The bottom line: If your 2011 to 2016 Optima’s engine has failed, check what Kia owes before you pay anyone. Kia covers bearing failure in a gasoline Optima’s engine for life once its free update is on, though past 150,000 miles it can offer a buyback or $2,000 instead. A Hybrid’s is covered for 15 years on stricter terms.
Past 150,000 miles, unless a 2011 to 2014 recall is still open, Kia can decline to fit an engine and offer to buy the car back or pay you $2,000 instead. Which of those leaves you more depends on your car’s value.
With no coverage at all, a dealer engine for a 2015 costs $5,420 to $6,896 across Philadelphia, Nashville and Phoenix. That pays on a 2015 Limited sold privately for about $8,125, and not on an LX valued at about $5,800.
Before you accept Kia’s answer or a shop’s quote, Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, so you know what buyers offer for the car as it is.
What would buyers pay for your Optima with a failed engine?Fill in one form, answering whether your Optima starts and drives, and see how real offers compare with Kia's buyback, its $2,000 or a shop's quote.
Key Takeaways
- Owners on CarComplaints report typical bills of $4,670 to $5,380 for a failed 2011 to 2015 Optima engine, and most of those owners had the engine replaced.
- A third of the 2,715 engine complaints owners filed with NHTSA for these years mention burning or losing oil, which no Kia coverage pays for on its own.
- The 2016 Optima’s 1.6-liter turbo, sold as the LX Turbo, is in neither of Kia’s engine settlements.
- For two running 2015 Optimas we quoted, the best offers were $2,453 and $1,295, so paying for an engine and then selling to an instant buyer loses money.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Is Your Optima a Gasoline, a Hybrid or a 1.6 Turbo?
Kia’s two engine settlements split the Optima three ways, by the engine it was built with rather than its model year.
| Optima | Years | What covers the engine | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline 2.4-liter or 2.0-liter turbo | 2011 to 2016 | Lifetime coverage once Kia’s knock-sensor update is on, and a recall on most 2011 to 2014 cars | Past 150,000 miles, Kia may buy the car back or pay $2,000 instead, unless the recall is still open |
| Hybrid with the 2.4-liter | 2011 to 2016 | 15 years or 150,000 miles from the first sale | The update must be on before the failure, except on a 2011 to 2013 |
| 1.6-liter turbo (LX Turbo) | 2016 | None | Neither settlement includes it |
Each kind of coverage pays only for damage from a failed connecting-rod bearing, the knock-then-seize failure the recalls describe.
The badge on the trunk tells a Hybrid apart. On a 2016, NHTSA’s free VIN decoder shows the engine’s size, so you can see whether yours is the 1.6-liter.
A salvage or rebuilt title rules out both settlements’ coverage. One owner of a rebuilt 2012 told NHTSA that Kia refused even the recall inspection.
What Does Kia Do for an Optima Under 150,000 Miles?
For most 2011 to 2014 gasoline Optimas, the first stop is safety recall 17V-224. Debris left from machining the crankshaft can starve the rod bearings of oil, and the recall pays for an inspection and, if needed, a new long block.
It takes in every 2011 to 2013 built from August 12, 2010 to September 27, 2013, and the 2014s built in Georgia from August 28, 2013 to May 15, 2014.
Kia keeps re-mailing the notice to registered owners whose car was never inspected, so a used Optima can still have it open.
Once the recall is done, or on a 2015 or 2016, the lifetime coverage from the class settlement takes over. It pays parts, labor and diagnosis when a rod bearing fails, with no claim form, and passes to each later owner who uses the car personally.
Its one condition is Kia’s free knock sensor detection software, or KSDS. The settlement agreement says an owner who gets it is covered “regardless of when it is installed”.
Where Should the Car Go First?
- Call Kia’s Customer Care Center (800-333-4542) with the VIN. Ask which recalls and campaigns are still open on it, and whether the update is on.
- Get the car to a Kia dealer on a tow truck rather than to a general shop, because Kia’s warranty work is done only at its own dealers. On a covered repair the tow is repaid, and so is a rental of up to $40 a day when no loaner is free.
- Bring whatever oil-change receipts you have. Kia’s pamphlet says a claim isn’t refused only because records are missing, though neglect can rule it out.
- Ask the price of the diagnosis before the teardown starts. If the cause turns out to be something no coverage reaches, you may be asked to pay for it.
Stop driving once the engine knocks or the light flashes, and have it towed: a bearing that is already worn can let go on the road. If you might sell rather than wait for Kia, get your offers before the engine is taken apart, so you know your fallback.
Should You Take Kia’s Buyback or $2,000 Past 150,000 Miles?
This is the gasoline cars’ rule; a Hybrid’s coverage simply ends at 150,000 miles. The agreement lets Kia decline an engine on a car with 150,000 miles or more that is also over 8 years from its first day on the road.
Every gasoline Optima in this range is now past 8 years, so the mileage alone decides. A 2011 to 2014 whose recall is still open is the exception: the recall notice sets no mileage limit, so ask for the recall inspection first.
If Kia declines, you pick one of two things the agreement sets out:
- Kia buys the Optima from you at Kelley Blue Book’s private-sale figure for very good condition
- Kia pays you $2,000, you keep the car as it is, and you agree in writing that its lifetime coverage ends
The buyback prices the car as if its engine ran, one grade above the good-condition values in the tables here.
Before choosing, enter your trim, mileage and ZIP on Kelley Blue Book, pick very good, and set that figure against $2,000 plus the best offer for the car as it is.
The $2,000 suits an owner who means to keep the Optima and put the money toward a used engine from an independent shop.
Before the dealer takes the engine apart, ask in writing who pays for the teardown and the tow if Kia then chooses the buyback or the $2,000.
That is how the agreement reads, and Kia’s answers vary. In complaints to NHTSA, owners past 150,000 miles describe a free engine at one dealer, a buyback offer at another, and a flat refusal for a 162,000-mile 2012.
If you’re refused, ask Kia for its final denial in writing. After it, and 30 days for you and Kia to try to settle, you can take the claim to arbitration run by the Better Business Bureau, which Kia pays for.
The settlement’s help line, 855-951-0807, or KiaEngineSettlement@kiausa.com, explains how to start it.
Does the Update Have to Be On Before the Engine Fails?
On a gasoline Optima, the agreement says no: a late update still counts. Even so, some owners of 2015s told NHTSA their claim was refused because the update came after the failure, and a refusal like that is what the arbitration route is for.
On a Hybrid, yes. The Hybrid’s settlement covers its 2.4-liter for 15 years or 150,000 miles from the first sale, whichever comes first, but only if the update was on before the engine failed.
The 2011 to 2013 Hybrids are the exception. They were recalled under 20V-750, an engine-fire recall that includes a free engine test, and need no update for the coverage; the oldest are now at or near their 15 years.
For a 2014 to 2016 Hybrid, the update is Kia campaign PI2104, for cars built from December 11, 2013 to July 22, 2015.
Your Hybrid’s build month is printed on the sticker inside the driver’s door opening. For a Hybrid built outside those dates, Kia’s Customer Care Center can say from the VIN what it needs.
Kia mails reminders to registered owners who haven’t had the update, but not getting one proves nothing. Only the VIN check shows whether it was done, and when.
One 2015 Hybrid owner told NHTSA the car was bought from a dealer with the campaign undone, and Kia refused the claim once the engine seized. If yours still runs, have a Kia dealer add the update now: it takes about an hour and costs nothing.
If the VIN check shows the update came after the failure, or never, the Hybrid’s settlement doesn’t pay, and its FAQ describes no appeal for that case. Ask Kia’s Customer Care Center to review it anyway, then weigh a paid engine against selling.
Is It the Bearings, or a Fault Kia Doesn’t Cover?
With the update on, a wearing bearing gives a warning: the check engine light flashes and the engine drops into a reduced-power mode. Kia’s pamphlet says to take the car to a Kia dealer at once.
Without the update, owners describe a knock that grows, then a stall. A car can show both, and the dealer’s VIN check, not the symptom, tells you whether the update is on.
This is how often each problem comes up in the 2,715 engine complaints to NHTSA about 2011 to 2016 Optimas:
| What owners described | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Burning or losing oil | 32% |
| Knocking, ticking or rattling | 28% |
| Check engine light | 21% |
| Stalling | 21% |
| Engine seized or blew | 18% |
| Smoke | 12% |
Oil burning on its own is outside every kind of coverage, though it can end in a bearing failure that is covered. If Kia has already replaced your engine once, recall 18V-907 checks the fuel pipe fitted during that swap, so mention it to the dealer.
For a fault no coverage reaches, Kelley Blue Book puts a dealer diagnosis for a 2015 at $247 to $300 in labor across the three cities. Skip it if you’ve already settled on selling.
How Much Is a Replacement Engine for a 2015 Optima?
These are Kelley Blue Book’s dealer estimates for a new engine in a 2015 Optima, parts and labor together. Phoenix is the dearest of the three and Philadelphia the cheapest.
| City | Dealer estimate | Of which labor |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA 19103 | $5,420 to $5,838 | $2,269 to $2,459 |
| Nashville, TN 37203 | $5,668 to $6,104 | $2,373 to $2,571 |
| Phoenix, AZ 85004 | $6,402 to $6,896 | $2,681 to $2,905 |
Owners on CarComplaints report lower typical bills. Each is the middle of what those owners paid, whatever the fix, and most of them had the engine replaced:
- A 2011: $4,670, from 54 reports at about 104,000 miles
- A 2012: $5,200, from 23 reports at about 91,000 miles
- A 2013: $4,950, from 29 reports at about 80,000 miles
- A 2014: $5,000, from 11 reports at about 46,000 miles
- A 2015: $5,380, from 24 reports at about 74,000 miles
CarComplaints gives no 2016 figure, and most of the 2016 reports there are about oil consumption. Kelley Blue Book’s estimate here is for the gasoline car, so a Hybrid owner should get a quote for their own engine.
A used engine from an independent shop usually costs less again: eight owners told NHTSA they paid or were quoted $4,000 to $8,000 for a used or remanufactured engine, fitted, typically about $5,100. Some shops won’t fit an engine you buy yourself. Ask whether it’s a genuine Kia engine, too: the settlement keeps covering a car whose engine was replaced only if the new one is genuine.
When Does Paying for an Engine Beat Selling the Optima?
Kelley Blue Book values a 2015 LX at $5,800 in a private sale in good condition and a 2015 Limited at $8,125, with the other trims between them.
| Route, 2015 | Repair cost | After a $5,800 sale (LX) | After an $8,125 sale (Limited) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dealer replaces the engine | $5,420 to $6,896 | $1,096 short to $380 left | $1,229 to $2,705 left |
| Owners’ typical bill on CarComplaints | $5,380 | $420 left | $2,745 left |
| Sell it as it is | None | The best offer as it is | The best offer as it is |
On an LX, even the cheapest engine leaves $420 at best after a private sale, less than the $945 buyers offered for a 2015 we quoted whose engine had failed.
On a Limited, a dealer engine leaves $1,229 or more, well ahead of that offer, but only once a private buyer pays $8,125 for it.
Set Your Own Quote Against a Sale
The example is a 2015 LX: Kelley Blue Book’s Philadelphia engine price, its private-sale value, and the best offer on the 2015 we quoted with a failed engine. Swap in your own car’s three figures.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
A newer Optima sells for more running, so the answer can flip with the year. These are Kelley Blue Book’s private-sale values in good condition, from the cheapest trim to the dearest, Hybrid included:
| Optima year | Value running, by trim |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $2,425 to $4,925 |
| 2012 | $4,475 to $6,375 |
| 2013 | $4,625 to $6,200 |
| 2014 | $4,800 to $6,975 |
| 2015 | $5,800 to $8,125 |
| 2016 | $6,425 to $9,075 |
The Hybrid sits inside those ranges: a 2014 at $4,800 to $5,725, a 2015 at $6,550 to $6,600, and a 2016 at $6,425 to $7,650.
Fixing pays when the repair costs less than the car’s running value minus what it’s offered broken. For the 2015 LX in the calculator, that line sits at $4,855, under every dealer price on this page, so only a cheaper used engine clears it, and more than half of the owners’ used-engine figures sit above it.
A 2011 sells privately for less than any dealer engine priced here. A 2015 or 2016 in a dearer trim has the most room, and if you’d keep the car, weigh the engine against the price of another one instead.
These values assume typical mileage, so a car with high miles sells for less. For your own figure, enter your trim, mileage and ZIP on Kelley Blue Book’s page for your year, which also gives repair prices where you live.
What Were Optimas Offered, Broken and Running?
These three 2015 Optimas were quoted through My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form, each in the condition its owner gave. One had a failed engine, and the other two drove.
| Optima | Miles | Condition | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Optima | 95,000 | Engine not working, won’t start; earlier accident reported | $945 | $341 |
| 2015 Kia Optima | 98,000 | Drives | $1,295 | $883 |
| 2015 Kia Optima | 80,000 | Drives | $2,453 | $1,560 |
The broken car’s owner also reported an accident, so not all of its gap is the engine. Even for the running pair, buyers offered less than half of what Kelley Blue Book puts on a 2015 LX in a private sale.
For a wider view, our offer data puts a typical 2011 to 2015 Optima at $705, against $1,115 for a typical car of every make from those years.
Both figures mix running and broken cars 10 or more years old, so they show where Optimas sit, not what buyers will offer for yours.
What Should You Know Before Selling It Broken?
A private buyer who uses the car personally takes over its coverage, the lifetime kind or the Hybrid’s 15 years, so tell them the engine may be claimable.
Used-car dealers, auction houses and other businesses are shut out of both settlements, which is why their offers treat the engine as dead for good.
The gasoline settlement still lists a rebate if the engine fails, you sell the car because of it, and you buy another Kia from a dealer within 90 days:
- $2,000 for a 2011 or 2012
- $1,500 for a 2013 or 2014
- $1,000 for a 2015 or 2016
The Hybrid’s settlement pays the gap between your sale price and the car’s Black Book value, up to a cap:
- $2,500 for a 2011 or 2012
- $2,000 for a 2013 or 2014
- $1,500 for a 2015 or 2016
For a failure after November 4, 2023, it needs the update to have been done by that date.
Claim within 90 days of the failure, and ask Kia whether a rebate can be combined with its buyback or its $2,000.
When you ask for offers, describe the engine as it is that day. If it won’t turn over, or dies right after it starts, say it doesn’t start, so the buyer sends a truck that can load a dead car and the offer holds at pickup.
Payment comes with the truck when you sell to the instant-offer buyers we quoted, so the title, in your name, has to be in your hand that day. Whether you keep the plates depends on your state.
If a loan is still on the car, the lender holds the title, so ask how the buyer handles the payoff before you accept an offer.
See what buyers offer for your Optima as it is. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool asks several buyers at once, which gives Kia’s answer or a shop’s quote a real figure to beat.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
FuelEconomy.gov: Kia Optima engines, 2011 to 2016
The engines offered in each model year: 2.4-liter and 2.0-liter turbo every year, the Hybrid's 2.4-liter, and the 2016's 1.6-liter turbo. Accessed October 14, 2026.
NHTSA: Vehicle Identification Number decoder (vPIC)
Decodes a VIN to the car's engine displacement and model. Accessed October 14, 2026.
NHTSA recall 17V-224: Part 573 report, 2011 to 2014 Kia Optima
Optimas with the 2.4L GDI and 2.0L turbo built August 12, 2010 to September 27, 2013, and 2014s built at KMMG August 28, 2013 to May 15, 2014; inspection and long block replacement. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kia owner letter and renotification, recall 17V-224 (Optima)
Renotice to registered owners of 2011 to 2014 Optimas whose recall is not complete: crankshaft machining debris, bearing wear, free inspection and new long block. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kia Engine Settlement (Theta II GDI): FAQ
Lifetime short-block warranty after the KSDS update for 2011 to 2018 and certain 2019 Optimas with the 2.0L or 2.4L GDI engine; exclusions, towing repaid in full and rental up to $40 a day on a qualifying repair, the rebate by model year within 90 days, BBB arbitration after a final denial and 30 days to resolve, help line 1-855-951-0807. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kia Engine Settlement: Revised Settlement Agreement
Class Vehicles (originally equipped with or replaced with a genuine Theta II GDI engine); the Lifetime Warranty not available to used car dealers, franchisees or auction houses; the KSDS update counts regardless of when installed; the option at 150,000 miles and eight years to repurchase at Bluebook very good private party value or pay $2,000. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kia: Information about the engine in your Kia vehicle (owner pamphlet)
What the knock sensor detection system does, the lifetime warranty for Optimas built on or before February 28, 2019, and Kia's position on maintenance records. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kia Engine Class Settlement (Engine Litigation II): FAQ
2011 to 2016 Optima Hybrid with the Theta II 2.4L MPI: warranty of 15 years or 150,000 miles from original retail delivery; KSDS before the failure, except cars recalled under 20V-750; commercial owners excluded; the rebate up to $2,500, $2,000 or $1,500 by model year against Black Book value, KSDS by November 4, 2023 for later failures. Accessed October 14, 2026.
NHTSA recall 20V-750: 2011 to 2013 Optima Hybrid
Engine compartment fire risk: inspection for leaks, an engine test, repairs including engine replacement, and the KSDS update. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kia campaign PI2104: 2014 to 2016 Optima Hybrid KSDS update (owner renotice)
KSDS software for Optima Hybrids with the 2.4L MPI built December 11, 2013 to July 22, 2015, and the 15-year or 150,000-mile long block warranty once it is installed; about one hour at a dealer. Accessed October 14, 2026.
NHTSA recall 18V-907: fuel pipe after an engine replacement
2011 to 2017 Optimas whose engine was replaced under recall 17V-224, warranty or the KSDS campaign: inspection and replacement of the high-pressure fuel pipe. Accessed October 14, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints, 2011 to 2016 Kia Optima
The 2,715 complaints filed under engine and the problems they describe, read from NHTSA's complaints API, including owners' accounts of claims past 150,000 miles. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2015 Kia Optima engine replacement price
Dealer estimates for a 2015 in ZIP 19103, 37203 and 85004: $5,420 to $6,896, of which labor $2,269 to $2,905. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2015 Kia Optima engine diagnosis price
Dealer labor for ZIP 19103, 37203 and 85004: $247 to $300. Accessed October 14, 2026.
CarComplaints: Kia Optima engine problems, 2011 to 2016
Owner reports: typical repair cost, mileage and fixes for engine failure (2011, 2012, 2015), engine blown (2013) and engine blew (2014). Accessed October 14, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2011 to 2016 Kia Optima values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage; the other years and the 2015 and 2016 Optima Hybrid from their own pages. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from 17,628 instant cash offers" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
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