Kia Optima starter price snapshot
- Low
- $25
- Average
- $124
- High
- $307
Vehicle-specific price guide
How much is a used Kia Optima starter?
Asking prices from 135 salvage yards in 22 states, broken down by model year, condition grade, and fitment variant.
SKWritten bySaurabh Kumar · Co-Founder & CTO
SK
Saurabh Kumar
Co-Founder & CTO, Part Price Guide
Built the pricing pipeline that collects and normalizes used OEM part listings from salvage yards and online marketplaces across the US.
ASReviewed byAmbika Sharma · Co-Founder & COO
Last updatedOct 31, 2026AS
Ambika Sharma
Co-Founder & COO, Part Price Guide
12 years of project management and technical operations experience. Reviews price guides for sample size, fitment accuracy, and data freshness.
Part overview
About the Kia Optima starter
What the starter does, common failure signs, and prices across all vehicles: used starter price guide →
Also known asStarter Motor
Price summary
A used Kia Optima starter costs $25 to $307, with a median asking price of $85. Based on 706 priced salvage yard listings across the US, compatible across 2009–2022 (14 model years), updated Oct 31, 2026. Prices exclude shipping, core charges, and installation.
Grade A (excellent)$135
Grade B (good)$85
Grade C (fair)$50
USD
Condition comparison
Price by part grade
Grade AClean / low wear$25–$307522 listings
Grade BStandard used$35–$303105 listings
Grade CVisible wear$50–$504 listings
Grade XUngraded$35–$12075 listings
| Grade | Price range | Relative range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade AClean / low wear | $25–$307 | 522 | |
| Grade BStandard used | $35–$303 | 105 | |
| Grade CVisible wear | $50–$50 | 4 | |
| Grade XUngraded | $35–$120 | 75 |
Median by grade
Grade price comparison
Grade A$135
Grade B$85
Grade C$50
Ungraded$55
Median asking price by seller-reported condition grade · $25–$307 overall range
Regional supply
Where the Kia Optima starter is listed
We found priced Kia Optima starter listings at 135 salvage yards across 22 states. Florida supplies the most, with 342 listings (31% of the total) from 23 yards. Location matters: yards in Colorado ask a median $50, while Texas yards ask $153, 206% more for the same part. Shipping usually costs less than that gap for smaller parts, so it can pay to buy out of state.
| State | Listings | Yards | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 342 | 23 | $135+59% |
| Arizona | 208 | 15 | $55-35% |
| Texas | 97 | 12 | $153+80% |
| Illinois | 81 | 10 | $75-12% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 8 | $69-19% |
| Colorado | 40 | 5 | $50-41% |
| Indiana | 31 | 4 | $57-33% |
| North Carolina | 29 | 8 | $50-41% |
States with at least 10 priced listings. % is versus the $85 national median.
Replacement cost
What is the Kia Optima starter replacement cost?
- Used part
- $85
- Kia Optima median asking price
- Labor
- $95–$450
- 1–3 hours at $95–$150/hr
- Estimated total
- $180–$535
- median used part + labor
Labor is a typical independent-shop range for starter replacement, not a quote for your vehicle. The part price is the live median from the salvage-yard listings on this page. Full starter replacement cost breakdown
Sources
- Labor time estimates: Part Price Guide labor database
Model-year comparison
What does a Kia Optima starter cost by year?
Market analysis
How much does a used Kia Optima starter cost?
Asking prices for a used Kia Optima starter are unusually spread out: the top listing asks more than ten times what the cheapest does, so which unit you pick matters more than the median. Condition matters: grade-A units (lowest mileage, best condition) carry roughly a 170% premium over grade-C stock, with grade-A medians at $135.
Fitment variant moves the price more than most buyers expect. The most affordable variant we track, US built (VIN 5, 1st digit), 2.0L, lists at a $50 median, while US built (VIN 5, 1st digit), 1.6L commands $75, a 50% gap inside the same part category. Confirm which variant your VIN requires before comparing quotes.
Model year matters too: 2015 units carry the lowest median at $50, while 2016 tops the table at $161. Parts from 2009–2016 are interchangeable, so if the 2015 fits your vehicle, it offers the best value across 8 compatible years.
Against comparable vehicles, the Kia Optima sits 33% below the Ford F150 ($126), 23% below the Mercedes E Class ($111), and 32% below the Mercedes S Class ($125) for the same part. The “similar vehicles” cards below open each comparison guide.
Buying a used starter: what to check
- Ask if the unit was bench-tested. Starters are cheap to test and yards that do will say so.
- Match the flywheel tooth count and mounting bolt pattern to your engine code.
- Check the solenoid connector style; mid-year changes are common.
- A remanufactured unit with warranty is sometimes only slightly more than used, so compare both.
Keep browsing this vehicle
What other Kia Optima parts are priced?
01wide ±151%
Tail Light
$124median
$26$400
02wide ±228%
Side Mirror
$136median
$30$650
03wide ±242%
Wheels
$119median
$25$600
04wide ±217%
Grille
$140median
$30$638
05wide ±202%
Axle Shaft
$105median
$25$450
06wide ±173%
Headlight Assembly
$450median
$110$1,670
07wide ±280%
Transmission
$431median
$75$2,486
08wide ±93%
Engine
$3,000median
$450$6,017
09wide ±211%
Radiator
$110median
$35$500
10wide ±173%
AC Condenser
$110median
$40$420
11wide ±201%
Strut
$75median
$20$321
12wide ±148%
AC Compressor
$125median
$40$410
Price comparisons
Compare Kia Optima starter prices
Startercompare
MercedesEClassvsKiaOptima
Class$111
Optima$85
$26 diff3,035 listings
StartercompareMercedesSClassvsKiaOptima
Class$125
Optima$85
$40 diff2,900 listings
StartercompareDodgeChallengervsKiaOptima
Challenger$85
Optima$85
$0 diff2,690 listings
StartercompareVolkswagenJettavsKiaOptima
Jetta$85
Optima$85
$0 diff2,650 listings
StartercompareMercedesCClassvsKiaOptima
Class$100
Optima$85
$15 diff2,389 listings
StartercompareHyundaiElantravsKiaOptima
Elantra$81
Optima$85
$4 diff2,329 listings
Compare fitments
What do similar vehicles charge for this part?
BMWwide ±219%
BMW X3
$116median
$35$544
BMWwide ±247%
BMW X5
$101median
$25$524
Chevywide ±191%
Chevy Equinox
$75median
$20$307
Chevywide ±146%
Chevy Malibu
$100median
$25$316
Chevywide ±104%
Chevy Silverado 1500
$135median
$25$306
Chevywide ±137%
Chevy Tahoe
$101median
$30$306
Chevywide ±107%
Chevy Traverse
$125median
$40$307
Dodgewide ±215%
Dodge Challenger
$85median
$25$390
Dodgewide ±243%
Dodge Charger
$75median
$25$390
Kiawide ±184%
Kia Forte
$77median
$25$309
Kiawide ±197%
Kia Sorento
$75median
$20$315
Kiawide ±137%
Kia Soul
$97median
$25$290
Common questions
Kia Optima starter FAQ
How much is a used starter for a Kia Optima?
The median asking price is $85 across 706 priced listings from 135 yards. Grade-A units, the cleanest stock, have a median of $135. 2015 is the cheapest model year we track, with a median of $50.
How much does it cost to replace a Kia Optima starter?
Using a used part, a Kia Optima starter replacement typically runs $180–$535 all-in: the median used starter for this model lists at $85, and independent-shop labor for starter replacement typically takes 1–3 hours at $95–$150/hr ($95–$450). Labor is a national part-level estimate, not a quote for your vehicle.
Which Kia Optima model years does this price guide cover?
This guide currently has year-level pricing for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015. Other model years contribute to the overall range where sellers listed them without a year breakdown.
Which Kia Optima starter years are interchangeable?
Salvage-yard interchange data links Kia Optima starter fitments across 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. Searching all 14 years widens the pool of units; confirm the part number against your VIN, since trim or drivetrain can split an interchange group.