2017 Kia Optima Phev Recalls & Complaints

Incident: September 26, 2025 · Filed: October 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated and then turned off independently. The contact slowed down, and after arriving at the destination, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was advised by the mechanic that there was potential engine failure and was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, and the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V844000 (Engine); however, the KSDS software update was not performed prior to the engine failure, which disqualified the vehicle from the engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle did not qualify for the engine replacement. The failure mileage was approximately 64,500.

Incident: September 27, 2025 · Filed: September 28, 2025

I was driving the vehicle home on the freeway after just buying it. I had only driven it for about 35-40 minutes and after 5 minutes the ev battery was drained completely and the car was running in hybrid mode. The vehicle suddenly lost all its power and a warning light came on flashing saying "check hybrid system turn off engine". I was forced to put on my emergency lights and quickly move over to the side of the freeway because the car lost so much power so quickly. It felt like the engine died and when i tried hitting the gas the vehicle would jerk. ONCE I got to a safe spot on the freeway. I called AAA to get a tow, then called the dealer to tell them. My wife and I have now checked the recalls for this car and all the customer complaints. There seems to be a similarity with the engine recall and or the hybrid electrical recall. It seems like Kia is making sure to cover its tracks with the cars so it doesn't have all the 2017 models in the recalls affecting the hybrid system as well as the defects with the engine components. There is definitely a problem. But i saw in the carfax that the vehicle was inspected a lot by KIA and that is why i would like it to get inspected by a 3rd party. I would like to get the vehicle inspected by a 3rd party before taking it to a KIA dealer but I don't have a lot of money. Can you help with this at all. Please contact me asap. You have the Vin. I told you I just bought the car so I am going to either see if the dealership I bought it from will fix the problem since it broke down the day I bought it. You should be able to see we bought the car from by looking at the carfax for the Vin. And you have my permission to also be able to get my phone numbers from that dealer I really don't think KIA should get away with these hybrid/engine problems with the car. Its very unfair to the consumers. If they as a manufacturer and dealerships are doing quick fixes when doing regularly scheduled maintenance. Thats unethical.

Incident: January 1, 2021 · Filed: May 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima PHEV. The contact stated that there was an abnormally loud rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was turning on and off. The contact stated that the catalytic converter and battery were damaged. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact contacted Putnam Kia Service (2 California Dr Suite D, Burlingame, CA 94010), Hilltop Ford (3280 Auto Plaza, Richmond, CA 94806) and Oakland Kia (2500 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94612), but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the rings and seals needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the walls were scored in the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

Incident: March 30, 2025 · Filed: March 31, 2025

-

Incident: July 24, 2024 · Filed: July 25, 2024

This car was purchased [XXX] and has been in my possession for 3 years and 4 months. It has sat in a dealership repair facility for 13 of those months to replace the engine and high-voltage hybrid battery. Meaning I have actively driven this vehicle for approximately 27 months and the retraction system for the seatbelts is malfunctioning and as its a safety issue I feel the need to report this and see what other alternatives are available instead of paying out $1121.58 for something that malfunctioned under the first 10 years of the vehicles life sounds more like a design flaw than a user issue or uneasy wear as I am a [XXX] average build individual. As the vehicle went into the dealership for routine scheduled maintenance I noticed the driver and passenger seat belts don’t lock or retract properly. Service tech stated the retraction system is malfunctioning and they will both need to be replaced. With this system not working the driver and passenger are not able to be restrained properly in case of an accident. No lights or warnings appeared just noticed while driving in rush hour traffic in Buffalo, New York. *With this being a “more rare” PLUG IN HYBRID variant instead of a conventional ICE many issues don’t carry over so I would really like this to be investigated for the safety of the owners of this car.* INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: April 12, 2024 · Filed: April 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima PHEV. The contact noticed a failure with the key fob and manual locking function with the trunk. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V594000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the trunk latch base which needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

Incident: February 14, 2024 · Filed: March 11, 2024

Oil pressure sensor leaked out all of the oil and no warning lights lit on the dashboard to let me know that I had lost oil pressure or that I was low on oil. Problem part #1: oil pressure sensor Problem part #2: no warnings on dashboard Result: #1: Engine failure / loss of engine #2: This caused engine to seize on main highway on Feb 14, 2024. This could have caused a major accident.

Incident: January 12, 2024 · Filed: February 6, 2024

I was getting on the freeway and my car suddenly just stopped accelerating. I even tried pushing the pedal to the floor and all power was gone. I was almost ran down by a 18 wheeler who must not have noticed my hazards had been switched on. A warning came on “check hybrid system. Turn off engine” When the car lost its momentum as I was pulling over and eventually came to a stop I followed the warnings directions and shut the car off since I couldn’t get any further anyways. I tried turning the car back on and then all lights and power instantly started flickering on and off and going crazy and then the warning came back on and then the whole car shut off by itself. I have been too scared to drive it since and I just got it back in October and I need a car to get to work and school and I don’t know what to do but the amount of danger this issue put me in is unsettling and cannot be overlooked. Not sure what caused the malfunction because so many different things happened at once that it was hard to tell It is available for inspection upon request A service center confirmed that there is a problem and they believe it is related to the coolant pump and hybrid battery There was one other time that a warning came up and it just said “check hybrid battery” but it went away only like a minute later and then a couple days after that I came outside to go to work and the car was dead but then I jumped it and it was fine up until the issue I first mentioned happened where I was put in danger A warning light that said !HEV and the check engine light both appeared

Incident: October 15, 2023 · Filed: November 11, 2023

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. I also reported this safety concern to Kia Consumer Affairs, who provided no immediate solution, said they would contact the local Kia dealership, and referred me to an "ongoing" class action settlement at [XXX] , which indicated that the settlement had closed on 8/9/21. Because no other option was offered to me, I was forced to pick up the vehicle from Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: October 23, 2023 · Filed: October 24, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima PHEV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed up a steep hill, the vehicle lost motive power. The Check Hybrid System, Turn Off Engine message was displayed, and the traction control, check engine, ABS, and auto-hold warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V161000 (Hybrid Propulsion System) for the issue; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,336.