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RecallScanner Severity Profile

Kia OPTIMA HYBRID

Routine recalls1 campaign, none flagged critical.
0
RecallScore
Critical
0
Fire risk
1
Crash risk
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
Check your specific OPTIMA HYBRID

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All Recalls

1 campaign
1 recall🔥 1 fire risk💥 1 crash risk
Model year
Engine
Oct 29, 2021
1650 days ago

Your engine can fail and catch fire or stall without warning while driving.

Affected: ENGINE · 2018
FIRE RISKCRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.

Consequence

A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC218.

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Full analysis: how to read the Kia OPTIMA HYBRID recall history
Year range, common components, complaint patterns, and how to use this page.

Understanding the Kia OPTIMA HYBRID recall history

The Kia OPTIMA HYBRID currently has 1 recall campaign indexed from the NHTSA public database. Each recall represents a formal campaign to fix a defect at no cost to the current owner. Owner complaints are self-reported incidents that haven't (yet) resulted in a recall but can indicate emerging patterns worth watching.

The most frequent recall category for the OPTIMA HYBRID in our dataset is engine (1). These clusters matter when you're shopping for a used OPTIMA HYBRID: recalls in these systems tend to be the ones most likely to have been skipped by previous owners, because they aren't always visible during a routine test drive or pre-purchase inspection.

The tracked recalls span model years 2018. Not every model year carries every recall. Each campaign is scoped to a specific year range and often a specific build window, which is why a VIN lookup is the only way to know whether a particular OPTIMA HYBRID is actually affected by any of these campaigns.

How to use this page

The safest path for an owner is to run your VIN through the checker above. A VIN query hits NHTSA's live API and tells you whether your specific OPTIMA HYBRID has an open, unresolved recall. If you're researching a used OPTIMA HYBRIDbefore buying, use the recall list below to understand the model's full history, then check the seller's VIN to see whether prior owners actually completed the free repairs. Many don't, and unresolved recalls can linger for years.

Figures are generated live from the RecallScanner dataset, which is sourced from NHTSA's public recall and complaint APIs and refreshed daily. RecallScanner is independent and not affiliated with Kia or any U.S. government agency.

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