2017 Kia Optima Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (10) · Service Brakes (3) · Power Train (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Optima Hybrid model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Latches/Locks/Linkages:trunk Lid:latch 2023-08-24 · campaign 23V594000 · 319,436 vehicles
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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Engine 2021-10-29 · campaign 21V844000 · 10,731 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Service bulletins (67)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-08-28 · TSB_CLI049_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: partial repair – electrical a/c compressor - 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 regarding the partial repair of the air
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2025-12-09 · PS797 · Other
pitstop: technical operations: external damage to ultrasonic sensor: this pitstop provides information related to parking distance warning (pdw) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. the pdw system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal
Power Train 2025-04-17 · TSB_TRA046_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: transmission fluid application guide - 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 relating to the correct transmission fluid ty
Power Train 2024-05-16 · TSB_TRA046_R4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each kia model. a flush is required only when a transmission is replaced.
Power Train 2023-11-09 · TSB_TRA072_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: service action: inhibitor switch replacement (sa317b/c) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides the procedure to replace the inhibitor
Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:compressor 2023-06-26 · TSB_CLI049_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: partial repair - electrical a/c compressor - 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 regarding partial repair of the air c
Showing the 6 most recent of 67 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-08 · Power Train“this car is registered under my sons name, [xxx]. i helped him buy the car as we paid cash for it ( money was provided by my ex-wife). we bought it on xxx and was sold as-is but then the seller said theres no problem with it. a week after we bought it as my son was driving it on [xxx] it drove it suddenly loss power then it stop. he was in the mid…”
2026-06-02 · Unknown Or Other“i believe the hybrid propulsion system in my kia optima hybrid should have been part of the recall. the vehicle is currently showing signs of the vehicle's voltage protection device activating inadvertently, causing a sudden loss of power. vehicle is currently with an authorized dealership being tested.…”
2025-02-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 115,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 kia optima hybrid. the contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 mph, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. the contact stated that dtc: p1326 was displayed on the instrument panel, with the message, “for your safety – please pull over” displayed. the contact pulled over and o…”
2025-01-23 · Engine · 90,000 mi“the contact’s son owns a 2017 kia optima hybrid. the contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle started leaking oil. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic or the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000.…”
2024-08-27 · Power Train · 140,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 kia optima. the contact stated that while his daughter was driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was steered to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but failed to accelerate as intended or chang…”
2024-06-07 · Visibility/Wiper · 83,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 kia optima hybrid. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v844000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the cont…”
2024-05-24 · Engine“the hybrid warning light came on. this was the third time this has happened. the first time kia said it was the air box and i paid $600 to repair. the second time the shop mistakenly cleared the codes before determining the cause. the third time they say it is the wiring harness and will cost $4,550 to report if they have the harness. this …”
2024-05-02 · Engine“vehicle hybrid system wanring light has come on 3 times since january 2024. kia has not been able to resolve the issue and just reset the system. …”
2024-01-15 · Engine“i was driving in morning traffic at 65mph when the warning lights went flashing stating the hev electric engine was shutting down, i was crawling to 20 mph. i had the car towed to a kia dealer and was told the electric engine was fine, the gas engine oil was bone dry! no low oil light ever triggered! not a single warning. just out of the blue! this…”
2023-12-16 · Unknown Or Other · 140,000 mi“hev is not working happened 2 two times already …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.