2018 Kia Optima: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 230 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
230
Complaints
2
Recalls
10
Crash reports
10
Fire reports
9
Injuries
74.8
Severity index
Severity index 74.8 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Kia Optima ranks 40 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 67% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 129 | 56.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 37 | 16.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 33 | 14.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 18 | 7.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 17 | 7.4% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 14 | 6.1% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 14 | 6.1% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 13 | 5.7% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 129 of 230 complaints (56.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 17 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2022 | 32 |
| 2023 | 43 |
| 2024 | 35 |
| 2025 | 44 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 16 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.8x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V161000 | 08/03/2018 | HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM | 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. |
| 23V594000 | 24/08/2023 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH | 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 require |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.