general problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Optima

On March 23, 2026, I took my 2017 kia Optima plug-in hybrid (VIN: [xxx] ) to mark kia [xxx] ) solely for two open safety recalls: sc218 (engine inspection/replacement and ksds software installation) and sc278 (emergency trunk latch release) under repair order #6807251. No customer-pay work was performed. The multi-point inspection that day noted only the cabin air filter. During the drive home on March 23, a faint rotten-egg (h?s) smell appeared for the first time. By the morning of March 24, 2026, the smell was severe. I immediately returned the vehicle. Under new repair order #6807360, a second multi-point inspection suddenly recommended $1,134. 10 in customer-pay services (new 12v battery, fuel induction service, cooling system service, brake fluid exchange, and atf exchange) that were not flagged the previous day. Since the recall service, the vehicle has developed numerous new defects that never existed before: rotten-egg smell (h?s) intermittent ac that blows warm in stop-and-go traffic passenger-rear power window clicks but will not roll down brake warning (“stop vehicle and check brakes”) “key not detected” message passenger-side mirror pushed in with temporary motor malfunction 12v battery cover left completely disassembled and misplaced in the trunk complete no-start / dead 12v battery condition (will not crank even after multiple jump attempts as of March 30, 2026) on March 24, 2026, I sent a formal demand letter by certified mail (received and signed for by the dealership on March 27, 2026) giving mark kia five business days (until close of business March 31, 2026) to provide a free tow, free loaner, and free repair of all defects. I followed up with six supplemental addendums (dated March 24–30, 2026) attaching photos and videos of every issue. On April 1, 2026, service director [xxx] replied by email and admitted in writing (twice) that the dealership did not follow recall procedure information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unknown.

The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2017 kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound, the cruise control was inoperative, the infotainment screen darkened, and the charging outlet was inoperative. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the contact's residence, and the contact used a vehicle scanner to scan the vehicle. The contact stated that dtc: p1326 for the knock sensor detection system (ksds) was found, which detected excessive engine vibration. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The electrical wiring harness connecting to the hybrid system electric fuel pump(s) was found to have significant corrosion and a missing factory-installed protective covering. This is a manufacturing defect. The protective covering was never installed at the factory, leaving the wiring exposed to moisture and corrosion from the time the vehicle was built. Component that failed: electrical wiring harness to hybrid electric fuel pump(s). Missing factory protective covering caused corrosion. The failed component is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: corroded wiring in a hybrid vehicle electrical system poses serious risks including electrical shorts, potential fire hazard, and sudden loss of hybrid propulsion while driving. The vehicle is currently inoperable and unsafe to operate. Confirmed by dealer: yes. The vehicle was taken to an authorized kia dealership where it remained for approximately 8 months. The dealership and manufacturer inspected the vehicle and confirmed the wiring issue but denied warranty coverage. Third-party confirmation: a third-party warranty representative independently reviewed photographic evidence and confirmed the missing protective covering is a manufacturing defect, not wear-and-tear or owner-caused damage. Manufacturer response: the manufacturer denied warranty repair, falsely claiming the hybrid component warranty does not transfer to subsequent owners. Federal warranty law requires transfer unless explicitly excluded in the warranty terms. Warning signs: no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms appeared prior to the failure. The defect was hidden beneath the vehicle and not visible during normal operation or routine maintenance.

There appears to be an issue with kia USA regarding an oil switch fault that the company may be aware of but has not addressed through a service bulletin. We own a 2017 kia Optima with a 2. 4l engine and 84,000 miles that has recently started experiencing an intermittent oil pressure light. Thinking the issue was covered under warranty, I took the vehicle in for repair, only to receive a quote of $6,000. The faulty switch had pushed oil through the wiring harness, contaminating the powertrain control module and fuel injectors. I have found information indicating that kia issued a service bulletin in April 2022 for the same switch used in the 2. 4l issue affecting 2015-2018 kia models with 3. 3l engines. However, when I provided this information to the dealer, they insisted the switch in my Optima was different and not covered by the bulletin. I have repeatedly requested the part number for the faulty switch referenced in the bulletin, but have not received a response from the dealer or kia corporate. The information I found on-line is that the switch in both motors are the same switch. I understand that if this issue is not addressed early, the repair cost can reach upwards of $7,500. If kia had proactively notified 2. 4l owners about the switch issue in 2022, my problem may have been caught and resolved before the extensive damage occurred. Furthermore, if the faulty switch was used across multiple kia models during the same time frame, the company should have included those vehicles in the service bulletin. I am not concerned with getting my own Optima repaired, but I find it unacceptable for kia to take advantage of customers in this manner. An $18 part failure should not result in such significant damage, and kia's lack of transparency and action is disappointing. I hope that by sharing this experience, kia will be compelled to address this issue and prevent further financial hardship for their customers.

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 vehicle has recall for the connecting rod in the engine which I suspect is the real issue due to clicking noise it makes just before the lights come on, but each time I take it in I am told it is something else. Since it is the wiring harness this time it could be a fire hazard especiall on a hybrid with lithium batteries, I am not going to repair it as it has left me on the road too many times and I am sure it has the connecting rod issue. I hope nobody else has this issue and unfortunately kia does not seem interested in repairing it, it was in the shop for 6 weeks before they diagnosed it.

Got a bsd and check hybrid system while driving.

This pre-owned vehicle lost power at an intersection with my wife and child in the vehicle. Both of them were fearful and in tears. Several indicator lights suggested problems with the engine, hev system , and battery. Upon returning home, I notified carmax and scheduled the vehicle for service at a local kia dealership. Although the mechanic told me that he knew there is a problem with the vehicle, kia failed to diagnose or fix the problem(s), and could not assure me that the vehicle was safe to drive. Maxcare would not cover a rental car because no diagnosis was made. Kia also informed me of a previously undisclosed, long history of problems going back to 35 miles on the odometer. I requested a copy of kia's vehicle history report and kia refused to provide it. . Read more...

Headlights will randomly turn on and off throughout while driving. Radio has the same issue.

Since this car did not come equipped with the anti theft immobiliing system, due to recent events like increased theft of kias and hyundais ill equipped, an software upgrade was developed by each of the companies. When the dealer performed the anti theft software upgrade to my car, I was not informed at the time of the repair that this software upgrade disables the use of my kia remote starting system. I was told kia is working on a fix. So, in essence, we need a fix to fix a fix, simply because kia and Hyundai decided in a cost saving measure to manufacture select years and models that are not equipped with the engine immobilizer key recognition system. I have heard talk of a possible recall for these affected vehicles by the NHTSA. Additionally, my car just manifested an issue today with an illuminated oil pressure indicator light on the instrument cluster. I have plenty of oil on the dipstick. Could this be more of the same with respect to previous years engine failures.

I took my car into the local kia dealership after my engine failed while driving down the highway. I was approved for the engine replacement due to the recall. However after my engine was replaced, and still in the shop, the side curtain airbag module gave an error due to low voltage. Now I'm out $1200 for an item that should not fail within the first 6 years. I have had vehicles 3 times as old that did not have safety sensors or features failing. As kia obviously has issues with airbag modules I believe my vehicle year and model should be included in this recall. Anytime there are multiple complaints for a failing safety feature on a vehicle less than 10 years old, the manufacturers should have an indepth investigation by an independent agency. These recalls should not be so narrow focused when there are many other models and years that have the same issues. Putting the responsibility on consumers to file complaints and beg for recalls to be issued seems like a backward system that is a burden to those that can't affoard to wait to maybe be reimbursed if their car gets included in a recall later. When searching complaints for kia airbags, there are several models/years that are not covered under current recalls.

For the past 5-6 months I’m have ongoing issues with my engine and excessive oil consumption. I’ve completed the three oil consumption test per 1000 miles. On the last test(3rd check), I was told I passed and nothing further was needed. Approximately 1 month after that my engine light illuminated and my car violently shook upon acceleration and while sitting idle. Was informed it was my spark plugs and electric coil… OH and a routine oil change, which I paid to have repaired at approx. $650 this was in late August/early September. Now here we are in late October and my oil lamp is on yet again! my car does not achieve speeds no higher than 50 mph. I’ve been to the dealership 7 times since April 2022. There’s an expense with owning cars but this is ridiculous. I’m currently a few hundred miles shy of 80,000 miles.

My fuse box melted , because of a burnt out fuse , too many electrical components made this fuse box melt and could have potentially started an electrical fire which could result in a crash and it could end up way worse maybe even death. I took my car to the service lane at kia and my service agent let me know that multiple cars are having this same problem where their fuse box burnt out . Its obviously a problem with a lot of kia Optimas because I saw about 30 other kia Optimas out in the parking lot waiting to be serviced and now ive been waiting two months for my car to get serviced.

1. Headlights randomly fail and yes. 2. Headlights will completely go out at night while driving. Not being able to see in the dark while driving can be fatal to me, my family, and any nearby innocent bystanders. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No warnings at all and it started almost 2 weeks ago.

Engine failure after ksds in March 2022 update error code p1326 (2 times in may and June 2022), bsds error with hev warning light shut off engine to prevent damage. Engine burned 2. 5 quarts of oil in 3 weeks and 1500 miles. Vehicle went into “limp mode” or “safe mode” to prevent further damage. Engine failure at 102k miles. Error is currently being added by kia north austin. Kia reproduced the error p1326.

March 2022, (approximately 72,000 miles)while driving to work my car shut off. I was in drive at a red light. Noticeable decreased acceleration and vibration. Took it to the dealership for routine oil change and mentioned incident. Technician was not able to find cause. Ok so be it. Now may at a little over 73,000 miles multiple lights began to illuminate and flash. Still with decreased acceleration it was noticed on a Friday morning on my way to work: 1. Oil light flashed on and off for approximately 2 minutes. 2. Air bag light stays on 3. Electronic stability control light stays on I scheduled an appointment for the next day. Took it into nearest kia dealership. I was informed that my engine had no oil in it. The electrical board that signals my airbags and power steering is “malfunctioning” and would need to be replaced. I was also told that since I just went for an oil change and was not due for another 3-4,000 miles maybe the “engine absorbed the oil as there are no visible leaks” I am set to return to kia at the 1,000 mile mark to check oil levels to see if the oil is gone again. On my way to work again, on I-75 I felt extreme unsteadiness and loss of road grip with steering. Like I was loosing CO trio of the vehicle while traveling at 55 miles an hour. As the original owner of this vehicle, with regular routine maintenance this is extremely concerning. I worry every day that my car will fail me and injure mine, my kids and others lives. I really hope this is looked into as a safety issue.

My air conditioner all of a sudden went out. No air would blow. Took it to kia and it turns out that a fuse box blew on the main wiring harness, evidenced by burn marks on the bottom which then blew out my fan motor. Seems that kia has had a lot of faulty wiring harnesses and it could have definetly caused a fire and is a safety hazard. My car is out of warranty by 8k miles and they are trying to make me pay for something that I believe is a defect as they said themselves that they cant even determine the cause as this is not normal wear and tear nor something I could have caused. I cannot afford to pay for this and I do believe that kia needs to make this right. Because everything electrical plugs into this one wiring harness, they have to replace the whole thing costing over $3600. There was no warnings or lights that came on. I do believe that this also messed with the airbag sensor in the passenger seat as well. This is not right for consumers to have to worry about this. This is a 2017 car. . . It should not be failing.

Several weeks ago, we had trouble opening and closing the trunk of our 2017 kia Optima. Then a few weeks ago, the trunk of our kia Optima closed and would not open at all. Because of the pandemic, we didn't contact kia. But today, 16 Dec. 2021, as my wife was driving north in heavy traffic on us highway 25 in albuquerque, nm, the trunk suddenly opened and blocked her view of the cars behind her. Luckily she was in the right lane and was able to exit the highway. Otherwise there might have been a serious accident. We bought the car in 2017 from fiesta kia in albuquerque, nm (505-999-2745). They have been unresponsive.

The vehicle automatically turns the headlights off automatically (at night). While driving and not touching the multi function switch, the vehicle indicate that the headlights were switched manually to the "off" position from the "auto" position on the multi function switch. This happens randomly at random intervals and most noticeable at night when the car is driving and the lights are turned off and is not reproducible on demand. The safety of both myself and the other vehicles around me are put at risk if my headlights cannot turn on or turn off by themselves at night while operating the vehicle. I went to the dealer, and they told me that even though the car is under warranty since the problem cannot be reproduced I would need to pay a $175 diagnostic fee, the dealer told me that kia will charge them if they can't prove that the multi functional switch is defective. I contacted kia customer service, they opened a claim, but did confirm that if the issue is not re-creatable on demand the dealer can charge a fee and there isn't anything they can do to waive that. They told me since it's a safety issue they could escalate the issue, so I agreed to escalate it. Then I never heard back after that. The lcd in the control cluster indicated that the lights were turned off (even though the switch was physically not touched and remained in the "auto" position for the lights). . Read more...

Getting onto the freeway accelerating, when heard rattling and saw smoke, exited the freeway and parked the vehicle. There was no warning or lights that came on prior or during this time. Had the car towed to the nearest kia dealership in city of carson. I received a phone call on Saturday 1/2/2021 from tony at the dealership asking for permission to diagnose the vehicle. I agreed to the diagnostic testing. Received a call back within an hour to notify me that there was a hole in the engine, no repairs could be done and I needed a new engine. I asked how did the hole get in the engine. He said there was an internal rod that shot out of the engine creating a hole. It will cost $8,875 and will take around 3-4 weeks to repair. I purchased this vehicle in October 2017 with approx. 3000 miles on it. Started having issues with electrical about a month or two after purchase 2017-2018. I had to have it towed to the kia in cerritos because it was inoperable, since then we have had it in to be serviced and have had multiple issues. Including another major issue in August 24, 2020 when they repaired the active air flaps and a new battery.

Tl- the contact and his daughter leased a 2017 kia Optima hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the parking brake would active independently as the parking brake warning light would simultaneously appear on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 55 mph, the parking brake had activated independently as the check hybrid warning message appeared on the instrument panel. Due to the parking brake activation, she lost control of the vehicle as the rear tires began to lock. The vehicle began to skid sideways and the contact also lost control of the power steering. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle continued to accelerate. As a result, the vehicle hit a guard rail which caused the vehicle to flip approximately six times and ultimately landed in a wooded area. The front air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's daughter was initially trapped in the vehicle, once she was removed by paramedics, she was treated at the scene for minor bruises and burns in an ambulance. She did not seek further medical assistance after the accident. A police report was filed at the scene of the accident. The vehicle was totaled as a result of the accident and was towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was given a case number. The failure mileage was 23,000. Jo.

The plug that is attached to the charging cable for my electric charger caught fire while plugged into a dedicated wall outlet in my garage. Fortunately, no major structural damage nor bodily harm received . I contacted kia and they have since replaced the charging cable with no further investigation or explanation as to what may have caused this to happen. As you can see from the pictures attached, the plug actually melted a little. I do believe major damage was subverted because I noticed my car was not charging and pulled the plug out of the wall to see if it needed to be re plugged. I don't know what would have happened had I not caught this right away. Usually I leave my car to charge over night. Scares me to think what could have happened.

Bought on 9-12-2019 with approximately 15,400+ miles. It now has 15,750+ miles. It has stalled/powered off on me twice. First time was oct 7, 2019, parked on the curb when I was picking up my daughter from school, when she got in the car and I was about to drive off from the curbside and when I lifted my foot off the brake and stepped on the gas, the car wouldn't move. I realized the power off so I switched the ignition to off and turned it on again to start the engine again. I thought it was just a little glitch. It happened again on oct 26, 2019 when I was on the drive thru of taco bell. I was waiting in line and again, when I lifted my foot off the brake to move forward, it wouldn't move because the power had just shut off again. I had to restart the engine. I complained to my son about the car but didn't do anything about it because it was past the 7 day exchange or return. But planned to bring it up on my scheduled maintenance unless it happens again. I was always cautious and worried that I will stall in the middle of traffic or worse, while driving. Mostly the reason why I've only driven the car less than 300 miles since I bought it about 4. 5 months ago. Then yesterday morning, Jan 28, 2020, on my errands to two doctor appointments, the passenger seatbelt sign was beeping and flashing the whole time I drove around that day, when there was nobody with me in the car. It finally stopped when in the afternoon when I was close to home and after I picked my prescriptions from the pharmacy close to my house. Now I am curious and wondering why the navy man traded this car in when he'd only had it for la year and spent money on new black rims and blacked out tinted windows. I would like to have an inquiry on what problems the previous owner had with the car because of the short time he owned it and drove it. I'm more terrified to drive after reading other's issues.

While my significant other and I were driving down the highway our car began smoking from under the hood, then smoke began coming through the air vents inside the car; within seconds we seen flames coming out from under the hood and immediately evacuated the vehicle in heavy traffic with no where to pull over. Within minutes the entire car was engulfed in flames. There was no warning, our car was regularly maintained, there were no check engine lights or others displaying on the dash, no leaks or overheating to cause this.

My 2017 kia Optima, the engine light comes on at numerous times and when it does it starts to ride rough like it is in the wrong gear, seems like it is ready to die out when slowing down. Also feels like it won't pick up speed. I was driving on freeway most of the time at speeds from 40 to 70 mph. It also does this when driving in town. I am crying out for help. The dealership does not seem to care about my safety. I commute in the mid morning hours and very unsafe if I break down . My life is at stake. Thank you.

While I was driving probably about 45 miles an hour or so my car started to shake really hard then it shut off. Once it shut off the low oil light came on along with the check engine light and the low battery light as well. After that the car went completely dead. I turned the key to the off position and then tiredness it back on with with no problem. For my car to shut off while driving on a major street causes major concerns. One what if it happens again and I get in an accident or cause an accident.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Optima. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to jeff wyler kia (located at 5815 dixie hwy, fairfield, OH 45014) where it was diagnosed, but the technician could not find a failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that they would get back with the contact. The contact had not heard back from the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 4,700.