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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles.
NHTSA listings: OPTIMA, OPTIMA HYBRID, OPTIMA PHEV. Kia campaign SC278.
The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC218.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid vehicles.
NHTSA listings: OPTIMA HYBRID, OPTIMA PHEV. Kia campaign SC218.
These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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 Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC162.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Optima hybrid vehicles.
NHTSA listing: OPTIMA. Kia campaign SC162.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2018 Kia Optima; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.
NHTSA listing: OPTIMA. Component: Air bags (air bag/restraint control module). This investigation names 46 models.
Engine fires
Engineering analysis EA21003Closed Feb 5, 2024 (opened Dec 22, 2021)
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires… NHTSA's full summary
An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 244 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Optima. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Excessive oil consumption51 · 21%
Stalling or shutting off32 · 13%
Median 72,800 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Median 66,000 miles at failure, from 38 reports with mileage
Electrical system37 · 15%
Powertrain21 · 9%
Brakes17 · 7%
Engine and cooling15 · 6%
Exterior lighting14 · 6%
Fuel and propulsion system14 · 6%
Unknown or other41 · 17%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Optima recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Optima drew the most (148) and the 2018 drew 46.
Owner complaints
2018: 244 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Optima
Model year
Complaints
2010
75
2011
628
2012
1,032
2013
1,444
2014
622
2015
1,023
2016
766
2017
308
2018
244
2019
215
2020
155
Safety recalls
2018: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Optima
Model year
Recalls
2010
1
2011
6
2012
6
2013
10
2014
7
2015
4
2016
5
2017
4
2018
3
2019
1
2020
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 244 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Kia Optima, the problems described most are excessive oil consumption (51), stalling or shutting off (32), and the check engine light coming on (30). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2018 Kia Optima safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Kia Optima earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Kia Optima?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2018 Kia Optima. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Sep 19, 2024.
How do I check if my Optima has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: OPTIMA, OPTIMA HYBRID, OPTIMA PHEV.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.