The Used Car Index

2017 Kia Optima Phev problems

NHTSA lists 23 complaints for the 2017 Kia Optima Phev, 1 of them mention a crash and 2 mention a fire. 0 complaints mention an injury, with 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-10.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as KIA OPTIMA PHEV.

At a glance

Complaints
23
With crash
1
With fire
2
With injury (complaints)
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
Recalls
2
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
319,436
Investigations
3
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
53

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
ENGINE1147.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM834.8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER417.4%
AIR BAGS28.7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM28.7%
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM28.7%
POWER TRAIN28.7%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES14.3%
SEAT BELTS14.3%
SERVICE BRAKES14.3%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
mechanical failure626.1%0.92
electrical electronic417.4%0.80
loss of control417.4%0.64
restraint or airbag313.0%0.87
fire or overheating28.7%1.00
unclear28.7%0.97
fluid or fuel leak14.3%0.56
visibility or lighting14.3%0.64
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate1460.9%0.76
low626.1%0.67
critical14.3%0.67
high14.3%0.76
none14.3%1.00

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 23 tagged complaints of 23 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

2 recalls.

23V594000

Date: 2023-08-24. Systems: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES.

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."

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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V844000

Date: 2021-10-29. Systems: ENGINE.

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 customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC218.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

3 investigations; 0 open.

DP22005

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 pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele

Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Linked campaign numbers: 22V063000.

DP22003

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 spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i

Systems: ENGINE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

EA21003

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.A During the PE investigations, Hyundai and Kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, inclu

Systems: ENGINE.

Linked campaign numbers: 23V877.

Manufacturer communications

53 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21
STEERING15
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING11
EQUIPMENT7
POWER TRAIN5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
VISIBILITY2

11036628

Date: 2026-08-28. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR a 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 A

11015973

Date: 2025-03-20. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: KIA CONNECT MODEM RESET (SA611) - This bulletin outlines the procedure for resetting the modem in certain 2016-2025MY Kia vehicles listed on page 3 that are equipped with Kia Connect Services. The affected vehicles may encounter the following issues: remot

11000787

Date: 2024-05-16. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

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.

10245265

Date: 2023-11-09. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN.

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

10242234

Date: 2023-09-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.

SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (SC218YZ) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published (SC218) titled "Engine Inspection/Replacement and KSDS S/W Installation." Specifically, this bulletin provides

10238225

Date: 2023-06-26. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY.

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

10238484

Date: 2023-06-08. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

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 inhibito

10237610

Date: 2023-06-01. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN.

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

10230492

Date: 2023-01-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: BMS/OPU/MCU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA411) - 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 improve the logic of t

10220346

Date: 2022-09-16. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - 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 on setting the "Service Interval Reminder" feature ava

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
OPTIMA PHEV23

Same model, other years

All model years | All Kia models

Other Kia models, 2017

Sources

Get this record as JSON

The free rate-limited demo needs no key.

curl "https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/demo/vehicle_risk?make=Kia&model=Optima+Phev&year=2017"

Paid endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/vehicle_risk. MCP endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/mcp.