2018 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

View complaints related to 2018 KIA OPTIMA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 220 complaints submitted for the 2018 KIA OPTIMA. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - BRONX, NY

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS TOLD TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THEIR VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NORTHSTAR MITSUBISHI PARTS (41-05 34TH ASTORIA, NY 11101) AND AWAITING KIA INSPECTOR FOR A DIAGNOSES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - PALATINE, IL

    ON 03/29/2019 WAS TRAVELING TO WORK. ON INTERSTATE 53 SOUTHBOUND CAR WENT TO LIMP MODE. NO POWER. MANAGED TO GET TO DEALERSHIP. THEY TRIED TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE FOR 1 MONTH AFTER THEY TOLD ME THAT ENGINE NEED TO BE REPLACED THEY MANAGED TO CHANGE WIRING HARNESS. AFTER 1 MONTH IT WAS DONE. I TOOK CAR BACK. 1 OR 2 WEEKS LATER CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AGAIN WITH SAME PROBLEM. FILED A CLAIM WITH KIA AND BBB TO RESOLVE IT. AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY HAD IN INSPECTIONS ON MY VEHICLE AS THEY STATED FROM KIA CALIFORNIA HQ AND FROM KOREA HQ WITH NO LUCK TO REPAIR IT. AS MANAGER TOLD ME THEY DONT HAVE ANY IDEAS HOW TO FIX IT. WANT KIA TO BUYBACK MY VEHICLE AND LET ME GET AWAY FROM THIS LEASE WITH REIMBURSEMENT ON PAYMENTS BECAUSE CAR NOT IN MY POSESSION FOR 128 DAYS AND COUNTING. THEY SWITCHED ME 3 LONERS.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - FEDERAL WAY, WA

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR AND SIDE SENSORS FAILED TO IDENTIFY TWO PEOPLE WALKING PAST. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUNSET KIA OF AUBURN (3401 AUBURN WAY N, AUBURN, WA 98002, (855) 474-9626) WHO STATED THAT THE SENSORS WERE WORKING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,356.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA PHEV
    - SAN JOSE, CA

    ERROR MESSAGE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. TURN OFF ENGINE" WITH YELLOW CAUTION TRIAGLE SHOWING EXCLAIMATION POINT AND HEV" CAME ON, AT HIGHWAY SPEED VEHICLE DROPPED TO FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH SUDDENLY, EXITED FREEWAY, TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED...VEHICLE HAD LOSS OF PROPULSION, WOULD NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. STOP, AT STOP SIGN, AND WHEN I APPLIED GAS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OVER 10 MPH...ONCE SAFELY OFF THE ROAD, I TURNED ENGINE OFF, TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. 1 DAY AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE FROM DEALER, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION...TWO WEEKS AT THE DEALER AND THEY SAY ITS A WATER PUMP.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - MONTGOMERY, AL

    TAKARA RECALL VEHICLE POWER DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH ON A CITY STREET THE CAR WAS STATIONARY IN MOTION THEN POWERED BACK UP WITHOUT ME TURNING THE IGNITION.WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - ST. LOUIS, MO

    WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR THE CHECK ENGINE CAN ON. I STARTED DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK, BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE WHY THIS LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE THIS WAS/IS A NEW CAR. I HAVE LESS THAN 19K MILES ON MY CAR. AS I ATTEMPTED TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR REFUSED TO SPEED UP. THE MAX THAT I COULD DRIVE WAS 60 MPH. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED. SO I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WHO INFORMED ME THAT WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE IN JANUARY THAT THEY HAS PLACE A SAFTEY FEATURE ON MY CAR TO KEEP THE ENGINE FROM BLOWING UP. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THERE IS POSSIBLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, HOWEVER, THEY ARE STARTING OUT BY CHANGING THE WIRING FIRST. I CAN NOT EXPLAIN HOW DIFFERENT THIS DRIVES SINCE THE WIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. IT IS THE WORST DRIVE. THE CAR IS VERY LOUD IT DOES NOT PICK UP SPEED WHEN IT SHOULD AND IT DOES NOT SLOW DOWN AS FAST AS IT USE TO. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR AND SEEMINGLY EVERY TIME I TAKE IT IN FOR REPAIRS, THE CAR GETS WORST. I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A NEW/USED KIA AGAIN.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - ST. LOUIS, MO

    THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT. OFTEN TIMES THE ALARM GOES OFF WHEN NO ONE IS SEATING IN THE SEAT ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SIT IT OVERLY LOCKS NO MATTER THE SPEED OF THE CAR, THUS CAUSING THE PASSENGER TO HAVE TO UNDO AND REDO THE SEAT BELT WHILE DRIVING. THE SEAT BELT HAS ITS OWN MIND.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - MOORESVILLE, NC

    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

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - ROCKFORD, IL

    WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC AROUND THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED. THERE WAS A SOUND LIKE A GUNSHOT AND THEN A RUSH OF AIR INTO THE DRIVER/PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THANKFULLY I HAD THE INTERIOR SHADE (PANEL) CLOSED AND WAS NOT RIDDLED WITH BROKEN GLASS.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - LAKEWOOD, NJ

    TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 4 MONTHS AND 3800 MILES WHILE DRIVING ST LOCAL STREETS, KIA DEALERS REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE