I’m looking at a pre-owned 2018 Kia Optima LX with almost 70k miles for $13,330. I need a car to get me through for now, something affordable and good on gas, until I can upgrade in about a year. My old 2005 Sportage is on its last legs, and I drive a lot—about 2,000 miles a month, mostly on the highway.
How reliable is this car? Any common problems I should know about? Would it work for someone with a heavy commute?
I had a 2018 Optima S, and it was super reliable. The only thing I ever replaced was the brakes at 85k miles. Other than that, regular oil changes every 3-5k miles kept it running great. It was totaled at 100k miles when I got rear-ended, but I never had any other issues with it—not even something small like a headlight going out.
Check if it has the Theta II engine. If it does, make sure the knock sensor detection system (KSDS) upgrade has been done. There’s a defect in those engines, and they can fail. The upgrade is free at the dealership and gives you a lifetime warranty for the engine. If the knock sensor triggers, they’ll replace the engine for free. Without the upgrade, if the engine fails, you’re out of luck. I’m dealing with this now on my 2015 Optima with the same engine. You can find a lot about this online if you look up the recall and lawsuit.
If you can, go for the EX model instead of the base LX. The features you get are worth it, and used ones don’t cost much more. I have a 2017 Optima with things like a panoramic sunroof, Harman/Kardon sound, heated and ventilated seats, rear sunshade, and safety tech like smart cruise and blind spot monitoring. It’s so much better than the base model.
I own one, and it’s been good so far. Just a heads-up—it goes through oil quickly, so you’ll need to stay on top of oil changes.