Used car safety, rank #161 of 181
Kia Optima Safety Rating (2019-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2019-20 Kia Optima, a midsize car, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2023 edition Β· 2018β2021 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. This is the historical edition. See the July 2026 release for newer used cars.
The 2019-20 Kia Optima has an IIHS driver death rate of 80 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize cars average of 58.1, which is 38% above the class average. That places it #161 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 14.6/100.
What the Kia Optima death rate means
At 80 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Kia Optima is 38% worse than the midsize cars average of 58.1. The 95% confidence interval is 45 to 115, which overlaps the class average, so some of the gap may be chance.
The other-driver death rate of 134 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Kia Optima. It is higher than the Kia Optima's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used cars
The safest midsize cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Kia Optima highlighted. It ranks 8 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Toyota Camry hybrid at a death rate of 19.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Camry hybrid | 2018-20 | 19 (0 to 38) | 58.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford Fusion hybrid | 2019-20 | 25 (0 to 56) | 50.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Accord hybrid | 2018-20 | 45 (1 to 90) | 30.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Accord | 2018-20 | 46 (34 to 57) | 29.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 2019-20 | 47 (24 to 69) | 29.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Camry | 2018-20 | 48 (38 to 59) | 28.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford Fusion | 2019-20 | 67 (30 to 104) | 16.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Kia Optima (this page) | 2019-20 | 80 (45 to 115) | 14.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 2017-20 | 91 (73 to 108) | 13.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for midsize cars: 58.1 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Kia Optima
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Kia Optima: Common Questions
Is the Kia Optima a safe car?
Not on this measure: its drivers died at a higher rate than its class average. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 80 per million registered vehicle years for the 2019-20 Kia Optima, 38% above the class average (58.1 for midsize cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 14.6 out of 100 and rank #161 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Kia Optima driver death rate?
80 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 45 to 115. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Kia Optima died at a rate of 134 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2019-20 models.
How does the Kia Optima compare with other midsize cars?
The midsize cars class averages 58.1 driver deaths per million; the Kia Optima sits at 80. Among the 9 midsize cars compared above it ranks 8 by safety score; the top of that group is the Toyota Camry hybrid with a death rate of 19.