2018 Kia Optima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
332 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Kia Optima, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 17/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2018 Kia Optima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2018 sits among all Optima years
What owners report
“Car cut out and stutters and the engine light flashes. Code P1326 is displayed on the OBD reader.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Optima
“The electrical components connected to the headlights seem to be faulty. When lights are set to AUTO, the lights will turn off completely when switching on turn signal. At times the light will not come on at all when set to AUTO or On without cycle back to off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Optima
“When driving at night the lights will cut completely off. You have to switch from auto to the on poistion. Its a very scary and dangerous situation.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Optima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 104 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 42,100 miles. Half of those reports fall between 19,200 and 72,800 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
Technical service bulletins
155 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2018 Kia Optima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2018 Optima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2018 Kia Optima reliable?
The 2018 Kia Optima drew 332 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 17/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2018 Kia Optima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Kia Optima are engine (143 complaints), electrical (47), and other (41).
At what mileage do 2018 Kia Optima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Kia Optima problems around 42,100 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 19,200 and 72,800 miles.
Does the 2018 Kia Optima have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Kia Optima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.