KiaOptima2015Overview/kia/optima/2015/base/

2015 Kia Optima

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2015 Optima.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2015 Kia Optima is a passenger car requiring 5.1 quarts of 5W-30 or 10W-30 API engine oil. This specific model year recorded four recalls and 1,000 total owner complaints, with the engine cited as the top area of concern. Within the broader model history from 2001 to 2020, these figures place the 2015 model between the series low of 75 complaints in 2010 and the peak of 1,371 complaints in 2013.

Model year2020201920182017201620152014

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.1 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 760 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 760 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnOFFOEM · verified
Tire sizeP215/55R17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.6 in
Overall width72 in
Overall height57.1 in
Wheelbase110.2 in
Curb weight3497 lb
Track (front / rear)62.2 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Optima of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.1–9.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.10 sec — 2011 SX Turbo
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2014Hybrid EX 2.4L I-4 + Elec8.10 sec16.30 sec199 hpFWD
2014EX 2.4L I-48.40 sec16.50 sec192 hpFWD
2013SX Limited Turbo 2.0L Turbo I-47.20 sec15.60 sec274 hpFWD
2012EX 2.4L I-48.00 sec16.20 sec200 hpFWD
2011SX Turbo 2.0L Turbo I-46.10 sec14.50 sec274 hpFWD
2011SX Turbo 2.0L Turbo I-46.40 sec15.00 sec274 hpFWD
2011SX Turbo 2.0L Turbo I-46.50 sec274 hpFWD
2011SX Turbo 2.0L Turbo I-47.20 sec15.60 sec274 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.1 qt of 5W-30 / 10W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity8.2
Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantEthylene Glycol
Engine Coolant Capacity6.9
Engine CoolantEthylene Glycol

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts123-130 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts123-130 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts14
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts36
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts14
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts22.0-33.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub159-188 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)600-800 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)500-700 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerKia
Spark Plug Gap.028 - .031 in
Spark Plug Torque11-18 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing6 degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance10 degrees

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity18.56-20.32 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.035-3.750 oz
RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity22.80-24.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)72-73 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)48-51 psi
Engine Compressionpsi 135-156 / max variation 15 psi
Engine Compressionpsi 171-192 max variation 15 psi
Intake Valve Lash0.0067-0.0090 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.0126-0.0150 in
Intake Valve Lash0.0067-0.0090 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.0106-0.0129 in

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront or rear: 16-23 / 16-23
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 58-; Rear: 47-; Front: 58-; Rear: 47-
ABS Sensor Torque6 / NS
Minimum Pad Thickness0.079 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.039; Rear: .330
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .0002; Rear: .0004
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .0016; Rear: .0020

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head bolts. Apply Loctite 5900H or equivalent on the front edge of the cylinder head gasket. Both the upside and the down side. Assembly of the cylinder head must be completed within five minutes of applying the liquid gasket compound.

124.0-27.0 ft. lbs.24–27 ft. lbs
290 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
390 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head bolts. Apply Loctite 5900H or equivalent on the front edge of the cylinder head gasket. Both the upside and the down side. Assembly of the cylinder head must be completed within five minutes of applying the liquid gasket compound.

124.0-27.0 ft. lbs.24–27 ft. lbs
290 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
390 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head bolts. Apply Loctite 5900H or equivalent on the front edge of the cylinder head gasket. Both the upside and the down side. Assembly of the cylinder head must be completed within five minutes of applying the liquid gasket compound.

124.0-27.0 ft. lbs.24–27 ft. lbs
290 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
390 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head bolts. Apply Loctite 5900H or equivalent on the front edge of the cylinder head gasket. Both the upside and the down side. Assembly of the cylinder head must be completed within five minutes of applying the liquid gasket compound.

124.0-27.0 ft. lbs.24–27 ft. lbs
290 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees
390 degrees-95 degrees90 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 3,000 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 3,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 7,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Vacuum Line (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Conditioning System (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Canister Filter (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Filter (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash)
At 105,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2015 Kia Optima sits in the post-peak phase of this generation's federal complaint record, yet it registers a notable rebound: its 1,000 complaints are well above the 578 logged for 2014 and the 748 for 2016, though still below the 1,371 peak seen in 2013. Recalls and investigations both fell to four in 2015 from seven and eight, respectively, in 2014, and TSBs declined from 268 to 200, suggesting reduced manufacturer and regulator action even as owner reports remained elevated. Engine complaints dominate the 2015 file at 416 reports—by far the largest category—but the data does not specify the root cause. The year also shows 72 fire complaints and 31 crash complaints, figures the record does not attribute to any particular defect. Compared with the sharper improvement seen from 2016 onward, 2015 looks like a late-generation trouble spot rather than a clean continuation of the 2014 decline. For a used-car buyer, that makes 2015 a cautious choice: complaint volume is still high and engine-related reports are the leading concern, so a thorough pre-purchase inspection and documented maintenance history are warranted.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
200
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
4
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1,000
Owner complaints
31 involved a crash · 72 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1,000 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine416
Unknown Or Other75
Structure50
Steering42
Electrical System,Engine27
Service Brakes, Hydraulic26
Electrical System23
Unknown Or Other,Engine22

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

18V907000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 19/12/2018

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor… Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer…

20V519000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/ModuleReported 27/08/2020

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short. Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 200 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
CS2312_TSB_R22026-06-08StructureTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER…
TSB_CS2312_R12026-02-18StructureTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER…
TSB_CS23122025-12-17StructureTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER…
CS2312_OWNR2025-12-17StructureCUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner…
PS7972025-12-09Back Over PreventionPITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Optima. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2015 Optima take?

5.1 qt of Preferred oil 5W-30 ACEA A5/B5 API Certification. Above 0 degreesF 10W-30 ACEA A5/B5 API Certification., per the factory manual.

Does the 2015 Optima have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.