2018 KIA OPTIMA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
313
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
21
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 KIA OPTIMA
The 2018 KIA OPTIMA has received a total of 313 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 5 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH. 21 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (124 complaints), Unknown Or Other (34 complaints), and Electrical System (30 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA
NHTSA has recorded 5 recalls for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA, potentially affecting up to 1,279,454 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 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 18V161000 — HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
| 1,710 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Optima hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.
Consequence: If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install two newly designed Battery Management Systems (BMS) that contain Overvoltage Protection Devices (OPDs), free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA
313 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 124 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 8 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systemignitioncoilspark Plugs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengineoillubrication | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingheadlights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
It started with the oil. I constantly have to add oil. when it first started that’s what I was doing just adding oil. Then it got worse the engine light started to come on and it no longer gives me the low oil warning. I took it to the dealership and it was there for about three weeks. They said that the car needed a system update, they updated it and i took it home after that. Its been about a year since then and my car is still having the same issue and getting worse. I had to change the spark plugs a few times since then i also have oil coming out the back pipe and it’s been doing this since before I took it to the dealership. I also had to spend money on a rental car while it was at the dealership.
It started with the oil. I constantly have to add oil. when it first started that’s what I was doing just adding oil. Then it got worse the engine light started to come on and it no longer gives me the low oil warning. I took it to the dealership and it was there for about three weeks. They said that the car needed a system update, they updated it and i took it home after that. Its been about a year since then and my car is still having the same issue and getting worse. I had to change the spark plugs a few times since then i also have oil coming out the back pipe and it’s been doing this since before I took it to the dealership. I also had to spend money on a rental car while it was at the dealership.
I turned the car off, it had difficulty turning back on and the brake pedal got really hard. I had to wait about 30-45 minutes and then I was able to get the car started and brake pedal back to normal and no lights. Recently, I left the car on to run into a shop real quick and come back out. When I got back to the car, the power steering light, battery, and warning light?(amber triangle with ! In the center of it) were all on. I rev the engine and the issue went away for a quick second but then came back on. To avoid turning my car off and being stuck, I just shift to reverse and tried to leave. I’m backing out of the spot and now the backup camera is going in and out lights flashing on the dash and I’m trying to brake but the brake pedal isn’t registering and next thing you know, I’ve backed into a guard rail. On the way to drop my kids off at the babysitter, I was coming to a stop sign, and my car wouldn’t brake, i went through oncoming trafic and had to run off the road. KIA did a multi point inspection a few months apart from one another. One the car tested fine, then the second time they are saying a brake booster and no engine oil in the vehicle and that the car is basically trash. The oil light goes on and off and I can smell burning oil. I still owe 7 grand on this car and I just bought it last year and it was seamingly fine.
I turned the car off, it had difficulty turning back on and the brake pedal got really hard. I had to wait about 30-45 minutes and then I was able to get the car started and brake pedal back to normal and no lights. Recently, I left the car on to run into a shop real quick and come back out. When I got back to the car, the power steering light, battery, and warning light?(amber triangle with ! In the center of it) were all on. I rev the engine and the issue went away for a quick second but then came back on. To avoid turning my car off and being stuck, I just shift to reverse and tried to leave. I’m backing out of the spot and now the backup camera is going in and out lights flashing on the dash and I’m trying to brake but the brake pedal isn’t registering and next thing you know, I’ve backed into a guard rail. On the way to drop my kids off at the babysitter, I was coming to a stop sign, and my car wouldn’t brake, i went through oncoming trafic and had to run off the road. KIA did a multi point inspection a few months apart from one another. One the car tested fine, then the second time they are saying a brake booster and no engine oil in the vehicle and that the car is basically trash. The oil light goes on and off and I can smell burning oil. I still owe 7 grand on this car and I just bought it last year and it was seamingly fine.
I turned the car off, it had difficulty turning back on and the brake pedal got really hard. I had to wait about 30-45 minutes and then I was able to get the car started and brake pedal back to normal and no lights. Recently, I left the car on to run into a shop real quick and come back out. When I got back to the car, the power steering light, battery, and warning light?(amber triangle with ! In the center of it) were all on. I rev the engine and the issue went away for a quick second but then came back on. To avoid turning my car off and being stuck, I just shift to reverse and tried to leave. I’m backing out of the spot and now the backup camera is going in and out lights flashing on the dash and I’m trying to brake but the brake pedal isn’t registering and next thing you know, I’ve backed into a guard rail. On the way to drop my kids off at the babysitter, I was coming to a stop sign, and my car wouldn’t brake, i went through oncoming trafic and had to run off the road. KIA did a multi point inspection a few months apart from one another. One the car tested fine, then the second time they are saying a brake booster and no engine oil in the vehicle and that the car is basically trash. The oil light goes on and off and I can smell burning oil. I still owe 7 grand on this car and I just bought it last year and it was seamingly fine.
Safety Rating for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA
The 2018 KIA OPTIMA received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA
Kia America, Inc. has issued 21 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
CS2303C_OWNR — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without...
SC205_TSB — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA 2.0L T-GDI ULEV LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR EMISSIONS (SC205) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the emissions-related logic of the Engine Control Unit (ECU) on some 2016-2020MY Optima (JFa) ULEV vehicles, equipped with 2.0L T-GDI Theta engines, produced from April 21, 2015 through May...
TSB_ENG222_R4 — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - 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 information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2021MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages...
PS299_R4 — VISIBILITY
PITSTOP: CORRECT PROCEDURE FOR RAISING WINDSHIELD WIPERS - 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. When servicing windshield wipers on the below listed vehicles, including during PDI, ensure to raise the wiper arms...
PI1802YZ_TSB — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: TSB - ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/Z) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in July 2018 (PI1802 Rev 10, 03/16/2020) titled Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement....
TSB_TRA088 — POWER TRAIN
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT (TCU) GEAR SHIFT LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the gear shift logic of the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) on some 2018MY Optima (JF, JFa) vehicles produced from April 18, 2017 through July 11, 2018, equipped with 2.0L T-GDI and...
PI1802_TSB_R7 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN - KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM - ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI1802) - This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) in order to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. The...
PI1802_OWNR2_OPT — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PI1802_OWNR2_OPT: Kia Motors America, Inc. is conducting an important Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on some 2014 MY Optima vehicles equipped with 2.4L Gasoline Direct Injection ("ÂGDI"Â) engines, and all 2015-2018 MY Optima vehicles equipped with 2.4L GDI and 2.0L Turbocharged GDI ("ÂT-GDI"Â) engines to protect the...
TSBBOD182_R3 — EQUIPMENT
TSB - SERVICE ACTION: FLOOR CONSOLE INNER PANEL INSPECTION & CORRECTION/REPLACEMENT (SA328) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides the procedure to inspect and correct or replace the floor console inner side panels on some 2018MY Optima (JFa) vehicles, produced from August 1, 2017...
TSBENG177B_R1 — POWER TRAIN
TSB - SERVICE ACTION: 2.4L SHIFT QUALITY & WAKE-UP LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA316B) - This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and Transmission Control Unit (TCU) on some 2018MY Optima (JFa) 2.4L, produced from April 18, 2017 through September 7, 2017, and some...
Showing 10 of 21 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA OPTIMA
- 2013 KIA OPTIMA — 1,822 complaints
- 2014 KIA OPTIMA — 763 complaints
- 2015 KIA OPTIMA — 1,360 complaints
- 2016 KIA OPTIMA — 1,021 complaints
- 2017 KIA OPTIMA — 336 complaints
- 2018 KIA OPTIMA (current)
- 2019 KIA OPTIMA — 288 complaints
- 2020 KIA OPTIMA — 179 complaints
Other KIA Models
- KIA SORENTO — 13,451 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
- KIA RIO — 1,784 total complaints