10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
14,104 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Kia Optima drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 Kia Optima Owner Comments

problem #16

Sep 152023

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car will NOT go pat 60mph and i haven-??t had this car just over 6 months. And the camshaft sensors are gone out. Smoke comes out the pipe when mash on gas-??. It is really a bad vehicle. And Southeast auto refuses to fix it. I really honestly think the motor is bad in it. Because I been having issues with it since I had

- Terry , MS, USA

problem #15

Aug 032023

Optima

  • miles
I'm reporting these issue pertaining to the engine within the first 3 weeks AFTER the engine replacement recall was serviced and completed. The vehicle was exhibiting the same defects and major health and safety hazards as before the new engine. Intermittent engine failure, even worse, while i was trying entering the hwy at speeds of 45-50 miles it jerked very violently and loss total power while vehicles were behind me nearly rear ended. Prior to this I reached out multiple times to have it serviced at again. The original service department didn't respond, so I called other service departments and was told it needed to be serviced by the original dealership/service department that replaced the engine. I had the vehicle in normal working conditions a few days before it began exhibiting the same problems as before the engine replacement. It was in operable condition but still stalling and refusing to crank unless primed, until it ultimately just would not crank at all and is back in the same condition it was before the new engine but it is not locked up currently. The time frame and Milage between first experiencing the issues to now, March 2023-64745 Started shuddering, loss of power while driving, but would crank right back up without issues. Happened a few times, charged up battery thinking is was am electrical issue. April 2023 More frequently the issues occurred, still same severity levels. May 2023 Began happening every time at an idle, whether I was at a fast food in drive through placing an order, or to wash the car. Every time at an idle this would happen, and would take a few times of trying to start the vehicle and after about 5 seconds of cranking it would catch and work. I began placing the vehicle in neutral while at idle and it would assist In the stalling out sometimes. After a few days of this it refused to crank due to the engine locking up. Milage at this time was 68048. Aug 2023-New engine, drove about 2k miles-70207 current

- Humble, TX, USA

problem #14

Jun 012023

Optima

  • miles
Ever since I got my car I-??ve had black oil since the start. Second my car breaks on its own at times 3rd my car system keep breaking down as the sparks leaking in some where has this issue since bought it 2 years ago low miles

- Camarillo , CA, USA

problem #13

Mar 012020

Optima

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to Battleground Kia of Greensboro (2927 Battleground Ave, Greensboro, NC 27408) but no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

problem #12

Feb 182023

Optima

  • miles
While driving down the road the car said it had a major voltage failure and was shutting down. I was in the middle of the street and thankfully was able to coast to the turn lane before the car came to a total stop. since the gas pedal didn't do anything. the car then said there was multiple failures and the hybrid system needed to be immediately shut down. The car then wouldn't start or move after that. about 20 mins later the car like dashboard and screen would turn on but the engine would not. when it turned back on there were even more warnings along with other failures like emergency braking and transmission and the hybrid communication. when the tow truck came and took it it would go into neutral to get on the truck but wouldn't even do that when we got it to the dealership it had to be manually taken out of park to get it off the truck. there were lots of warning lights but the oil, engine, and another light I not sure what it meant were always on even when the others would go away after a while.

- New Raymer, CO, USA

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problem #11

Aug 072022

Optima

  • miles
UNKNOWN When slowing to a stop, the vehicle spontaneously makes a sudden jolt, throwing passengers forward. It-??s as if the the transmission malfunctions when down shifting and results in engine braking.

- Chickasaw, AL, USA

problem #10

Apr 192022

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine overhead and stopped working in addition to it consuming massive amounts of oil without physically putting oil in. I've went to 2 dealerships who refuse to provide me with a new engine even though I'm covered under the engine extension warranty due to me having the knock sensor update done. I am now involving my attorney and will go to the news channels to inform how kia manufacturer has become a disgrace with not providing quality engines in their vehicles and don't want to be responsible for it. there's already a settlement going on for kia optimas and other cars they've made because of faulty engines. They can better believe I'm coming for them next with a lawsuit.

- Griffith, IN, USA

problem #9

Jan 012019

Optima

  • miles
I purchased my Kia optima brand new I believe it had 7 miles on it when I purchased it, shortly after it was purchased it started having a problem with the transmission, I would go to takeoff and it was lunch and jerk pretty hard to where it was very noticeable. I took it into the shop they thought that it was something a computer program could reset they performed that I did not fix it, I don-??t drive my Kia very much I barely have 25,000 miles on it right now I am a real live in care provider so I don-??t drive very much my job is at home. I have taken the car into several dealerships repeatedly to have it fixed, IA really was at a loss and did not know what to do because I had taken it to two different dealerships and the problem was never resolved. I contacted an attorney they got nowhere because apparently I needed to take my car in one more time within a timeframe for them to be able to do anything about it? And any right, still to this day the car does the same thing it-??s been in the shop four or five times for this problem. One time I took it to Kia and Elk Grove they kept it looked at it said they couldn-??t find the problem. Every time I-??m renting a car paying for the insurance going through the inconvenience of renting a car paying extra insurance etc. just to have nothing done with my car. When I went to pick up my car from the Elk Grove dealership I threw a fit because I was tired of it and I said look somethings wrong with the car I-??m not a mechanic I can-??t tell you what it is but I need this car fixed, the service manager came out and said I-??ll take a a ride with you and we-??ll see if maybe I can see what the problem is we didn-??t even get out of the parking lot and it jerked so hard at the service manager noted it in the file had me drop it back off and leave it it-??s still wasn-??t fixed. I took it in again after that the new service manager took it on an hour drive on the freeway hooked up to a computer with Kia and of course it didn-??t do anything while h

- Lodi , CA, USA

problem #8

Jul 202019

Optima

  • miles
When driving this vehicle rattles and shakes it has a burning smell/gas smell. It cuts off while driving. Looses oil.oil at low level before due. This make and model is no longer being manufactured. It has a known history of engine problems. Why were consumers allowed to buy this car. Problems are active and ongoing. Started about a year or close to a year after purchase. It is a lemon. The dealer wants to diagnose the engine, but they already know the engine is no good.

- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

problem #7

Feb 252021

Optima

  • 19,000 miles
I was told by the dealership that my 2018 Kia Optima phev was repaired but after I drove it off the lot and got on the freeway the warning light came on again and lost all power. I almost got into another accident because of this. The dealership said they worked with Kia technical support to fix my car but apparently Kia doesn't know what's wrong with their own car. The vehicle has only 19K miles. I'm afraid for my safety and my families that this will continue to happen.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #6

Nov 082020

Optima

  • 30,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This issue has happened multiple times to not only myself. It my wife as well. As we're driving anywhere above 45mph. A warning display comes on telling us to check the hev, to pull over, and turn off our vehicle. We comply to the warning and when restarting the vehicle, check engine light comes on and then same issue happens again a few minutes after driving. One out of the four times that this issue has occured to us, the vehicle completely died on my wife due to the battery not charging. So when she pulled over and tried to turn the vehicle back on, it wouldn't restart. Code on car is P2600 generic coolant pump circuit a open. Everywhere says recall isn't available for our car but am seeing that same issue with our year, make, and model is occurring. Which is the hybrid propulsion system is being affected. The voltage protection device (vpd), designed to protect the high voltage battery module is being activated inadvertently.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #5

Dec 202019

Optima

  • 63,000 miles
The cv axle assemblies snap like the 2016 models do Kia's recall number SC139.

- Stockbridge, GA, USA

problem #4

Aug 022019

Optima

  • 22,450 miles
While I was driving my vehicle on the streets; its an 2018 Kia Optima.on August 2,2019 my car engine caught on fire.people walking on the sidewalk and other drivers stop to alert me that they saw fire from the bottom of the car.then while driving I start to notice extreme smoke coming from the hood so much I couldnt no longer look where I was going.I panicked and mind was racing Q how could this happen I got this car new last year May 1,2018. When I jumped out to look at the hood I saw my engine engulfed with flames.nearby driver threw me a bottole of water, luckily I had just bought 24 case of water, another driver pulled over and was helping me pour water to reduce the damage of the fire.no engine light was on or any other warning lights before or after the fire and I had my recently oil change.

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #3

May 072019

Optima

  • 12,145 miles
2018 Kia 12,000 miles had recall 2 months ago for software update as I was driving to work one day getting on interstate in rush hour traffic my speed at time was probably 60 mph cant push the gas car just stalls 18 wheeler behind blowing horn I pull car to side of interstate got car to closest Kia dealership I ask what was wrong and they stated they use to replace the motor but now they just put a part called a harness on it part was not in they have to keep car several days

- Mooresville, NC, USA

problem #2

Nov 302018

Optima

  • 3,800 miles
Transmission failed after 4 months and 3800 miles while driving St local streets, Kia dealers refused to repair under warranty.

- Lakewood, NJ, USA

problem #1

Jan 202018

Optima

  • 14,770 miles
Saturday, January 20, 18:55(approximately) amherst Massachusetts, 39 degrees Fahrenheit parked car, pulled keys and exited car to help my mother exit. Parked on incline, vehicle started rolling back down driveway had keys in pocket automatic transmission vehicle tried moving back to driver door which had locked or was stuck used all strength to try to keep vehicle stationary, without much H success finally, mother was able to open driver door from inside I am 53, with millions of myles under my belt....mother is 73 both of us strained ourselves, keeping vehicle from moving. Vehicle was parked on private, slightly descending driveway vehicle rented from advantage rent a car called rental company and was not helped we are still very shaken from the experience will not drive vehicle again no video footage, just my mother and I experienced malfunction

- Amherst, MA, USA

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