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Kia Optima PhevModel year report

2018 Kia Optima Phev Problems

Complaints
8filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
18,800miles, 6 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Kia Optima Phev (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 8 consumer complaints for the 2018 Kia Optima Phev. The part named most often is electrical system, with 3 complaints (38% of the total), followed by engine (3) and other or unknown (2). 6 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 18,800 miles. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 34 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 16 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Engine complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Electrical system: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #11398068, filed 2021-02, 19,000 miles

Engine: “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. …”

NHTSA complaint #11219554, filed 2019-06, 11,000 miles

Other or unknown: “I leased a new #Kia #optima #phev from you in july of 2018. In july of 2020, the charging cable lodged in the car and it took 4 hours for roadside assistance to remove it. On december 2, 2020, I got a check engine light and made an appointment for service, but before I could bring it on dec 3, the check engine light became a turn engine off now light, and the car stopped dead in the middle of a busy highway with a wisp of smoke from under the hood, a dangerous situation. I had it towed to Kia of delray. It's still there, they haven't told me what's wrong. …”

NHTSA complaint #11384136, filed 2020-12, 18,600 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 6 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 11,000 and 19,000 miles.

17%0–1067%10–2517%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (6 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 18,800 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

20182019202020212202420252
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2018 Kia Optima Phev → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 34 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 34 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia Optima Phev

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2018818,8002———Not enough data
20172364,0002———Rising

All Kia Optima Phev model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Kia Optima Phev have?

NHTSA recorded 8 consumer complaints for the 2018 Kia Optima Phev as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Kia Optima Phev is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 3 complaints (38% of the total), followed by engine with 3.

Has the 2018 Kia Optima Phev been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Kia Optima Phev reported?

Among the 6 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 18,800 miles and the middle half falls between 11,000 and 19,000 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.