IIHS Crash Test
Poor
MPG (up to)
18 City / 24 HWY
Horsepower
178
Seats
5
Front angle view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle JACQUELINE F
That it gets very good gas mileage in the city and on the interstate.
Kia is a great car. It's very good on gas. It's very easy to get in and out. It's very dependable. No complaints.
accountCircle John R
Love the warranty on kia vehicles
The ac compressor is cracked so the vehicle has no ac, costs more to fix it than the vehicle is worth. The door lock actuators break regularly aldo.
accountCircle George J
My vehicle has cruise control which is great for highways or interstates.
I like to start off by saying my Kia optima is a very reliable car. My only problem is that I need a timing belt which do not cost little to nothing. Before I had problem, very dependable. Rides smooth, great mileage, and affordable price. Mines is a 2002, but newer Kia have so much more to offer.
accountCircle Amanda W
It is a very dependable car.
I have had no problems with my car. It has over 200k and it still looks and runs great. The blower motor is a little slow.
accountCircle Jenny R
One of the better cars made as long as you do your routine maintenance..
My car is a 2002 and I am just now experiencing some issues with the cv. Joints and axle I haven't had any trouble with this car I have done regular schedule maintenance oil changes rotating tires..I really enjoy this car I haven't had you sink a bunch of money into it..I have over 250,000 miles on this car and it's still growing strong I thought I would had to deal with a leaking sunroof by now but no leaks my power locks and windows all work great..
accountCircle Christina J
The warranty on the kia vehicles are by far the best around
I have had my vehicle since 2002 and rarely have had any issues, the warranty was great. My next car will be another similar car
accountCircle Hannah W
King of Kias-long lasting road warrior!
Reliable car! I have over 200,000 miles on mine and it is still going strong! Great gas mileage and comfortable ride for long distances. These options comes with leather, automatic windows, sun/moonroof, heated seats, automatic lock when car is in gear, fog lights. Latch system for your infant seats. Large trunk and back seats fold down for excess room. Roomy, fits five adults with room to move!
accountCircle Cassandra Schultz C
It is very reliable and dependable.
Gas tank leaks, check engine light on, front end problems ac don't work and it's been very reliable the past three years and I love to drive it.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Kyra L
The door locks s**k big time.
Every kia i have ever owned has had problems with the door locks. They lock whenever you dont want them to lock they do.
accountCircle Jamie M
My car is good on mileage and the gas rises up the meter more for the lowest price
My kia vehicle is great. It runs smooth as the engine doesn't really make too much noise. My vehicle is small so it's hard to drive through tough water floods as it may damage the motor pipes. Other than anything else, it's pretty cool
accountCircle christopher c
It runs smooth for the most part but if you don't keep the oil changed it can be a bit sluggish
Well it's not a bad car but it is from 2002 so I have had a couple of maintenance issues nothing major just a new starter and a new fuel pump
accountCircle Devin D
Nice car, leather seats, power windows and seat movers, great AC
It's very reliable and I haven't had much problems with it in the 5 years I've had it. Really solid car and would recommend it.

Kia Optima Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
LX
178 HP 21-21 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE
178 HP 21-21 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2002 Kia Optima Owner Reviews

4.08
12 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 50%
4 stars 17%
3 stars 25%
2 stars 8%
1 star 0%
accountCircle George J on February 26, 2021
My vehicle has cruise control which is great for highways or interstates.
I like to start off by saying my Kia optima is a very reliable car. My only problem is that I need a timing belt which do not cost little to nothing. Before I had problem, very dependable. Rides smooth, great mileage, and affordable price. Mines is a 2002, but newer Kia have so much more to offer.
accountCircle Jamie M on February 12, 2021
My car is good on mileage and the gas rises up the meter more for the lowest price
My kia vehicle is great. It runs smooth as the engine doesn't really make too much noise. My vehicle is small so it's hard to drive through tough water floods as it may damage the motor pipes. Other than anything else, it's pretty cool

Ranks #4 Midsize Cars by Owners

The 2002 Kia Optima has an average owner rating of 4.17 out of 5 which ranks it #4 of 15 other Midsize Cars.

1
Tie
car
4.26
1
Tie
car
4.26
4
Tie
car
4.08

Ranks #7 Midsize Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2002 Kia Optima has a combined MPG of 32 which ranks it #7 of 15 other Midsize Cars.

1
car
32 MPG
2
car
30 MPG
7
car
24 MPG

Related Articles for 2002 Kia Optima

From the Vehicle History blog

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2020 Kia Optima Review: Reliable Midsize Car With Reasonable Ownership Costs
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2019 Kia Optima Review: Reliable Midsize Car With Average Ownership Costs As It Ages
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2018 Kia Optima Review: Reliable Midsize Sedan With Average Ownership Costs As It Ages
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2017 Kia Optima Review: Reasonably Reliable Sedan With Low Maintenance Costs
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2008 Kia Optima Review: A Solid Budget Sedan, but Outclassed by the Cheaper Malibu

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test
(Not Rated)
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Not Rated

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety