10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,975 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2018 Kia Optima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #32

Jun 132024

Optima

  • miles

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

Sudden loss of acceleration at freeway speed. Unable to start after incident. Unknown cause. Shop unable to diagnose.

- Vader, WA, USA

problem #31

Feb 012024

Optima

  • miles
In case of a vehicle lockout and keys are locked in the trunk when car is opened by locksmith there is no way to unlock the trunk from inside of the car the locks become disabled and you have to reset the master switch very inconvenient for emergencies. There is no trunk release or emergency Button to open the trunk from inside the vehicle. 2018 kia optima

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #30

Oct 172023

Optima

  • miles
Was driving on the interstate. The only light on was the ABS light and the car started smoking. Had to come to a stop as they were sparks coming from out under the car through it into park at around 15 mph steel jumped out of the car and within a minute the car was fully engulfed in flames.

- Fayetteville, TN, USA

problem #29

Oct 062023

Optima

  • miles

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

Trunk latch is broken. Car doesn-??t alert that trunk is open.

- Clearlake , CA, USA

problem #28

Apr 162023

Optima

  • miles
Unknown

- Riverside, CA, USA

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problem #27

Jun 012023

Optima

  • miles
Excessive oil consumption 1-1.5 months approx. 1,000 miles into new oils change. It is available for inspection. Safety was put at risk due to not knowing there was no oil in my vehicle while constantly driving it as it did not display the oil warning sign on the dash board. The oil change dealership has confirmed an oil consumption issue two separate times. I am familiar with multiple people having this same issue with Kia and hyuandia vehicles. The dealership is requiring multiple steps to be paid out of pocket prior to using the full warranty i purchased to cover the issue even though they know what the issue is and how to fix it.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #26

Jul 192023

Optima

  • miles

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

Vehicle is burning excessive amounts of oil rapidly. Date of Purchase: 04/13/2023 - mileage : 94,000-96,000 Oil light and engine light began flashing about 1-2 weeks after purchase, then went off after first oil change. noticed burning smell on occasion. First oil change 05/23/2023 - mileage: 98,045 Mechanic reported no oil in vehicle. Traveled out of town, checked oil. no oil in vehicle upon arrival. Second oil change: 06/19/2023 - mileage ~99,641 Mechanic reported no oil leak. Checked oil: 07/18/2023 - no oil in vehicle, mileage: 100,790 Having to schedule an oil change before future date and mileage listed below. Next date of oil change: 09/17/2023 - future mileage: 102,641

- Little Elm, TX, USA

problem #25

Jun 302023

Optima

  • miles
When we drive the car it hesitates as if it-??s going to cut off and it keep burning oil. We have to put in at least 2-3 quarts in per week.

- Goldsboro , NC, USA

problem #24

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 #23

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

problem #22

Oct 032022

Optima

  • miles

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

At around 40,000 miles my car started burning oil rapidly. No leaks were found and I would get an oil indicator light then the car would shut down while driving. I couldn-??t get it to accelerate. Mechanic said Kia-??s and Hyundais have been having those issues. I have needed oil changes every 3 weeks to keep in functioning.

- Mokena, IL, USA

problem #21

Sep 272022

Optima

  • miles
Rough idle, chugged along before killing engine power. Has happened a couple of times. No check engine light has come

- Apache Junction, AZ, USA

problem #20

Sep 042022

Optima

  • miles
I got out of my car to talk to someone and my car was running With my purse and phone in the car and the trunk open.i was meeting someone to buy a vacuume from Facebook marketplace. I decided to put the vacuum in the back seat instead so closed the trunk. When I went to open the door all the doors were locked. I was locked out in the rain for an hour. The person I bought the vacuum from called kia and they sent someone out to unlock my car. Several people have said the car is supposed to recognize that the key is inside the car and not lock it. And that this is an issue. I do know it has only started doing this recently because I live 8n the country and never lock my car in my garage. And recently I have noticed it is licking itself now every time I get out. So I have been leaving the windows down at home but it was raining today when I got out and I didn't think about or remember that it is locking itself.... Also I have never gotten out of the car to get something with it running and the windows closed since this issue came up.

- Franklin, NC, USA

problem #19

Aug 202022

Optima

  • miles
My car was stolen

- Cleveland, OH, USA

problem #18

Jul 082022

Optima

  • miles
Hello, My Kia was stolen lastnight. The criminals apparently the -??KIA BOYS-?? took my car, it wasn-??t until after I spoke with my daughter she expressed to me that she saw a video on social media about Kia-??s and another car, being stolen excessively. So after doing my research I was sent to this page to share my story. I am sure Kia is aware of the situation, so much so to where they are/have made a change in their 2022 model. But those of use who have a Kia model that is not a 2022, we are screwed. I make monthly payments on a vehicle engineered by adults, but what I-??ve just found out is the criminals are mainly middle school age children who takes the cars for a joy ride. It is hard to process this oversight by Kia, I love my car, I-??ve had 2 Kias. But this will be my last. Especially if they (Kia) doesn-??t own this oversight. To have my car stolen hurts, I didn-??t leave the key in, nor the door unlocked. I parked my car, activated my alarm, only to wake up and my car gone. I see there is a lawsuit in a state (I forgot the state) against Kia. I hope and pray the state of Georgia can start one as well. My car wasn-??t the only Kia, taken lastnight. There were 3-4 others taken from this complex.

- Lithonia, GA, USA

problem #17

Jul 032022

Optima

  • miles
Me and my family just returned home from the laundry mat and took 2 children inside our house and turned around for our belongings and clothing/bedding for the family as the wheels spun out being followed by a silver hyundaii. Just a matter of seconds to 2 minutes. The keys were not in the vehicle. 2 childrens carseats and almost ALL of my family's belongings were stolen inside of the vehicle. 2018 kia optima dark slate grey in color with dark tinted windows and sun strip at the top of windshield, black rims. CR 21077 IL LICENSE PLATE This seems to be an ongoing issue with kia and hyundaii vehicles being stolen and somehow im still not being offered a loaner vehicle with full coverage insurance

- Cantrall, IL, USA

problem #16

Aug 182021

Optima

  • miles
We recently purchased a 2018 Kia Optima ex.all the windows exibit distortion so bad, as to interfere with line of site from the driver seat.there are ripples in the glass front rear and sides. At the dealership they said they could buff them out, I made a bet with the service manager he could not as the problem was between the plates of glass.the dealer replaced the windshieldand he said he would replace the driver side window.but that was serveral months ago.I can not see out of the rear window at nite.if it rains all visibility is scary.

- Hanford, CA, USA

problem #15

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 #14

Aug 062021

Optima

  • miles
While driving at highway speed my children (11, 7, & 5) and I were almost rear-ended when my Kia Optima 2018 (79k) without ANY warning loses power, jerks and then regains power. A number of vehicles behind us had slam on their brakes to avoid a pileup. My Optima almost resembled the feeling when a vehicle runs out of gas but much more abrupt. The drink my son was holding was thrown out of hand due the vehicle jerking to an almost stop and jerking back to power. No warning light, battery & alternator both test good and tank was half full. Two days pass and the same system fail while driving with the same similarities (no warning lights). My Optima is no longer under warranty and I have no financial resources for repairs.

- San Tan Valley, AZ, USA

problem #13

Feb 122021

Optima

  • 52,619 miles
Both of my back door sensators are saying the back doors are open but they're locked

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

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