2018 Kia Optima PHEV Owner Complaints

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. The contact was informed by the dealer to remove all the items located in the trunk of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery fan assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11675096

Incident

Jul 21, 2025

Mileage

35,000 mi

The plastic coupling for the steering is broken in my 2018 Kia optima the same Issue that the 2011-2014 issue optima’s have my car has this same issue.

NHTSA ID

11660146

Incident

Apr 2, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11609737

Incident

Apr 21, 2022

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 ID

11398068

Incident

Feb 25, 2021

Mileage

19,000 mi

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. IT WAS TOWED TO MY HOME AND AFTER I CONNECTED IT TO THE WALL PLUG FOR AN HOUR THE LIGHTS DISSAPEARED. I'M AFRAID THAT IF I TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY WONT BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS ISSUE SINCE THE WARNING LIGHTS ARE NO LONGER ON AND THEY TELL ME THEY CANT FIND THE ISSUE AND THIS HAPPENS AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. THERE ARE SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE FROM 2014 HYBRID MODELS AND UP AND HAS HAPPENED TO THEM NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE DEALERSHIP TELLS THEM THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11396321

Incident

Feb 14, 2021

Mileage

19,000 mi

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. IT IS 2.5 YEARS OLD WITH JUST OVER 18K MILES ON IT. I LEASED THE CAR WHEN I LIVED IN CA, AND NOW LIVE IN FL, WHICH IS ALSO A PROBLEM, AS THE DEALERSHIP HERE JUST DOESN'T SEEM EQUIPPED TO SERVICE A PHEV. THE LEASE IS SCHEDULED TO END IN JULY 2021 BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAS REFUSED TO OFFER ME AN OPTION TO RETURN THE CAR EARLY, YET IT FEELS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT (AND IT'S NOT OPERATIONAL RIGHT NOW).

NHTSA ID

11384136

Incident

Dec 3, 2020

Mileage

18,600 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11219554

Incident

May 29, 2019

Mileage

11,000 mi

THE CAR WAS PARK IN THE HOUSE AND WHEN I GET BACK I SAW A LONG CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD SO I CHECK THE SURROUNDING IF THERE IS SOMETHING FELL ON IT BUT THERE'S NO EVEN AN IMPACT ON IT IT'S JUST CRACK FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD UP TO THE MIDDLE CENTER. IT'S A BRAND NEW CAR SO HOW WILL THE WINDSHIELD GET CRACK LIKE THAT. I ASK AROUND TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD AND MOST OF THEM TOLD ME THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW VEHICLE LIKE MINE AND THEY EVEN ASK THE DEALER IF IT'S AVAILABLE AND THEY SAID IT WILL TAKE ABOUT A MONTH TO HAVE IT.

NHTSA ID

11131603

Incident

Sep 23, 2018

Mileage

7,500 mi