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Consumers hoping to find a quality mid-size car are often drawn to the style of the 2018 Kia Optima. It has a sleek design and is hailed as a reliable option. Even the automaker claims that the new models are “driven to stand out.” Research shows that this model does stand out, but not for the reasons most expect. Instead, it is riddled with engine troubles, powertrain malfunctions and the possibility of an accident.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2021 2022
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 Kia Optima
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Air Bags | |
| Structure:body | |
| Fuel/propulsion System |
Problems with the Engine
With a properly functioning engine, a vehicle feels comfortable to drive and has the power needed to get anywhere in style. Sadly, that’s not the case with the 2018 Kia Optima.
One NHTSA complaint states, “On 3/29/19 was traveling to work. On Interstate 53 Southbound car went to limp mode. No power. Managed to get to dealership. They tried to repair my vehicle for 1 month after they told me that the engine need to be replaced they managed to change wiring harness. After month it was done. I took car back. 1 or 2 weeks later car went into limp mode again with same problem. Filed a claim with Kia and BBB to resolve it. As of right now they had inspections on my vehicle as they stated from Kia California HQ and from Kore HQ with no luck to repair it. As manager told me they don’t have any ideas how to fix it. Want Kia to buyback my vehicle and let me get away from this lease with reimbursement on payments because car no in my possession for 128 days and counting. They switched me 3 loaners.”
It turns out that Kia is dealing with numerous engine issues on the Optima. With Service Bulletin #VPI1802_DP, we see the company discussing ways to protect the engine from excessive rod bearing damage. This shouldn’t even be a concern on a new vehicle, yet Kia is scrambling to figure out ways to fix it. If this model is the poster child for standing out, it might be better to hide in a corner instead.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Optima Engine Problems:
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED BY OTHER MOTORISTS THAT FLAMES WERE PRESENT UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT AND A PEDESTRIAN EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE AT THE SCENE, BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF REPORTS WERE FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NORTHSTAR KIA WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ENGINE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.
Problems with the Transmission
What’s most disappointing is the 2018 Kia Optima also struggles with transmission trouble. Between the engine and transmission, it’s amazing that owners can get anywhere behind the wheel of this car.
Just look at this NHTSA complaint. “Transmission failed after 4 months and 3,800 miles while driving local streets. Kia dealers refused to repair under warranty.”
What could the owner possibly have done to the transmission within 4,000 miles that would cause the transmission to go bad and void the warranty? It’s just another case of Kia not living up to their promises. Another example of transmission trouble with this model is illustrated with Service Bulletin #TSBENG177. It states that the ECU and TCU require updates to repair shift quality concerns and extended crank conditions. In fact, the company talks about these complaints throughout several bulletins as they attempt to figure it all out. If Kia wants this vehicle to stand out, it first needs to be able to be driven on the road.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Optima Powertrain Problems:
TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 4 MONTHS AND 3800 MILES WHILE DRIVING ST LOCAL STREETS, KIA DEALERS REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY.
THE CV AXLE ASSEMBLIES SNAP LIKE THE 2016 MODELS DO KIA’S RECALL NUMBER SC139.
Problems with the Electrical System
With the electrical system, it’s evident that there are just as many problems. It appears that Kia just can’t seem to get it working correctly.
Just look at this complaint filed by the NHTSA. “The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. While reversing the vehicle, the rear and side sensors failed to identify two people walking past. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to [dealer] who stated that the sensors were working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 14,356.”
While this is a scary situation, imagine the concern over an electrical issue with the hybrid models. In fact, the NHTSA issued a recall because the voltage protection device might activate. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V161000 states that the VPD might enable during operation of EV mode, which might lead to a loss of power and increased chance of an accident. To repair the problem, Kia must remove the switch and install two new Battery Management Systems with Overvoltage Protection Devices.
For review, we’ve seen plenty of ways that the Optima stands out, as intended by the automaker. It fails to drive at all when the engine fails, contains a defective transmission and refuses to alert drivers when people walk behind it. With all of these issues and the countless others on the Internet, it’s clear to see that this vehicle has gotten a lot of attention, but only for negative reasons.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Optima Electrical Problems:
PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2018 KIA OPTIMA . NEVER REALLY HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT UNTIL FRI NOV 22. AS I WAS LEAVING FROM WORK MY CAR DID A VERY ABRUPT JERK THAT I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT DIDN?T THINK ANYTHING OF IT BECAUSE MY GAS LIGHT HAD JUST CAME ON. BUT TODAY WHICH IS SUNDAY MY CAR?S EPS (ELECTRIC POWER STEERING) LIGHT FLASHED. WEIRDED OUT I LOOK AT THE MANUAL IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. AS I EASED INTO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX THE CAR DID THAT SAME JERK, THE STEERING WHEEL WENT HARD TO MANAGE/STEER AND 6 OTHER LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING( PARKING BREAK LIGHT, EPB LIGHT , ABS LIGHT,ESC LIGHT ,BATTERY CHARGE LIGHT, AND THE MASTER MALFUNCTION LIGHT) . I COULD NO LONGER MANIPULATE MY WHEEL SO I PULL FORWARD ONTO A OPEN SPOT AND PUT IT IN PARK. THE MOMENT I DID THIS THE CAR CUT OFF. IT WILL NOT TURN OVER, IT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING BESIDES TICK. I HAVE BEEN GREAT WITH MAINTENANCE BECAUSE IT WAS EITHER FREE OR DIRT CHEAP SO I ALWAYS TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE READ MORE REVIEWS OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH SIMILAR THINGS. JUST IMAGINE IF I HAD MY CHILD IN THE CAR, ON THE INTERSTATE AND COULD NO LONGER CONTROL MY STEERING WHEEL OR THE CAR JUST DYING MID DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE HOW DANGEROUS THIS ISSUE IS. MY CAR IS BASICALLY 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THAT 50 K. IT HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED , TOWED OR DAMAGED STILL PRACTICALLY NEW. I HAVE ALSO READ SIMILAR RECALLS ABOUT ELECTRONIC ISSUES THAT ARE ONLY RELEVANT TO THE HYBRIDS . THE RECALL SEEMS SIMILAR.
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Complaint Data
| Category | Engine, Firerelated |
| Date | Mar 08, 2023 |
| State | KY |
| Description | The car caught on fire in our driveway |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 03, 2023 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to battleground kia of greensboro (2927 battleground ave, greensboro, nc 27408) but no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 21, 2023 |
| State | CO |
| Description | While driving down the road the car said it had a major voltage failure and was shutting down. I was in the middle of the street and thankfully was able to coast to the turn lane before the car came to a total stop. Since the gas pedal didn't do anything. The car then said there was multiple failures and the hybrid system needed to be immediately shut down. The car then wouldn't start or move after that. About 20 mins later the car like dashboard and screen would turn on but the engine would not. When it turned back on there were even more warnings along with other failures like emergency braking and transmission and the hybrid communication. When the tow truck came and took it it would go into neutral to get on the truck but wouldn't even do that when we got it to the dealership it had to be manually taken out of park to get it off the truck. There were lots of warning lights but the oil, engine, and another light I not sure what it meant were always on even when the others would go away after a while. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 19, 2023 |
| State | ID |
| Description | 2018 kia optima ex a/t. My wife drive this car to work every day, 45-50 mile round trip for the past couple years. We have noticed that oil consumption is starting to become a problem. Im unsure the exact amount it goes through but it seems to be almost 3-4 quarts between oil changes. Every now and then it would randomly be a quart low, but no leaks, no noticeable smoking, no check engine lights. My wife has had a few times where the car would randomly loose acceleration nad slow way down. The car would come back up to acceleration after pulling over to the shoulder of the freeway when it happens. Im wondering if it might be related to the oil consumption, but not sure. It has the recal for the knock sensor update which we are waiting for feb 28th, thats the time the dealer can get the car in for it. Our closest dealer is 150 miles from home. We have owned it since new and this is the only problem we've had with it. I hope we can get this resolved. No new car should go through this much oil at almost a quart or more. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 23, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Front brake calipers seize and burning smell and smoke coming for front wheels. Have replaced the rotors, calipers and brake pads(twice) and it does not seem to fix the problem. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 08, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Excessive oil consumption will burn through around 4qts of oil before 1k miles |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 14, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Normally, when the doors are open my car will tell me. The doors notify me that they're open but my trunk was not showing that it was open. It blinks when it is. Due to that I was driving and my trunk seemed closed and it just flew open. So the problems I'm having is that my trunk will not show its open but it also will not close at all due to the latch. I literally had to bungee it closed. This is dangerous. I have seen many recalls in other kia's and hyundai's just like this. This is very dangerous and needs to be recalled and/or fixed. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 05, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | At around 40,000 miles my car started burning oil rapidly. No leaks were found and I would get an oil indicator light then the car would shut down while driving. I couldn't get it to accelerate. Mechanic said kia's and hyundais have been having those issues. I have needed oil changes every 3 weeks to keep in functioning. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 26, 2022 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Unknown when slowing to a stop, the vehicle spontaneously makes a sudden jolt, throwing passengers forward. It's as if the the transmission malfunctions when down shifting and results in engine braking. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 18, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that when the vehicle's oil will be as low as half a tank or lower the engine would suddenly stall. The vehicle would immediately regain power and function as expected. The failure occurred at various speeds with the highest speed being 60 mph. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that there was fuel pressure pump failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact received a letter stating that the manufacturer was well aware of the failure and have also created an extended warranty, however, they did not have the remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,652. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Sep 28, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I brought the vehicle into kia service for the recall including a computer operating system upgrade. After the recall work was done the car driving at high highway speeds failed, and immediately slowed down, almost causing a rear collision. The computer system turned off the drive mechanism and I was left with only the electric motor to propel the car. The car barely limped off the highway. The car was brought to the kia dealer and no defect was found and the computer was reset. This problem occurred two more times, at highway speeds (70 mph) and kia was contacted to find out why the problems occurred and how to fix it. To date, kia has not responded to how to fix the problem and has ignored all phone calls and emails. The car has been in the shop for 3 months. The problem occurred only after kia upgraded the software due to the recall. Additionally, the recall work was done. I do not know why the recall work was not reported. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 27, 2022 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Rough idle, chugged along before killing engine power. Has happened a couple of times. No check engine light has come on |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Steering |
| Date | Sep 26, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Just started having problems on it's on the car only has 38,000 miles |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 26, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | My car is consuming 2 quarts of oil for every 1,000 miles. This falls under the oil consumption that needs a motor replaced and I am getting a run around from the dealership about getting it replaced. They are saying that kia does not like to replace the motors and I'm better off trading it in. I bought this car intending on keeping it long term, not purchasing a new one. All of the regular maintenance has been done on the vehicle. I've been into the dealership a multitude of times a month due to issues with the car. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Sep 15, 2022 |
| State | NV |
| Description | When headlight switch is set to automatically come on, the light will sometimes randomly turn off. No warning or indicator on the dash appears showing that they are off. Technicians are unable to reproduce the issue in the shop. Have recommended replacing the entire headlight switch on the turn signal stick. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 14, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the vehicle went into limp mode. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a faulty knock sensor that needed a software update. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after receiving the vehicle from the dealer the vehicle was slow to accelerate and the vehicle was driving sluggishly. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to be taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed and repaired. The contact related the failure to the kia consent order with nhtsa; however, the 2018 kia optima was not included. The contact stated that the remedy was not sufficient to remedy the vehicle failure. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 62,709. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 07, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Excessive oil consumption. Dealer says it is normal to burn a quart every thousand miles. At that rate I would have no oil left before my next oil change. That is not normal and could cause overheating and engine lock up. The car only has 45,000 miles. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 04, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | I got out of my car to talk to someone and my car was running with my purse and phone in the car and the trunk open. I was meeting someone to buy a vacuume from facebook marketplace. I decided to put the vacuum in the back seat instead so closed the trunk. When I went to open the door all the doors were locked. I was locked out in the rain for an hour. The person I bought the vacuum from called kia and they sent someone out to unlock my car. Several people have said the car is supposed to recognize that the key is inside the car and not lock it. And that this is an issue. I do know it has only started doing this recently because I live 8n the country and never lock my car in my garage. And recently I have noticed it is licking itself now every time I get out. So I have been leaving the windows down at home but it was raining today when I got out and I didn't think about or remember that it is locking itself .... Also I have never gotten out of the car to get something with it running and the windows closed since this issue came up. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Sep 02, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Trying to cut off and jerks when stopping vehicle |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 20, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | My car was stolen |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 08, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving at a slow speed, the vehicle inadvertently shifted into limp mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and dtc: p1326 (ksds) was retrieved. The contact was informed that there was vibration caused by excessive connecting rod bearing wear. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the vin was not under recall for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
| Date | Aug 05, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Ecm telling fuel pump to put too much gas, causing exhaust into cabin, unnoticed while in car, but hair and cloth reak of exhaust and getting headaches. Reduced mileage by 20+mpg from 30+ to 11mpg. Bsd- no lights or codes thrown by 3rd party, but dealer said there was a code on the bsd. Bsd was not working and no codes appeared. No lights or codes for fuel issue or bsd, but dealer said there is a recall that I cannot find for fuel and said there was a code for bsd, but it didn't pop up on my husband's code reader previously. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 01, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | First incident occured when I was driving to work. The engine made a noise and loss power which almost resulted in a crash. I contacted kia, they explain to me that a knock sensor need to be installed and software needed to be updated. They installed it and return the car to me. Now again while I am on the highway I hear a loud knock, lights flashing in the car and the car has loss power. I rolled off the exit pull over and called a tow truck. While waiting I check the oil in the car thinking maybe the engine is locking up. There is no oil in the car, which is strange because two months prior kia just did an oil change. I have documents to prove everything. Kia has been the only dealership that service the car. They now been in possession of my vehicle for four months now and nothing has been done. I contacted cooperate and they have failed to getting back to me after numerous attempts to get answers. Please someone help me. I have congestive heart faliure which I explain to them and I really need my car but most of all I need it to be safe for me. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 18, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Flashing engine light out of nowhere. Fault code is for faulty knock sensor lacks power. Wants to stall when hitting the gas. Can cause engine compartment fire. As well as engine fire. Safety put at risk if stopped in the middle of traffic. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 08, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Hello, my kia was stolen lastnight. The criminals apparently the “kia boys†took my car, it wasn't until after I spoke with my daughter she expressed to me that she saw a video on social media about kia's and another car, being stolen excessively. So after doing my research I was sent to this page to share my story. I am sure kia is aware of the situation, so much so to where they are/have made a change in their 2022 model. But those of use who have a kia model that is not a 2022, we are screwed. I make monthly payments on a vehicle engineered by adults, but what I've just found out is the criminals are mainly middle school age children who takes the cars for a joy ride. It is hard to process this oversight by kia, I love my car, I've had 2 kias. But this will be my last. Especially if they (kia) doesn't own this oversight. To have my car stolen hurts, I didn't leave the key in, nor the door unlocked. I parked my car, activated my alarm, only to wake up and my car gone. I see there is a lawsuit in a state (I forgot the state) against kia. I hope and pray the state of georgia can start one as well. My car wasn't the only kia, taken lastnight. There were 3-4 others taken from this complex. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 06, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Me and my family just returned home from the laundry mat and took 2 children inside our house and turned around for our belongings and clothing/bedding for the family as the wheels spun out being followed by a silver hyundaii. Just a matter of seconds to 2 minutes. The keys were not in the vehicle. 2 childrens carseats and almost all of my family's belongings were stolen inside of the vehicle. 2018 kia optima dark slate grey in color with dark tinted windows and sun strip at the top of windshield, black rims. Cr 21077 il license plate this seems to be an ongoing issue with kia and hyundaii vehicles being stolen and somehow im still not being offered a loaner vehicle with full coverage insurance |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 28, 2022 |
| State | KY |
| Description | When driving this vehicle in heavy rain critical error code p1326 comes on limiting the speed to 62 mph and slow acceleration. This has happened 6 times. Two of those times I took to a kia dealer. One said they replaced parts and fixed - but still have issue and one did nothing but download software to get ride of code. The other 4 auto store has reset code which they should not be doing and sometimes say no. This has happened 6 times since I have owned the vehicle. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 08, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | 2018 kia optima. Consumer writes in regard to illiminated oil light. The consumer stated the vehicle consumed oil quickly, but without any leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer suggested driving 1000 miles and then return to the dealer to be further inspected. After leaving the dealer, the vehicle began smoking. The dealer stated it could be due to spilled oiled that occured during the oil change. The consumer continued to drive the vehicle and it caught fire and exploded. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | May 26, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | My car has been at the dealership since february 10th. The dealer has been giving me the run around. Didn't have any transportation for over two months and car hasn't moved since the day I dropped it off. I'm really getting impatient, as I am making monthly payments on a car that I can't even use. Nearing four months and I'm totally lost on what to do. Thank you for any assistance |
| Category | Engine, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection, Power Train |
| Date | May 09, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Engine overhead and stopped working in addition to it consuming massive amounts of oil without physically putting oil in. I've went to 2 dealerships who refuse to provide me with a new engine even though I'm covered under the engine extension warranty due to me having the knock sensor update done. I am now involving my attorney and will go to the news channels to inform how kia manufacturer has become a disgrace with not providing quality engines in their vehicles and don't want to be responsible for it. There's already a settlement going on for kia optimas and other cars they've made because of faulty engines. They can better believe I'm coming for them next with a lawsuit. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 06, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | We recently purchased a 2018 kia optima ex. All the windows exibit distortion so bad ,as to interfere with line of site from the driver seat. There are ripples in the glass front rear and sides. At the dealership they said they could buff them out,I made a bet with the service manager he could not as the problem was between the plates of glass. The dealer replaced the windshieldand he said he would replace the driver side window. But that was serveral months ago. I can not see out of the rear window at nite. If it rains all visibility is scary. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 22, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph after leaving the dealer, the vehicle started to overheat. The contact stated that the high engine temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull over and turn the vehicle off. The contact restarted the vehicle and the engine temperature was still elevated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle was left on the side of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed; however, the contact was not provided the diagnostic result. The contact was informed by the mechanic of an unspecified engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,200. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Apr 08, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The headlights on my 2018 kia optima have been turning off and on randomly by themselves while in motion. Each time it's happened has been in different areas at different times of the night. The headlight switch is kept in the auto position most of the time. When the headlights turn off, the screen in the dash for the headlight function switches from auto to off by itself. Sometimes if the turn signal switch is jiggled the lights will come back on. Other times the headlight switch, located on the end of the turn signal switch, has to be turned to the on position to get the lights to turn on. The car has been in for service but each time the technician is unable to reproduce the fault. It is occurring more frequently and becoming a safety issue. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 27, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The electrical components connected to the headlights seem to be faulty. When lights are set to auto, the lights will turn off completely when switching on turn signal. At times the light will not come on at all when set to auto or on without cycle back to off. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 21, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil without warning. The contact stated that after receiving an oil change, the oil reservoir was empty within less than a week. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the oil change was performed and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer where she was informed that since she was the second owner of the vehicle, they could not offer any assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Feb 23, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | When driving with headlights set to auto the headlights turn off whenever the blinker is used. I've found many complaints however my vehicle has not been inspected. This poses a hazard of driving at night with no headlights, then having to fiddle with the switch to turn them back on. |
| Category | Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 10, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I purchased my kia optima brand new I believe it had 7 miles on it when I purchased it, shortly after it was purchased it started having a problem with the transmission, I would go to takeoff and it was lunch and jerk pretty hard to where it was very noticeable. I took it into the shop they thought that it was something a computer program could reset they performed that I did not fix it, I don't drive my kia very much I barely have 25,000 miles on it right now I am a real live in care provider so I don't drive very much my job is at home. I have taken the car into several dealerships repeatedly to have it fixed, ia really was at a loss and did not know what to do because I had taken it to two different dealerships and the problem was never resolved. I contacted an attorney they got nowhere because apparently I needed to take my car in one more time within a timeframe for them to be able to do anything about it? And any right, still to this day the car does the same thing it's been in the shop four or five times for this problem. One time I took it to kia and elk grove they kept it looked at it said they couldn't find the problem. Every time I'm renting a car paying for the insurance going through the inconvenience of renting a car paying extra insurance etc. Just to have nothing done with my car. When I went to pick up my car from the elk grove dealership I threw a fit because I was tired of it and I said look somethings wrong with the car I'm not a mechanic I can't tell you what it is but I need this car fixed, the service manager came out and said I'll take a a ride with you and we'll see if maybe I can see what the problem is we didn't even get out of the parking lot and it jerked so hard at the service manager noted it in the file had me drop it back off and leave it it's still wasn't fixed. I took it in again after that the new service manager took it on an hour drive on the freeway hooked up to a computer with kia and of course it didn't do anything while h |
| Category | Engine, Steering |
| Date | Dec 12, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | We would like to know what kia is planning to do to address the fact that kia built a car without the basic immobilizer circuit making it very easy to steal. Over the last few months, local and national news reports, as well as many social media sites, have reported on this security flaw which likely emboldens others to attempt a theft of a kia and/or hyundai. As I do not live in milwaulkee, I would like to know how the company will fix this problem for the rest of us. It will not be restricted to just one city. There are numerous articles by victims that have detailed how their car theft cost them thousands of dollars in insurance deductibles, rental cars, and repairs. Many of the articles explain how thieves as young as 12 years old are able to still these cars in under a minute in broad daylight and driving recklessly creating a serious safety hazzard. Please advise what kia will do to negate this serious security flaw. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Nov 21, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Turned on my car and steering wheel was stuck , it didn't turn, turn the engine off and back on and it went back to normal. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Nov 07, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving, all lights (headlights, instrument, etc) would randomly go dark. Lighting usually restored after toggling the instrument control arm from on-to-off-on. Obviously super dangerous as driver can't see roadway and other drivers can't see the car. |
| Category | Electrical System:ignition:coil:spark Plugs |
| Date | Sep 17, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Vehicle is making a noise when trying to accelerate. Have replaced all spark plugs and coil #4. It is making noise still and shaking. Coil has been switched and issues are reading fuel injector or air intake or electrical. Previous reading was head gasket... Only on spark plug 4 coil is it reporting an issue... All dealerships locally are booked to even get a diagnostic test. |
| Category | Electrical System, Seat Belts |
| Date | Sep 05, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving, car in motion, front passenger seat belt audio warning periodically goes off without reason. Indicating seat is occupied & seat belt needs putting on. When seat has been unoccupied / clear from any type of weight on seat to trigger sensor. Audio warning will continue until seat belt is latched over the empty seat. Local kia service dept was informed & could neither confirm or deny its faulty behavior for it did not present itself during time of service. They said, wiring looked fine but did no further testing. To be honest they showed no interest into seeing any real importance for my concern for them to feel any further investigation was warranted. Its happened again twice since that service visit be it last incident aug 7th. My concern is.... If there is faulty wiring or sensor signals being crossed somewhere, whats to say there is a passenger or no passenger in that seat, to ensure the correct signal is getting to the passenger side air bags of when to correctly deploy if an accident should happen with passenger in seat? This situ is only recent starting about a year a go. So something has changed from being fine for 2 yrs up to the last year that's now showing some kind of seat belt / sensor failure. I'm unfamiliar with how that wiring system works & linked within it for me know what other things I might need to pay more attn to, looking for other signs that could be saying is direct cause to the prob. Unsure if this a simple solution or is something that others are experiencing with this year & model car & poss be a manufacturer part default |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 28, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Engine loses compression and car dies while in motion. This has happened several times and is extremely dangerous on the road! This car is barely out of warranty with only 104,000 miles! This is unacceptable! |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 11, 2021 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | While driving at highway speed my children (11, 7, & 5) and I were almost rear-ended when my kia optima 2018 (79k) without any warning loses power, jerks and then regains power. A number of vehicles behind us had slam on their brakes to avoid a pileup. My optima almost resembled the feeling when a vehicle runs out of gas but much more abrupt. The drink my son was holding was thrown out of hand due the vehicle jerking to an almost stop and jerking back to power. No warning light, battery & alternator both test good and tank was half full. Two days pass and the same system fail while driving with the same similarities (no warning lights). My optima is no longer under warranty and I have no financial resources for repairs. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Aug 01, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Driving at night, was getting onto the freeway. Entrance to the freeway was on a curved street, as I was taking the turn leading into the freeway the lights turned off, then suddenly turned back on and then off again all while I was merging onto the freeway. I quickly took the light out of “auto†setting. Very scary as I almost got hit by the truckers already on the freeway. I've had issues with the blind spot warning as well. It fails all the time so of course I never put my trust on that. The lighting situation is very scary, as it was happening you could see the dashboard setting itself to auto and randomly going up and down the list of options as if it was being controlled by someone else. I could've caused an accident. Please check this issue. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 13, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Back in september of 2020, my car randomly went to limp mode while driving at highway speeds. Had the car towed to the dealer. Dealer advised of apparent “software issue†to correct the problem. Well this happened two more times after that twice the software was updated which didn't work. The third time the replaced the knock sensor and so far I haven't went to limp mode, however, the car has not drove the same and seems to get worse each passing day. Rough shifting, engine vibrates more than usual. Car struggles at times to go up hills, when giving gas a though way speed the car has a few second delay. Sometimes it feels as if the transmission is skipping. The car is up to date on all recommended services, I. E transmission flush and fill etc. There are also times when the vehicle is started but struggles. Almost as if it want to loose power but it doesn't. Has happened numerous times however recently it actually didn't start. Struggle to turn over a couple time but then finally did. A check engine light came on but then went away the next day after driving. I have an appointment with the dealer this week to look at this and other issues, again, hoping for some progress at that point. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting:headlights |
| Date | Jun 05, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Problems: lights switch is in auto position and I have locked the vehicle. I noticed at least twice the exterior lights come on and stays on until I unlock start the vehicle and turn engine off. Additionally on june 3 2021 light switch in automatic position coming home at night the head lights turned themselves off the dashboard lights remained on. I was a half mile from home and able to get the vehicle home safely. Turned the headlights switch to manual to turn lights back on. No warning lights came on. Mechanic will look at vehicle later this week. I have no confidence the mechanic will be a to replicate the problem. That's their if can't be reproduced or the computer did notice, it didn't happen . The vehicle is available for inspection |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | May 14, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | When driving this vehicle rattles and shakes it has a burning smell/gas smell. It cuts off while driving. Looses oil. Oil at low level before due. This make and model is no longer being manufactured. It has a known history of engine problems. Why were consumers allowed to buy this car. Problems are active and ongoing. Started about a year or close to a year after purchase. It is a lemon . The dealer wants to diagnose the engine, but they already know the engine is no good. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Apr 20, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was driving on the freeway at about 60mph and suddenly the front part of my panoramic sunroof exploded. There was no impact or accident that caused this. We weren't hit by any road debris or anything it just exploded while driving. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 16, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the vehicle abruptly stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle unto the road shoulder and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle operated as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to ancira kia (6139 bandera road, san antonio, tx 78238, (210)684-4000) due to the hesitation and stalling. The dealer replaced the spark plugs and changed the oil however, the repair did not correct the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 72,800. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 02, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | I originally leased my 2018 optima with 98 miles on it and bought it out at the end of my lease this was my second optima, I also had 2 hyundai sonatas. Since I'm in sales I had the added mileage on it. At 98,000 miles the engine started ticking. I originally had a 2013 hyundai sonata that when it hit 105,000 started ticking only to find that it was burning oil (1. 5 quarts a week) so I was hesitant about another kia but the dealer assured me that kia had been aware of the problem and that they had fixed it. Guess what?! It hasn't. I took my vehicle in every 1,000 miles for oil change and have the documents showing how much oil was being burned off. According to kia corporate there is nothing wrong even though my vehicle requires a quart of oil every 1,000 miles and was under owners warranty. Never again. People watch your vehicles. This is a know problem with kia and hyundai and they do not honor their warranties. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 01, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Both of my back door sensators are saying the back doors are open but they're locked |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Feb 26, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 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. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 15, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | When I was driving on the highway on 2/14/2011 a "check hybrid system" warning came on, check engine light, triangle hev light, a red battery light came on and car lost engine power. After my vehicle slowed traffic down due to not having power I was barely able to pull over to the side of the road by coasting the car to the shoulder. It would not accelerate what so ever not even with just the engine power. When I pulled over the big check hybrid system warning dissapeared and only the check engine light and triangle hev light stayed on. I had my children in the car and almost caused an accident. It was towed to my home and after I connected it to the wall plug for an hour the lights dissapeared. I'm afraid that if I take the car to the dealership that they wont be able to replicate this issue since the warning lights are no longer on and they tell me they cant find the issue and this happens again in the future. There are several forums where people have this same issue from 2014 hybrid models and up and has happened to them numerous times and the dealership tells them they cant duplicate the problem. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 30, 2021 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Loud ratteling when cranking, continuous ratteling when accelerating under driverside floor board made a clunk sound when applying brakes and now its like a sliding sound before it catches brake |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Jan 12, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering locked in mid turn with the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact called perris valley kia (707 e 4th st, perris, ca 92570) and was informed that the only way to repair the defect was to duplicate the failure. The contact was advised to leave the vehicle with the dealer for an extended period. The contact declined the offer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 18, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | I leased a new #kia #optima #phev from you in july of 2018. In july of 2020, the charging cable lodged in the car and it took 4 hours for roadside assistance to remove it. On december 2, 2020, I got a check engine light and made an appointment for service, but before I could bring it on dec 3, the check engine light became a turn engine off now light, and the car stopped dead in the middle of a busy highway with a wisp of smoke from under the hood, a dangerous situation. I had it towed to kia of delray. It's still there, they haven't told me what's wrong. It is 2. 5 years old with just over 18k miles on it. I leased the car when I lived in ca, and now live in fl, which is also a problem, as the dealership here just doesn't seem equipped to service a phev. The lease is scheduled to end in july 2021 but the manufacturer has refused to offer me an option to return the car early, yet it feels unsafe to continue to drive it (and it's not operational right now). |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes, Steering |
| Date | Dec 12, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | I have 63,826 miles on my 2018 kia optima s and I drove it to the store and all my light on the dash came on when I would come to a stop and my power steering would go out and about cause me to wreck. I was told that it was my alternator but after getting a new alternator I then drove it to get dinner a few days later when the same thing started happening again and my power steering kept going out again. I have two newborn babies, a 5 year old and a 10 year old in the vehicle with me and had I wrecked when the power steering went out it could have been a bad situation. |
| Category | Air Bags, Seat Belts |
| Date | Nov 25, 2020 |
| State | AL |
| Description | I was in a car accident as I was driving on i65 and my air bags did not deploy and my seat belt didn't lock up |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 11, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | This issue has happened multiple times to not only myself. It my wife as well. As we're driving anywhere above 45mph. A warning display comes on telling us to check the hev, to pull over, and turn off our vehicle. We comply to the warning and when restarting the vehicle, check engine light comes on and then same issue happens again a few minutes after driving. One out of the four times that this issue has occured to us, the vehicle completely died on my wife due to the battery not charging. So when she pulled over and tried to turn the vehicle back on, it wouldn't restart. Code on car is p2600 generic coolant pump circuit a open. Everywhere says recall isn't available for our car but am seeing that same issue with our year, make, and model is occurring. Which is the hybrid propulsion system is being affected. The voltage protection device (vpd), designed to protect the high voltage battery module is being activated inadvertently. |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Nov 08, 2020 |
| State | SC |
| Description | On november 7 while driving on a freeway in sc I had a catostrophic failure in my front left tire at 55 miles per hour. Fortunately I was able to exit safely and get my vehicle off the road. The tire was filled to manufacturer psi and was driven only 13,151 miles. The sidewall was blown out. I did not hit anything to cause this failure the tire is a kumho 215 r17 94 v. My vehicle is a 2018 kia optima s. I believe I should have a full replacement for this failure. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 22, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | 2018 kia optima ex. Sometimes hesitates when trying to start, until today. All lights on dash lit up but no ignition. I tried several times, then steering and brake pedal locked up and I heard clicking noise. Had someone jump my battery and the car started up, but when I turned it off, it would not start again. Nothing was left on all night, car was locked and unlocked with handle. I am contacting the dealer this afternoon to see how they handle this. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 20, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | My car suddenly experience major electrical issues. I drove my car to the store and back home. I went back to my car and it started with no problem but my dash was flashing, my brake, steering, check engine, airbag, abs, and traction's control indicators came on all at once. I was not able to shift the car into gear. I used the park release shift to put the car in gear and the car has no power steering. But it moves. I took it to the jeffery kia in roseville,mi and basically was told that they didn't know what was wrong with car. They ask me had my car been struck by lightning! You can look at the car and see there has been no accidents or lightning strikes to the car. They wanted to charge me extra money to keep the car just to tell me what's wrong with it. I know this is a defect with this vehicle. I see the epd recall on 2018 kia optima but they are saying it's only for hybrids. Which is false this has to be happening to all the kia optima models. |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes |
| Date | Sep 22, 2020 |
| State | NV |
| Description | When I go to accelerate from a stopped position; the car stalls and turns off and then it turns itself back on. Additionally, when I drive over 50 mph the car/tires start to vibrate. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 22, 2020 |
| State | LA |
| Description | When driving at night the lights will cut completely off. You have to switch from auto to the on poistion. Its a very scary and dangerous situation. |
| Category | Air Bags, Engine |
| Date | Sep 03, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima hybrid. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle started to make an unknown noise, the contact costed to the side of the road and check underneath and around the vehicle to see where the noise was coming from but did not find anything. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle stated that she was on a way to taken the vehicle for an oil change. The technician heard the nose and informed the contact that he was would need to check everything before he can complete an oil change. The technician removed the protective shield underneath the vehicle and noticed oil was all over and metal shaving was in the oil around the oil pressure sensor. The technician informed the contact it maybe was coming from the engine. The contact called napleton's mid rivers kia, 4955 veterans memorial pkwy, st peters, mo 63376, and informed them of the failure and the contact was informed to schedule and appointment. The contact stated that she had the vehicle towed to auffenberg hyundai, 1300 central park dr, o'fallon, il 62269, and the technician could not find a failure. The contact was informed that the manufacturer would send and engineer to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired yet. The contact mentioned that she was experiencing electric shack from the steering wheel and the accelerator pedal. And that the accelerator was losing pressure and that smoke was coming through the vent of the cabin. The failure mileage was approximately 27,573. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 02, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | First off my car is fine. Again my car is fine no complaints. Nhtsa has miss identified my 2018 optima lx with 2. 4l engine hybrid. Nhtsa with this screw up has ohio bmv thinking my car is hybrid and wants an extra 0 dollars as a fee for license because they think it is electric. Ohio bmv or apparently nhtsa dose not have a process to fix the problem or figure out my car is gasoline only. Ohio bmv will will only go on what nhtsa web site says. It apparently says my car could be a hybrid. As I say no problem with car but nhtsa has miss coded what my car is. Have not been able to get any help from kia yet. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 24, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Caught fire while driving. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 02, 2020 |
| State | NE |
| Description | While driving at night lights went completely out on highway while in auto mode |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jul 17, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I have the kia optima sx with the technology package that comes equipped with the auto-leveling and auto-bending led headlamps. I believe that the auto-leveling function is working incorrectly. When weight is added to the car (more passengers) the beam pattern auto adjusts itself to point even lower instead of higher. This causes an adverse effect. Think of it this way, the beam has a default setting to where it points to when there is no weight added to the car. When two passengers sit in the car, the beam should not point lower, instead it should auto-level itself to a higher position to accommodate for the fact that the vehicle is now lower when weight is added to the vehicle. I also believe that the headlights by default are pointed a bit low, I went to the dealership (concord kia in concord, ca) to have them re-adjusted. Alas, no better result was achieved due to the fact that they are auto-leveling. Often when driving in the car with my fiance (a combined weight of about 600 lbs distributed to the front seats), the led low-beams appear to reach a max distance of 40 ft on level land, and around 70 ft. Going up a hill. When one is going downhill, the projected led light reaches a distance of around 25 ft. I understand that the 2017-2020 kia optima sx models equipped with the auto-leveling and auto-bending lights have received a fantastic rating. I am sure when the lights are working at optimal conditions (1 person in the car who may weigh under 200 lbs) the lighting can be great. However, I encourage the nhsta to re-conduct a thorough test under the following conditions: seat two people in the front who weigh at least 200 lbs. First seat one person, notice the beam pattern against a wall about 50 ft. Away, then seat another person in the vehicle and notice how the beam pattern is lowered. I also encourage the testers to drive the around a bit. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jul 13, 2020 |
| State | MN |
| Description | This has happed now 5 times!! When applying my brakes, the pedal gets firm which little to no reduction in speed! Then pedal goes almost all the way to the floor and wheels lock up, coming to an abrupt stop! Each time this happened was completely random and without any type of warning! Each time I was approaching a stops sign or coming up to an off ramp! Brought my car into the kia dealership and they checked it out for hours and they did not come up with anything but told me they would report it! So still having problems and they can't find anything wrong with it! I don't feel I can safely drive my vehicle anymore especially with my kids!!! This needs to be addressed before someone gets hurt!!! But of course kia won't do the extra work to help solve the problem!! |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 25, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I leased 2018 kia optima ex. At 6399miles and 9650miles engine light on and car vibrates a lot. First service replaced spark plug and second time they replaced engine. This car was awarded as best initial quality award which has engine issues. Kia says they will not take any responsibility if anything happens when driving car because of the issue. If it happens again they will replace engine or repair it. Kia is not confident that replaced engine will not have this issue. *tr |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 17, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Engine turned off while driving without any warning, going straight, in city. Dealership can not duplicate or diagnose problem. *tr |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Mar 06, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The steering wheel doesn't lock when I put it in park, turn the car off and remove the key. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Structure:body, Wheels |
| Date | Feb 06, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | I was driving on a highway and started to hear an noise from the front right while I was on a road trip. Had been driving for about 45 miles and moved over one lane to the right and front right tire blew - had less than 16,000 miles on car. I got the tire replaced at a kia dealership and wheels aligned. Then,driving on a main road, 45 mph a few weeks later, got to a passing zone, and passed the car in front of me after accelerating to 65 during the short passing zone. After passing the car I tapped the breaks to slow back down to 45 and the traction, brake, and tmz lights all came on. When brake engaged, car did not brake as normal and a odd noise like a grinding sound could be heard coming from the front right wheel area. Took the car into dealership, they ran diagnostics, said it was a 'miss-tripped' sensor and clearing it corrected the issue. I drove my car less than 5 miles down the road and engaged the brake on a 40 mph road at a stop light, all three lights came right back on. Had to call and take car back in and they ended up keeping my car several days before saying I had a bad tire sensor, but car was safe to drive. Drove again, to a neighboring city and had been driving about 40 miles and front left tire blew. Got it towed back to the dealership, who said tires blowing had nothing to do with censor. Got tire changed and rotation. Picked up car and tire pressure light came on -low pressure. Nitro was added by dealership and light went off. Turned my pressure reader on and 2 miles down the road the car went from 37 to 45 psi. I think bad sensor is causing over inflating of tires at the dealership leading to blown tires. Tested pressure with separate pressure reader and too high so let some air out, drove down a highway at 50 mph and car 'bottomed out' on a rolling dip in the road scrapping the plastic protection piece behind the front right tire under the car |
| Category | Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 22, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 3 times intermittently brake pedal on my 2018 kia optima froze and to it wont brake. No lights came on dashboard. I have only 22. 000 miles on it. I took the car to nearest kia dealer twice. According to them they are unable to duplicate the problem and computer not reading any error codes vehicle unsafe to drive |
| Category | Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 09, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Randomly brake pedal on my kia optima freezes and im unable to apply and stop vehicle it happened twice once it happened on hwy and once on city street. Currently vehicle is in dealership since jan 2nd and dealer stating they are unable to duplicate issue |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 24, 2019 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The cv axle assemblies snap like the 2016 models do kia's recall number sc139. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Service Brakes, Steering |
| Date | Dec 07, 2019 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I have never had any issues with my car, I get maintenance as scheduled so it's odd that this is even happening. On december 6th I went to move my car. I crank the car with no problem. I noticed it kind of hesistated slightly, but continued on with no problem. When I went to put my car in reverse in order to park it stalled and about 5 or 6 of the lights on the dash came on, the steering wheel went hard to manage/steer and as 6 other lights started blinking, I could no longer manipulate my wheel so I allowed the car to roll into the spot because I was on a slight incline and put it in park. The moment I did that the car cut off. It would not turn over, it would not do anything besides click when I tried to crank the car again. I eventually asked someone for a jump and managed to make it home. The next day I got up and drove as I normally would and thats when the eletric power steering warning light came on. When that light comes on the car becomes hard to maneuver. Thankfully that time it went off and proceeded to drive as it would normally. This issue happens unexpectedly without any warning. So at any moment I could be driving and the car can stop on me. I have 4 kids and live in a really busy area so even the thought of this happening has me second thinking each time I have to move my car!! I've seen more than one of the same complaint and I notice our vin #'s are similar so something should really be done about this as it seems this is a trend with the year, make, and model of this car. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 06, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. While driving 20 mph, the contact was notified by other motorists that flames were present under the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and smoke appeared under the hood. The contact and a pedestrian extinguished the fire. The fire and police departments were at the scene, but the contact was unsure if reports were filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to northstar kia (46-05 northern blvd, long island city, ny 11101, (877) 244-0989) where the contact was informed that there was an engine fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Dec 05, 2019 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | On november 18, 2019 @ 6:38 pm in phoenix, arizona on 59th ave heading west I was in a very terrible car collision where I was at a stand still at a red light and was rear ended by a toyota tacoma going 45-60 mph, upon impact I was forced forward and hit the back of a flat bed tow truck and completely destroyed the front of the vehicle. The airbags did not deploy upon impact. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Steering |
| Date | Nov 24, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Hello I am nychole and in october of 2017 I purchased a brand new 2018 kia optima . Never really had any issues with it until fri nov 22. As I was leaving from work my car did a very abrupt jerk that I acknowledged but didn't think anything of it because my gas light had just came on. But today which is sunday my car's eps (electric power steering) light flashed. Weirded out I look at the manual in the glove compartment. As I eased into my apartment complex the car did that same jerk, the steering wheel went hard to manage/steer and 6 other lights started blinking( parking break light,epb light ,abs light,esc light ,battery charge light, and the master malfunction light) . I could no longer manipulate my wheel so I pull forward onto a open spot and put it in park. The moment I did this the car cut off. It will not turn over, it will not do anything besides tick. I have been great with maintenance because it was either free or dirt cheap so I always took it to the dealership. I have read more reviews of people going through similar things. Just imagine if I had my child in the car, on the interstate and could no longer control my steering wheel or the car just dying mid drive on the interstate how dangerous this issue is. My car is basically 3 years old and has less that 50 k. It has never been wrecked , towed or damaged still practically new. I have also read similar recalls about electronic issues that are only relevant to the hybrids . The recall seems similar. |
| Category | Engine, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 02, 2019 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | I purchased a brand new 2018 kia optima in november 2018. I have put approximately 22,500 miles on it and have been keeping up with updated oil change maintenance per the schedule recommended by the dealer. On saturday 9/28 I dropped the car off for a routine oil change, and as I drove it off the lot it sputtered as if it was going to die, but it didn't. The car continued to run and it got me home. The next day, sunday 9/29, it drove without problems for about an hour, but while driving the car completely powered down and stopped working. It was a terrifying experience as I was in the middle of a major city road and almost caused a serious accident. I put the car into park and was able to start it back up, and I was lucky enough not to be struck by another vehicle. The dealership was closed at this time so I called them first thing monday 10/1 to report the issue and dropped it off. The dealership is claiming to be unable to recreate the issue so ready to give me the car back. This is a huge safety concern and I can't believe we as consumers have to put our lives at risk to wait for the problem to happen again before any recourse can be taken. From my research on the internet, it is very common for the dealership not to be able to recreate the problem so unable to provide a fix. Kia had 5+ years of engine stall problems that were not acknowledged until many years later, and the dealership certainly will not validate this. Furthermore, when the engine stalls, the power steering and brakes both go out, so you have nothing but prayers to rely on to keep you alive. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 09, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | While I was driving my vehicle on the streets; its an 2018 kia optima. On august 2,2019 my car engine caught on fire. People walking on the sidewalk and other drivers stop to alert me that they saw fire from the bottom of the car. Then while driving I start to notice extreme smoke coming from the hood so much I couldnt no longer look where I was going. I panicked and mind was racing q how could this happen I got this car new last year may 1,2018. When I jumped out to look at the hood I saw my engine engulfed with flames. Nearby driver threw me a bottole of water,luckily I had just bought 24 case of water, another driver pulled over and was helping me pour water to reduce the damage of the fire. No engine light was on or any other warning lights before or after the fire and I had my recently oil change. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 22, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact owned a 2018 kia optima. While driving approximately 25 mph, the driver was told to pull over because there was smoke emitting from their vehicle. The contact pulled over and was able to put out the fire. The fire was coming from the engine of the vehicle. The contact stated that no warning lights illuminated and there were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to northstar mitsubishi parts (41-05 34th astoria, ny 11101) and awaiting kia inspector for a diagnoses. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 05, 2019 |
| State | IL |
| Description | On 03/29/2019 was traveling to work. On interstate 53 southbound car went to limp mode. No power. Managed to get to dealership. They tried to repair my vehicle for 1 month after they told me that engine need to be replaced they managed to change wiring harness. After 1 month it was done. I took car back. 1 or 2 weeks later car went into limp mode again with same problem. Filed a claim with kia and bbb to resolve it. As of right now they had in inspections on my vehicle as they stated from kia california hq and from korea hq with no luck to repair it. As manager told me they dont have any ideas how to fix it. Want kia to buyback my vehicle and let me get away from this lease with reimbursement on payments because car not in my posession for 128 days and counting. They switched me 3 loners. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Aug 02, 2019 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. While reversing the vehicle, the rear and side sensors failed to identify two people walking past. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to sunset kia of auburn (3401 auburn way n, auburn, wa 98002, (855) 474-9626) who stated that the sensors were working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 14,356. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jun 12, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Error message "check hybrid system. Turn off engine" with yellow caution triagle showing exclaimation point and hev" came on, at highway speed vehicle dropped to from 65 mph to 40 mph suddenly, exited freeway, turned car off and restarted... Vehicle had loss of propulsion, would not go over 20 mph. Stop, at stop sign, and when I applied gas, the vehicle would not go over 10 mph... Once safely off the road, I turned engine off, towed to dealer. Dealer could not duplicate. 1 day after picking up the vehicle from dealer, same problem occurred. I returned the vehicle to the dealer for inspection... Two weeks at the dealer and they say its a water pump. |
| Category | Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Engine |
| Date | Jun 05, 2019 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Takara recall vehicle power down while I was driving 45 mph on a city street the car was stationary in motion then powered back up without me turning the ignition. Was a very scary experience |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | May 31, 2019 |
| State | MO |
| Description | When I got in my car the check engine can on. I started driving my car to work, because I was not sure why this light came on because this was/is a new car. I have less than 19k miles on my car. As I attempted to get on the highway the car refused to speed up. The max that I could drive was 60 mph. I had to pull over to the side of the road because my car would not pick up speed. So I called the service department, who informed me that when I brought my car in for an oil change in january that they has place a saftey feature on my car to keep the engine from blowing up. According to the dealership, there is possibly something wrong with the engine, however, they are starting out by changing the wiring first. I can not explain how different this drives since the wires have been changed. It is the worst drive. The car is very loud it does not pick up speed when it should and it does not slow down as fast as it use to. Needless to say, I am having issues with this car and seemingly every time I take it in for repairs, the car gets worst. I will never ever buy a new/used kia again. |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | May 31, 2019 |
| State | MO |
| Description | There is a problem with the passenger's seat belt. Often times the alarm goes off when no one is seating in the seat especially while driving. Also, when someone is sitting in the sit it overly locks no matter the speed of the car, thus causing the passenger to have to undo and redo the seat belt while driving. The seat belt has its own mind. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 07, 2019 |
| State | NC |
| Description | 2018 kia 12,000 miles had recall 2 months ago for software update as I was driving to work one day getting on interstate in rush hour traffic my speed at time was probably 60 mph cant push the gas car just stalls 18 wheeler behind blowing horn I pull car to side of interstate got car to closest kia dealership I ask what was wrong and they stated they use to replace the motor but now they just put a part called a harness on it part was not in they have to keep car several days |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Mar 16, 2019 |
| State | IL |
| Description | While driving on the interstate highway with no other traffic around the panoramic sunroof exploded. There was a sound like a gunshot and then a rush of air into the driver/passenger compartment. Thankfully I had the interior shade (panel) closed and was not riddled with broken glass. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 30, 2019 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Transmission failed after 4 months and 3800 miles while driving st local streets, kia dealers refused to repair under warranty. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 05, 2019 |
| State | OH |
| Description | This has occurred on 3 times so far. I was at a gas station filling up the tank, the key was in the ignition, the car was in park, the engine was running, and my car door was closed. When I finished getting gas, I tried to open the driver side door and it was locked. All doors were locked. I was 20 miles from home fortunately someone was at home to bring a spare key for me to open the trunk, push the rear passenger seats down and climb thru to the front to turn the ignition off and unlock the door. The same scenario occured this past week when I had gone outside to warm up my car by turning on the defrost for the front and back windows. Once again, the engine was running and I closed the doors. Once the car was warm, I tried to open the door and it was locked. I had to go in the house to get the other set of keys, open the trunk push the back seats down and climb thru the to the front, turn off the ignition and unlock the door. This last occurence was once again at a gas station, this time it was late at night, it was 20 degrees outside and had to wait for someone from my house bring the spare keys. The question I have for myself is, what am I going to do if no one is at my house to bring the extra key. Surely, I dont plan to bring two sets of keys with me. Everytime I've taken it to the kiaofdayton service center, I am told they cannot recreate the issue. I've taken it to the dealership twice. It's very frustrating. In every instance the car was in park, the engine was running, and the doors were unlocked when I had exited the vehicle. When I attempted to get back in, I could not because the doors had locked by themselves. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 24, 2018 |
| State | WI |
| Description | When reversing the brakes take 5 to 10 seconds to release, also the brake light stays on the entire time of this issue happening. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 28, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The vehicle is stationary. There is no emergency trunk release from the inside of the vehicle except from inside of the trunk. My keys were stuck inside the trunk there is no way to open it. The trunk release button from the driver side did not respond. The trunk release button from the trunk itself does not respond. The rear seats cannot fold from the inside either, because it can only be accessed from the trunk |
| Category | Air Bags, Service Brakes, Structure:body |
| Date | Nov 21, 2018 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Takata recall. I was involved in an accident where I was coming off the highway, slid on water and crashed into a steel pole. The breaks did not work at all and when I got out to look at the damage the break pads were in the middle of the street like they had just fall off. None of the airbags deployed and my friend's head cracked the windshield. Car was totaled. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Sep 25, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The car was park in the house and when I get back I saw a long crack on the windshield so I check the surrounding if there is something fell on it but there's no even an impact on it it's just crack from the top of the windshield up to the middle center. It's a brand new car so how will the windshield get crack like that. I ask around to replace my windshield and most of them told me that is a common problem with the new vehicle like mine and they even ask the dealer if it's available and they said it will take about a month to have it. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Aug 24, 2018 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Tl* the contacts daughter was a passenger in a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was rear ended and crashed into a tree. The frontal driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. The contact's daughter and the driver were injured and treated at a hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage and vin were unknown. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Jul 12, 2018 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. While operating the vehicle at various speeds, the forward collision warning system and the forward collision braking system did not operate as intended. While driving approximately two feet behind another vehicle, the contact was not warned of the other vehicle and the system did not stop the vehicle when necessary. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (moritz kia fort worth, 8501 I-30 west, fort worth, tx) who was unable to determine the cause of the failures. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 300. *tt |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 20, 2018 |
| State | MA |
| Description | Saturday, january 20, 18:55(approximately) amherst massachusetts, 39 degrees fahrenheit parked car, pulled keys and exited car to help my mother exit. Parked on incline, vehicle started rolling back down driveway had keys in pocket automatic transmission vehicle tried moving back to driver door which had locked or was stuck used all strength to try to keep vehicle stationary, without much h success finally, mother was able to open driver door from inside I am 53, with millions of myles under my belt.... Mother is 73 both of us strained ourselves, keeping vehicle from moving. Vehicle was parked on private, slightly descending driveway vehicle rented from advantage rent a car called rental company and was not helped we are still very shaken from the experience will not drive vehicle again no video footage, just my mother and I experienced malfunction |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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While driving down a rural road my car engine light came on and the car started jerking I took it to a car repair place and they said I have to take it back to Kia because it was a manufacturing problem. Although they told me I had to take it back to Kia I was nervous about driving the car jerking and not going fast enough to keep up with the flow of traffic I almost got hit a few times. I dropped the car off at Kia and told them the car is dangerous to drive and I would like a loaner never got one and never heard back from Kia after having my car for 3.5 weeks. I call and call and nothing from them I called early in the morning and I called late in the day and nothing.
I need help ! I have a 2018 Kia Sport and the motor is bad and the won’t replace it and it’s under motor Tran warranty. The say I need all kinds of paper work to think about fixing it.