Skip to content
Electrical systemPart report

2018 Kia Optima Phev Electrical system Problems

Complaints
3about this part
Share
38%of 8 total for the year
Median mileage
19,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the electrical system of the 2018 Kia Optima Phev, 38% of the 8 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 19,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“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

“When I was driving on the highway on 2/14/2011 a check hybrid system warning came on, check engine light, triangle hev light, a red battery light came on and car lost engine power. After my vehicle slowed traffic down due to not having power I was barely able to pull over to the side of the road by coasting the car to the shoulder. It would not accelerate what so ever not even with just the engine power. When I pulled over the big check hybrid system warning dissapeared and only the check engine light and triangle hev light stayed on. I had my children in the car and almost caused an accident. …”

NHTSA complaint #11396321, filed 2021-02, 19,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima PHEV. The contact's daughter stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high systems temperature switching to hybrid mode message was displayed. The contact stated that there was a two-hour delay for a full charge. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the fluids in the vehicle needed to be changed. The vehicle wasn’t repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. …”

NHTSA complaint #11675096, filed 2025-07, 35,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Electrical system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2018338%
2017835%

Other parts of the 2018 Kia Optima Phev

Engine
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Kia Optima Phev

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology