2018 Kia Optima problems
NHTSA has received 337 complaints about the 2018 Kia Optima, and 43% of them involve engine. Next are electrical system (10%) and drivetrain & axles (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 337 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 43% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 14 and 17
- Injuries and deaths
- 13 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 42,000 miles 108 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 29 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 21 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 16 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 6 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 6 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 108 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 42,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 73,000 miles (43 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 14 complaints mention a crash; 17 complaints mention a fire; 13 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Optima with enough data (226 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contacts daughter was a passenger in a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was rear ended and crashed into a tree. The frontal driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. The contact's daughter and the driver were injured and treated at a hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage and VIN were unknown.
Takata recall. I was involved in an accident where I was coming off the highway, slid on water and crashed into a steel pole. The breaks did not work at all and when I got out to look at the damage the break pads were in the middle of the street like they had just fall off. None of the airbags deployed and my friend's head cracked the windshield. Car was totaled.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle abruptly stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle unto the road shoulder and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle operated as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to ancira kia (6139 bandera road, san antonio, tx 78238, (210)684-4000) due to the hesitation and stalling.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact inspected the dipstick and discovered that the engine oil level was low. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.