2017 Kia Optima Hybrid problems & reliability
25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 15 | 60% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 20% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 16% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 16% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Firerelated | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I believe the Hybrid Propulsion System in my kia optima hybrid should have been part of the recall. The vehicle is currently showing signs of the vehicle's Voltage Protection Device activating inadvertently, causing a sudden loss of power. Vehicle is currently with an authorized dealership being tested.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 2, 2026
“The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that DTC: P1326 was displayed on the instrument panel, with the message, “For Your Safety – Please Pull Over”…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Feb 13, 2025
“The contact’s son owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle started leaking oil. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.”
Engine · filed Jan 23, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
- Loss of Motive Power
Defect Petition DP22003 · opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023
- Engine Fires
Engineering Analysis EA21003 · opened Dec 22, 2021 · closed Feb 5, 2024 · led to recall 23V877
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The 10 most recent:
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the…
PS797 · Other · issued Dec 9, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area…
TSB_TRA046_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2025
This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.
TSB_TRA046_R4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2024
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: INHIBITOR SWITCH REPLACEMENT (SA317B/C) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar…
TSB_TRA072_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 9, 2023
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR - ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin…
TSB_CLI049_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2023
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: INHIBITOR SWITCH REPLACEMENT (SA317B/C) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar…
TSB_TRA072_R4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2023
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: INHIBITOR SWITCH REPLACEMENT (SA317B/C) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar…
TSB_TRA072_R4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2023
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: BMS/OPU/MCU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA411) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
TSB_ELE192_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 18, 2023
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required…
TSB_TRA046_R3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2022
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.This…
TSB_ENG219_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2022
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.