2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
12
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
2
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
The 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV has received a total of 12 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH, ENGINE. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (3 complaints), Electrical System (2 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV, potentially affecting up to 649,603 vehicles.
Recall 23V594000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
| 319,436 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.
View full details →Recall 23V594000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
| 319,436 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.
View full details →Recall 21V844000 — ENGINE
| 10,731 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.
Consequence: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
12 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System12v24v48v Battery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima PHEV. The contact's daughter stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high systems temperature switching to hybrid mode message was displayed. The contact stated that there was a two-hour delay for a full charge. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the fluids in the vehicle needed to be changed. The vehicle wasn’t repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer to remove all the items located in the trunk of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery fan assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
The plastic coupling for the steering is broken in my 2018 Kia optima the same Issue that the 2011-2014 issue optima’s have my car has this same issue.
See attached document for complaint.
I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV WAS REPAIRED BUT AFTER I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT AND GOT ON THE FREEWAY THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND LOST ALL POWER. I ALMOST GOT INTO ANOTHER ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WORKED WITH KIA TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO FIX MY CAR BUT APPARENTLY KIA DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEIR OWN CAR. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 19K MILES. I'M AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY AND MY FAMILIES THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV WAS REPAIRED BUT AFTER I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT AND GOT ON THE FREEWAY THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND LOST ALL POWER. I ALMOST GOT INTO ANOTHER ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WORKED WITH KIA TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO FIX MY CAR BUT APPARENTLY KIA DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEIR OWN CAR. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 19K MILES. I'M AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY AND MY FAMILIES THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
Safety Rating for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
Kia America, Inc. has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_ELE192_R1 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: BMS/OPU/MCU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA411) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Battery Management System (BMS), Oil...
TSBENG178_R3 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TSB: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC18) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides information related to extracting âÂÂin use performance trackingâ emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of certain vehicles sold in California.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA OPTIMA PHEV
- 2016 KIA OPTIMA PHEV — 0 complaints
- 2017 KIA OPTIMA PHEV — 37 complaints
- 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV (current)
- 2019 KIA OPTIMA PHEV — 3 complaints
- 2020 KIA OPTIMA PHEV — 1 complaint
Other KIA Models
- KIA SORENTO — 13,451 total complaints
- KIA OPTIMA — 10,045 total complaints
- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA FORTE — 3,450 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints