2019 Ford Taurus vs 2019 Kia Optima
Reliability comparison based on NHTSA recall and complaint records.
2019 Ford Taurus
2019 Kia Optima
Stories from the shop
These come from different vehicle segments, which means we're not declaring a winner here. The 2019 Ford Taurus scores 4.3; the 2019 Kia Optima scores 3.6. Different testing populations, different driving patterns, different categories of failure. Use the data below to understand what each one is good at and what each one breaks.
Going with the 2019 Kia Optima? Watch the engine and electrical. The 2019 Ford Taurus has fewer reports in those categories, so you'd be trading one set of weak spots for another.
Bottom line: these are different categories of vehicle. Pick based on what you actually need it for. We're showing the reliability data so you can factor in long-term ownership cost, not pick a winner.
Side-by-side by problem area
Common questions
Which is more reliable, the 2019 Ford Taurus or the 2019 Kia Optima?
Based on the NHTSA data we track, the 2019 Ford Taurus comes out ahead with a reliability score of 4.3 versus 3.6. The margin is clear, so the verdict could shift if you weight specific categories differently or factor in your own use case.
What goes wrong more often on the 2019 Ford Taurus?
On the categories we tracked, the 2019 Ford Taurus doesn't show meaningfully more complaints than the 2019 Kia Optima. Both have similar issue patterns.
What goes wrong more often on the 2019 Kia Optima?
Compared to the 2019 Ford Taurus, the 2019 Kia Optima has more complaints in engine and electrical. Whether that's a deal-breaker depends on the cost and severity — see the comparison table above for repair cost ranges.
Which has more recalls?
Both vehicles have 1 active recalls. Total recall count alone isn't a great signal — what matters is severity. See the recall counts by severity in the comparison table.
Is an extended warranty worth it on either of these?
Both vehicles are out of factory bumper-to-bumper coverage at this point. Combined repair exposure across the top problem categories runs around $10,800 on the higher-risk vehicle. A quality service contract typically costs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years, so a single major failure usually pays for the contract. The math favors warranty coverage on whichever vehicle you choose, especially if you plan to keep it past 100,000 miles.