 5 for rollover. These are results for the 2020 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD, from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program.
- Did NHTSA test every part of the 2020 Kia Optima?
- Yes — NHTSA published frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover results for the 2020 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD.
- Does the 2020 Kia Optima have recalls or complaints on file?
- NHTSA's record for this version lists 0 recall campaigns, 144 owner complaints and 1 investigation. Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is answered by its VIN, not the model year.
2020 Kia Optima crash-test ratings
Apart from the front passenger seat in the frontal test, every result on this sedan reaches the top mark, from the driver's seat through side, pole and rollover.
NHTSA rates the 2020 Kia Optima 5 out of 5 stars overall — 5 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 5 for rollover.
The recall list for this model year is empty, yet owners have built up a long complaint file and NHTSA has opened an investigation. A clean recall search does not settle the question here, so read the complaints and the investigation summary before you buy.
What NHTSA did — and did not — test
A star rating is only as complete as the tests behind it. This is which of NHTSA's four crash tests the 2020 Kia Optima actually went through.
Yes — NHTSA published frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover results for the 2020 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD.
Recalls, complaints and investigations
NHTSA keeps these alongside the crash-test results for the 2020 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD. They answer a different question: not how the vehicle was built to perform in a crash, but what owners and the agency have reported since.
A recall campaign covers a range of vehicles; whether the repair was done on a particular car is a per-VIN question. Check open recalls by VIN.
The rating is for the OptimaNHTSA crashed. Check the one you’re buying.
Salvage and rebuilt brands, reported accidents and odometer records follow the VIN.
Inspecting a used 2020 Optima
The ratings describe the Optima as it left the factory. A car that has been in a serious crash, rebuilt, or had its airbags replaced is no longer the car NHTSA tested.
The frontal test is where this record dips, and the dip is in the passenger seat. Check that the passenger airbag door in the dash sits flush with no lifted edges or mismatched grain, and that the passenger belt pulls out smoothly, locks on a sharp tug and retracts fully.
Forward collision and lane departure warnings are listed as standard, so every example should have them. Check they are switched on in the settings menu and stay free of fault messages on a drive, and if the windscreen or front bumper has been replaced, ask whether the sensors were recalibrated afterwards.
Watch the airbag warning light at start-up: it should come on briefly and then go out. The side and pole results rely on the side and curtain airbags, so a light that stays on, or never lights at all, needs diagnosing before you buy.
How NHTSA's current ratings work
NHTSA announced new NCAP crash tests and rating criteria in July 2008, including a new overall rating that combines the frontal, side and rollover results. It then postponed the change by a year: the new criteria apply to vehicles tested beginning with model year 2011, not 2010 as first announced.
In NHTSA's own words, its rollover resistance ratings “estimate the risk of rollover if a vehicle is involved in a single-vehicle crash.”
One limit applies to every vehicle here. NHTSA notes that the frontal crash rating “depends on vehicle mass, and cannot be compared across vehicle weight classes” — a full-size truck's frontal stars and a compact car's are not the same measure.
- Federal Register, 73 FR 79206 (Dec. 24, 2008) — new NCAP criteria begin with model year 2011
- Federal Register, 73 FR 40016 (July 11, 2008) — NCAP testing and rating changes, including the overall rating
- Federal Register, 68 FR 59250 (Oct. 14, 2003) — NCAP rollover resistance ratings
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Compare and keep going
Nearby model years and the same make, rated by NHTSA.
5 stars overall
5 stars overall
Rated before the current program
5 stars overall
Whether a recall was repaired on one specific car.
Reported crashes and damage after the car left the factory.
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2020 Kia Optima Safety FAQ
What NHTSA’s record shows for this model year, and what it cannot tell you about one car.
What is the 2020 Kia Optima safety rating?+
NHTSA rates the 2020 Kia Optima 5 out of 5 stars overall — 5 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 5 for rollover. These are results for the 2020 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD, from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program.
Did NHTSA test every part of the 2020 Kia Optima?+
Yes — NHTSA published frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover results for the 2020 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD.
Does the 2020 Kia Optima have recalls or complaints on file?+
NHTSA's record for this version lists 0 recall campaigns, 144 owner complaints and 1 investigation. Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is answered by its VIN, not the model year.
Can I compare the 2020 Kia Optima's stars with a newer model?+
Yes, with other vehicles rated under NHTSA's current program (model year 2011 onward). Stars from before then came from different tests.
Does a good safety rating mean a used Optima is safe to buy?+
A rating describes the vehicle as it left the factory. A used Optima that has been in a serious crash, rebuilt from salvage, or had an airbag replaced is no longer the vehicle NHTSA tested. A VIN check reads its title brands, salvage and accident records from NMVTIS.
Five stars at the factory. What about since?
A crash rating can’t see a salvage title, a rebuilt frame or a replaced airbag. The VIN record can.
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