The 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 330,167 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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…
Consequence
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
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.
ENGINE21V8440002021-10-2910,731 affected
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.
Consequence
A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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…
Complaints by component
ENGINE
15
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5
SERVICE BRAKES
4
1crashes1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
4
POWER TRAIN
2
AIR BAGS
1
1crashes1injuries
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
FIRERELATED
1
1fires
Total complaints38
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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 –…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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.”
“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…”
“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…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles…
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
InvestigationEA21003 Opened 2021-12-22 · closed 2024-02-05
Engine Fires
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 (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles. During the PE…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.