KIA Optima
MG / KL (First generation global facelift for 2004) / MS/MG (second generation) / MG (2nd gen) / 2003-2018 / Sedan
Year and trim selector
Choose the exact year and trim to see engine, oil and service details.
2003 KIA Optima G4GC/S6AT (MG)
MG / G4GC, S6AT, G6BA / The 2003 Kia Optima (MG generation) was offered with multiple engines depending on market: a 2.4L DOHC I4 (G4GC) primarily in US and some global markets, a 2.7L V6 (G6BA) in select markets, and a 2.0L SOHC I4 petrol engine (S6AT) in South Korea and other Asian markets.
2004 KIA Optima G6BA/G6BV (MS/MG)
MS/MG / G6BA, G6BV, G4JS / 2004 Kia Optima offered with multiple gasoline engines depending on market: inline 4-cylinder 2.4L (G6BA) and V6 2.7L (G6BV) in North America, 2.0L inline-4 gasoline (G4JS) common in South Korea and some eastern markets.
2005 KIA Optima G6BA/G4GC (MG)
MG / G6BA, G4GC / The 2005 Kia Optima featured primarily 2.4L inline-4 engines (G4GC) and 2.7L V6 engines (G6BA) depending on market. The engine choice influenced power outputs and technical specifications.
2006 KIA Optima G6BA/G4GC (MG (mostly for international markets), MS (mostly domestic Korean market))
MG (mostly for international markets), MS (mostly domestic Korean market) / G6BA, G4GC, S6AT, S6D / The 2006 Optima featured 4-cylinder and V6 gasoline engines; V6 mainly for North America and some Asian markets, while 4-cylinder variants were more common in other regions. Diesel engines were not available in many markets in this generation.
2008 KIA Optima G4KA/G4KD (MG)
MG / G4KA, G4KD, Mu2, SII4G / 2008 Kia Optima (MG) was offered with a variety of engines depending on market: a 2.4L inline-4 (G4KA or G4KD) producing 175-175 hp in North America and Asia; a 2.7L V6 (Mu2) producing ~175-190 hp in certain markets; and a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder (SII4G) in some Asian markets.
2009 KIA Optima G4KD/Theta II 2.4L I4 (MG)
MG / G4KD, Theta II 2.4L I4, D4FB, 1.7L CRDi I4 Diesel (Europe/Asia), Lambda II MPi 2.7L V6 (North America) / Available with multiple inline-4 gasoline and diesel engines as well as a V6 gasoline engine primarily for North America; engine choice varies strongly by market.
2011 KIA Optima G4KD/Theta-II GDI (TF)
TF / G4KD, Theta-II GDI, 2.0L Gasoline, 2.4L Gasoline / Multiple gasoline inline-4 engines including a 2.0L MPI (G4KD) and 2.4L Theta-II with Gasoline Direct Injection offered in various markets; diesel variants primarily in Europe and Korea.
2013 KIA Optima GDI 2.0L Theta-II MPI/T-GDI 2.0L Theta-II Turbo (TF)
TF / GDI 2.0L Theta-II MPI, T-GDI 2.0L Theta-II Turbo, 2.4L MPI Theta-II / Mostly inline-4 engines: naturally aspirated 2.0L and 2.4L MPI as well as a turbocharged 2.0L GDI variant in some markets
2014 KIA Optima GDI 2.0L Theta II/GDI 2.4L Theta II (TF)
TF / GDI 2.0L Theta II, GDI 2.4L Theta II, Turbo GDI 2.0L Theta II / Inline-4 gasoline engines, DOHC, dual CVVT, direct injection (GDI) for better efficiency and power
2015 KIA Optima GDI 2.0L Theta II (Nu G4KD)/GDI 2.4L Theta II (G4KJ) (JF)
JF / GDI 2.0L Theta II (Nu G4KD), GDI 2.4L Theta II (G4KJ), 2.0L Turbo Theta II (Nu G4KH) / Multiple inline-4 gasoline engines with GDI technology; naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions depending on market.
2017 KIA Optima G4KH/Nu 2.4L MPI (JF)
JF / G4KH, Nu 2.4L MPI, D4HA / 2017 Kia Optima JF generation offered with 2.4L inline-4 (G4KH, Nu MPI) in multiple markets; some diesel variants with 1.7L CRDi (D4HA) mainly in Europe.
2018 KIA Optima G4KH/Nu 2.4L Theta II MPI (JF)
JF / G4KH, Nu 2.4L Theta II MPI, 1.6 T-GDI, 2.0 GDI Theta II, 2.0 CRDi, 2.2 CRDi / Multiple engine variants depending on market: 2.4L naturally aspirated gasoline (G4KH), 1.6L turbo GDI, 2.0L turbo GDI gasoline engines, and 2.0L/2.2L CRDi diesel engines for select markets.
Engine codes by year
| Year | Trim | Engine codes | Displacement | Fuel system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | technical-profile | G4GC, S6AT, G6BA | 2.0-2.7 L | Multi-point fuel injection |
| 2004 | technical-profile | G6BA, G6BV, G4JS | 1998 cc (4-cyl), 2351 cc (inline-4), 2656 cc (V6) | Multi-point fuel injection |
| 2005 | technical-profile | G6BA, G4GC | 2.4L I4 / 2.7L V6 | Multi-point fuel injection |
| 2006 | technical-profile | G6BA, G4GC, S6AT, S6D | 2.0L I4 (G4GC), 2.4L I4 (G6BA), 2.7L V6 (S6AT/S6D depending on market) | MPI (Multi-Point Fuel Injection) |
| 2008 | technical-profile | G4KA, G4KD, Mu2, SII4G | 2.0L - 2.7L | Multi-point fuel injection |
| 2009 | technical-profile | G4KD, Theta II 2.4L I4, D4FB, 1.7L CRDi I4 Diesel (Europe/Asia), Lambda II MPi 2.7L V6 (North America) | 2.0L, 2.4L gasoline; 1.7L diesel; 2.7L V6 gasoline | Multi-point fuel injection (gasoline); common-rail direct injection (diesel) |
| 2011 | technical-profile | G4KD, Theta-II GDI, 2.0L Gasoline, 2.4L Gasoline | 1999 cc (G4KD), 2359 cc (Theta-II) | Multi-Point Fuel Injection (MPI) and Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) |
| 2013 | technical-profile | GDI 2.0L Theta-II MPI, T-GDI 2.0L Theta-II Turbo, 2.4L MPI Theta-II | 1999cc (2.0L), 2359cc (2.4L) | Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) on turbo engines; Multi-Point Injection (MPI) on naturally aspirated engines |
| 2014 | technical-profile | GDI 2.0L Theta II, GDI 2.4L Theta II, Turbo GDI 2.0L Theta II | 1999 cc, 2359 cc, 1999 cc turbocharged | Gasoline direct injection |
| 2015 | technical-profile | GDI 2.0L Theta II (Nu G4KD), GDI 2.4L Theta II (G4KJ), 2.0L Turbo Theta II (Nu G4KH) | 1999cc to 2359cc | Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) |
| 2017 | technical-profile | G4KH, Nu 2.4L MPI, D4HA | 2359 cc (G4KH, Nu 2.4L MPI), 1685 cc (D4HA diesel) | Multi-Point Fuel Injection (MPI) for gasoline; Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDi) for diesel |
| 2018 | technical-profile | G4KH, Nu 2.4L Theta II MPI, 1.6 T-GDI, 2.0 GDI Theta II, 2.0 CRDi, 2.2 CRDi | 2359cc, 1591cc, 1999cc, 1995cc, 2199cc | Gasoline direct injection (GDI) for turbocharged engines; multi-point injection for 2.4L NA; common rail diesel injection for CRDi. |
Oil capacity by engine
| Year | Engine codes | Oil type | Oil capacity | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | G4GC, S6AT, G6BA | API SL or better; 5W-30 synthetic recommended | Approximately 4.5 L service-fill including filter change (varies by engine) | Dexron III or approved ATF for automatics |
| 2004 | G6BA, G6BV, G4JS | API SL or higher, SAE 5W-30 | Approx. 4.2 L including service refill and filter change (varies by engine) | ATF SP-IV or Dexron III |
| 2005 | G6BA, G4GC | SAE 5W-30 or 10W-30, API service grade SL or higher | 4.2 L (including filter) for 2.4L I4; 5.0 L (including filter) for 2.7L V6; service-fill capacity with oil filter change | Dexron III or equivalent automatic transmission fluid for AT; API GL-4 or GL-5 gear oil for manual |
| 2006 | G6BA, G4GC, S6AT, S6D | SAE 5W-30 or 5W-20 (depends on climate and market) | Approx. 4.5 liters service-fill including filter (varies slightly by engine code and configuration) | Dexron III or equivalent automatic transmission fluid for automatic; manual transmission fluid varies by market |
| 2008 | G4KA, G4KD, Mu2, SII4G | SAE 5W-30 API SN or higher | Approximately 4.3 liters (engine oil service-fill, with oil filter replacement) | Kia SP-IV or equivalent automatic transmission fluid |
| 2009 | G4KD, Theta II 2.4L I4, D4FB, 1.7L CRDi I4 Diesel (Europe/Asia), Lambda II MPi 2.7L V6 (North America) | API SL or higher, SAE 5W-30 or 5W-40 synthetic preferred for gasoline engines; check diesel specs for diesel variants | Approx. 4.2 liters including filter (gasoline 2.4L Theta II; service fill including oil filter replacement) | SP-IV or equivalent ATF for automatics; check manual for manual transmission lubricant |
| 2011 | G4KD, Theta-II GDI, 2.0L Gasoline, 2.4L Gasoline | SAE 5W-30 API SM or higher | Approximately 4.3 liters service fill with filter change (varies slightly by engine variant) | Kia CVTF SP-IV |
| 2013 | GDI 2.0L Theta-II MPI, T-GDI 2.0L Theta-II Turbo, 2.4L MPI Theta-II | SAE 5W-30 synthetic recommended; API SN or higher | Approximately 4.3 liters (service fill including filter change) | Kia Genuine ATF SP-IV or equivalent |
| 2014 | GDI 2.0L Theta II, GDI 2.4L Theta II, Turbo GDI 2.0L Theta II | SAE 5W-30 synthetic recommended | Approx. 4.1 liters including filter (service fill volume, oil filter changed simultaneously) | ATF SP-IV (for automatic transmissions) |
| 2015 | GDI 2.0L Theta II (Nu G4KD), GDI 2.4L Theta II (G4KJ), 2.0L Turbo Theta II (Nu G4KH) | SAE 5W-30 fully synthetic, API SN or higher | Approx. 5.3 liters with filter (service-fill, includes oil filter replacement) | OEM specific ATF (e.g., SP-IV or equivalent for automatic models) |
| 2017 | G4KH, Nu 2.4L MPI, D4HA | SAE 5W-20 or 5W-30 fully synthetic oil meeting API SN or equivalent | Approximately 4.3 liters including filter change (service-fill estimate for 2.4L MPI) | ATF SP-IV or equivalent for automatic transmissions |
| 2018 | G4KH, Nu 2.4L Theta II MPI, 1.6 T-GDI, 2.0 GDI Theta II, 2.0 CRDi, 2.2 CRDi | API SN or higher, SAE 5W-30 or as per country-specific climate, synthetic preferred. | Approx. 5.4L service-fill including filter change (varies by engine code). | Manufacturer recommended ATF, typically SP-IV or equivalent. |
Technical specifications
- Engines: G4GC, S6AT, G6BA, G6BV, G4JS, S6D, G4KA, G4KD, Mu2, SII4G, Theta II 2.4L I4, D4FB
- Transmissions: 5-speed manual (selected engines/markets), 4-speed automatic (selected engines/markets), Dexron III or approved ATF for automatics, 5-speed manual (4-cyl engines in select markets), 4-speed automatic (common across all trims/markets), ATF SP-IV or Dexron III, 5-speed manual (available on some markets and trims), 4-speed automatic
- Tire sizes: 205/60R16, 215/55R16, 215/50R17, P205/60R16, P215/55R16, 215/55R17, 215/60R16, 225/45R18, P215/60R16, P215/55R17
- Bolt pattern: Verify by exact trim and wheel package
- Wheel torque: Verify by VIN and wheel package
- Battery: Verify by engine, market and equipment package
Fluids and service data
- Engine oil: API SL or better; 5W-30 synthetic recommended / API SL or higher, SAE 5W-30 / SAE 5W-30 or 10W-30, API service grade SL or higher / SAE 5W-30 or 5W-20 (depends on climate and market)
- Transmission fluid: Dexron III or approved ATF for automatics / ATF SP-IV or Dexron III / Dexron III or equivalent automatic transmission fluid for AT; API GL-4 or GL-5 gear oil for manual / Dexron III or equivalent automatic transmission fluid for automatic; manual transmission fluid varies by market
- Coolant: Around 7.0 L depending on engine and cooling system configuration / Approx. 6.5 L / 9.0 L / Approx. 7 liters
- Brake fluid: DOT 3 or DOT 4 / DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid / DOT 3 or DOT 4 depending on market recommendations / DOT 3 or DOT 4, as specified per market
Known problems
- Timing belt wear on 4-cylinder engines (replace at recommended intervals)
- Suspension noise from front strut mounts
- Electrical issues with door lock actuators
- Timing belt wear on V6 requires timely replacement
- Premature front suspension wear
- Timing chain noise on higher mileage 2.7L V6 engines
- Coolant leaks from water pump gasket
- Electrical issues with dashboard clusters
- Coolant leaks reported in some V6 engines
- Timing chain noise possible after high mileage
- Electrical issues with window regulators
- Timing chain tensioner noise in some 2.4L engines