2017 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 255 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 4 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchAug 24, 2023
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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 23V594000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Hybrid propulsion systemMar 8, 2018
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Optima hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.
If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install two newly designed Battery Management Systems (BMS) that contain Overvoltage Protection Devices (OPDs), free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC162.
Campaign 18V161000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
167 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 1, 2023
My car is consuming major oil. I am having to put at minimum 3 to 4 quarts of oil every 3 days. I am having major loss of power. My car has oil fouled far too many spark plugs. In the last 3 months, I have had to replace the spark plugs three separate times. Within the last 3 weeks I have replaced the following: 1. Ignition Coils 2. Valve Cover Gasket 3. PCV Valve 4. 2 separate sets of spark plugs and 1 singular spark plug for Cylinder #4. My car is having a major oil consumption problem and the performance has been severely affected.
Engine, Feb 23, 2023
Purchased 2017 Kia Optima from DriveTime in 2021. Car burns a lot of oil, as I am constantly getting the oil changed or adding oil. A few months after purchase, all of a sudden it loses power & decelerates while I’m driving on the interstate. Had to pull over & let car sit for a few minutes. Every 10 mins I had to do this. Had it checked out the next day at Kia dealership & was told nothing was wrong. I let the car sit for about a month b/c I was afraid to drive it. Finally decided to drive it & the issue seem to resolve itself. Now almost 6 months later it happens again. Car wouldn’t accelerate over 40 mph. Car warranty agent advised to take to Firestone( in-network repair shop). Mechanics say the engine is gone & they called warranty company , & then they say take to Kia dealership. Dealership states if it’s the engine there are 75 cars with same issue ahead of me. They ran diagnostics 2 weeks later & said it’s not the engine but gave me a long laundry list of other issues. Said new wiper blades needed (not true , the new blades were just put on 1-2 months prior, said oil change needed, but that was fine 3 days before I took it to them , & more issues with a invoice total of over $6500!! They kept my car over 2 months with no call to update me after I advised everything they said was wrong actually wasn’t. I called daily & left messages with no return call. Finally got someone on the phone in the Service dept & was told it still isn’t the engine but just needed a software update. I still don’t trust it & afraid to drive it. But yet & still the VIN # is still not on the recall list. Regret the day I walked on the DriveTime parking lot. Nothing but issues from day 1. Too bad I couldn’t list them all here.
Engine, Feb 23, 2023
The contact's son owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a new engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Feb 16, 2023
I am the second owner of this car. According to carfax it has been well maintained at kia since day one. I have owned it for almost 6 months and it has been sitting at the dealership for 2months due to engine failure. There is a rod knock and sludge build up not for lack of maintaining it but from not being driven enough. I am being told it is a $16,000 repair. These cars are warranties for 10 years 100,000 miles (it only has 72,000 miles on it) but since I'm not the original owner that warranty doesn't follow. This is a misrepresentation.
Engine, Jan 26, 2023
my check engine symbol started to flash, my car was not going over 2 RPM, took it to my mechanic, when he scanned it, he told me it's showing P132600, and that the engine might be failing, I have a KIA Optima 2017 with 70k miles on it. thanks god I wasn't on the expressway.
Engine, Jan 23, 2023
ENGINE MALFUNCTION: It is available for inspection at Lee Kia, Greenville, NC On January 20, 2023, my car experienced a blinking Malfunction Lamp (MIL) when I was out of town at an appointment in Williamston, NC, 16 miles away. This is the indicator, when blicking, warning for the Knock Sensor Detection System software that was put on my car on December 20, 2018 that the engine is malfunctioning. After my appointment, I drove the car one mile to AutoZone in Williamston, NC and they plugged in their sensor and got the P1326 code. While at AutoZone, I called the Service Center at Lee Kia of Greenville, NC and reported what had happened. They told me not to drive the car and have it towed to them, 1 hour away. My tow service would only allow towing ½ mile to the Dodge Dealership. I called Lee Kia Service Center and talked to a [XXX], Manager of the Service Center. She said it had to go to a Kia Dealership to be covered under the Engine Replacement Recall. On Saturday, January 21, 2023, I called the Service Center at Lee Kia and asked for an update on the car. The Service person told me that it had arrived and they would diagnosis it either that day or on Monday, January 23, 2023. On Monday, January 23, 2023 in the early afternoon, I called Judith the Manager of Lee Kia Service Center and asked for an update on the car. She told me it would take 4 months to diagnosis the car and I would not be able to have a rental car until it was diagnosed. When I asked why it would take 4 months to diagnose my car, she said she had 15 cars ahead of me. She said she only has two technicians that can diagnosis and it takes one day to diagnose a car. The mathematics of that did not add up. My car should be diagnosed in 16 business days, not 4 months. She refused to help me. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Jan 23, 2023
The contact’s sister-in-law owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and the mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that his sister-in-law was informed that the VIN was included in a recall; however, the contact’s sister-in-law was not notified of a recall prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall notification was sent to the prior owner due to the contact’s information not being updated. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Jan 20, 2023
Engine oil consumption: I have owned this car since November 2022 and took my Kia Optima to Valvoline for an oil change in December 2022 because my oil light came on and it turns out that my car was 3 quarts low and they topped my oil off for me. 1 month (January 2023) later my oil light in my car did NOT come on but the check your engine light did and it seemed like it was losing power. So in order not to damage the engine I had it towed to my home when we arrived at my home oil started coming out of the car at the bottom while it was still on the tow truck lift the car was facing down hill
Engine, Jan 17, 2023
I took my Kia Optima to Century 3 Kia for an oil change in August of 2022. 2 months later my oil light comes in my car but I still have 2000 miles left until next oil change. I called Century 3 Kia complaining of a flashing oil light. They told me since I still have 2000 miles until the next oil Change, the mechanic must’ve just forgot to reset the car after they did my oil Change and that’s why it’s flashing. They told me to come down so they can reset it. They reset it and sent me on my way without even checking my oil. After leaving I still had the oil light on so I took it to a mechanic close to home to check my oil and I barely had any in there. I topped the oil off and the light went away. I sent Kia consumer an email after this visit complaining of the bad service I received and how they made me drive with no oil. I attached the email. I then scheduled an appointment at a different Kia dealership - South Hills kia for a new oil change and told them to please check my oil because I believe it could be burning. South Hills Kia performed a multi point inspection and gave me an oil change and told me my car had no signs of leaking or burning oil and is good to go . Not even a month after the new oil change my engine blows and the dealer told me it’s because of burning oil and I’ll need a whole new engine. My car is a 17 Optima with 61,000 miles and just a mout of warranty . It’s always been up to date on oil changes. It’s upsetting because I trusted Kia and now my vehicle is down because of them and they want me to pay.
Power train, Engine, Jan 17, 2023
Engine oil consumption, I have owned this car since new and almost every other week I need to add oil. My car has 85k miles on it , and has been service by dealer since new, just 2 months ago Pomona kia said my oil pan gasket had a small leak and replaced the gasket, today 3500 miles after the gasket replacement my car needed 3 quarts of oil. I'm not a mechanic but I know my car should not go trough so much oil. Someone please help.
Engine, Jan 13, 2023
I purchase the car at the end of November of 2022 from drive time. I was driving on January 8th 2023 and the car speed reduced and the check engine light started flashing
Engine, Nov 8, 2022, fire
On June 5th 2022 as I was traveling out of state with my wife and daughter the car lost power on the highway. I pulled over to the side when safe and noticed whitish grey smoke puffing from under the hood by the hinges. Being a fire lieutenant, I recognized this as the car being on fire. We exited the vehicle, my daughter was asleep in the back seat, so it was a panic to wake her and make sure she got out away from traffic. Within the 3 minutes I was on the phone with 911 the car was engulfed. A few minutes after the first Chief arrived the fire had reached the fuel tank and the vehicle exploded, approximately 8 minutes in. I opened a claim with my insurance and with Kia America. Kia has taken the blame but refused to replace the vehicle, instead offering me $15000 for the car with only 57000 miles on it. After fighting with Kia for 3 weeks during my claim they finally provided me with a rental vehicle paid for by their insurance. To this date they have not paid for said rental and I am now on the hook for the $930 charge. This event has caused much undue stress on me, I already have cardiac issues, my wife and daughter still have nightmares from the event. Kia inspected the vehicle which is totally burned, they found it to be an engine failure causing oil to spill onto the hot exhaust. They accepted blame. There was no warning, no noises, no lights. I never received a recall notice, I found out about the recall from my insurance after the fact. Kia has been less than helpful.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Oct 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle onto the driveway of her home. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the mechanic stated that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The sparks plugs were replaced but the failure persisted. On another occasion, the contact noticed that oil was leaking from under the vehicle again, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was oil cylinder #3 spark plug. The spark plug and PCV valve was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the contact would receive a call back. The failure mileage was 93,226.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 23, 2022
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
Engine, Oct 14, 2022
UNKNOWN
Engine, Sep 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made knocking sounds with the check engine, ABS, and traction control warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 12, 2022
Hello I've been having my car for a year I told the dealership the problem but it seem as they don't want to fix it My car wouldn't go over 60miles and also my engine just locked up this doesn't make sense when they know these problems are a recall on this type of vehicles
Engine, Aug 25, 2022
The motor seems to have a knocking noise accompanied by constantly burning oil and sparks plugs. Constant misfires and check engine light appearing during the year after replacing spark plugs and ignition coils.
Engine, Aug 25, 2022
Hey, while driving my vehicle the engine light started blinking and there was a delay in my acceleration and when I got to 60-65 mph my car begins to stall and will NOT drive any faster. Also I sent my car to the dealership for repair 08/15/22 and they still haven’t diagnosed the car yet even after I received letter in mail for recall. Please help thank you
Engine, Aug 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle entered limp mode as several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer and was informed that his vehicle was under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V844000 (Engine), which they linked to his failure. Despite the recall repair, the failure occurred on two additional occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where an additional software update was performed; however, the failure continued. The manufacturer was notified about the failure and sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Seat belts, Service brakes, Engine, Jul 13, 2022
Bought this car 10 months ago with 16000 miles on it my enjine light is on car wouldnt start its 2017 kia optima also my passenger seatbelt sign on my dash keeps going off and nobody is in the seat so i have to fasten the seat belt just so it will stop dinging while i drive my front passenger side brakes sound like they are scrubbing when u stop i had mechanic look at it he said he dont see nothing he resurfaced my rotors and its still making that noise
Engine, Jul 11, 2022, fire
On November 16, 2020, Lucy Robinson was driving her 2017 Kia Optima when she started seeing smoke. She pulled into a gas station and the engine was on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A cause and origin was conducted and it was found that the fire originated within the engine compartment. The fire was caused by the release of heated oil coming from the leaking PCV located at the top portion of the valve cover.
Engine, Jun 28, 2022
Check Engine Light started FLASHING on and off constantly. The car started to have a hitch and felt like it had less power. I had the code checked and it had a code of P1326. This appears to be an issue with the engine and could be quite serious.
Engine, Jun 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated after the oil was changed at 1,200 miles, the vehicle stalled and there was an excessive oil consumption failure. The contact replaced the oil more times than the manufacturer recommended interval. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed of an excessive oil consumption failure with the Hybrid models only. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Engine, Jun 22, 2022
Car overheated without any forewarning or indication lights being displayed. Causing hydraulic and engine to fail. Kia is not taking responsibility for the rod bearings causing the overheat. They are saying at the dealership my car was not part of this recall. They refuse to fix it and want me to pay for the new engine myself. Three mechanics have already stated that the hydraulic can be caused by the rod bearings. They are denying the claim