2017 Kia Optima problems & reliability
252 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Optima, alongside 3 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.
2 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Kia Optima vehicles were involved in 49 fatal crashes with 31 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 161 | 64% |
| Unknown OR Other | 33 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 25 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 20 | 8% |
| Power Train | 20 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 5% |
| Steering | 11 | 4% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 61,000 miles (middle 50% between 29,000 and 93,226 miles), based on 81 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Since 4/1 my car has intermittently lost power steering. I received dashboard warning lights and the wheel was difficult to turn. When I shutoff the car and turned back on, the warning lights were gone and the steering returned. My mechanic did a diagnostic and found the following codes c1259, c1260, c1290 and c1688…”
Steering · filed Jun 30, 2026
“Loosing oil putting oil in every 3 to 4 days no leaks on ground or oil pan or drain plug.oil don't smell or looks burnt happened around did 2 oil changes in a week still the same. Car will sputer hesitation on acceleration every so often”
Power Train · filed Jun 3, 2026
“The engine of this vehicle is still exhibiting the issues that are under the class action lawsuit. Engine. Was not repaired properly by dealership. I must change my oil around 1700 miles”
Engine · filed May 27, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- 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
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
179 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Optima. The 10 most recent:
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of…
CS2312_TSB_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2026
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
SC340_TSB_R5 · Emissions · issued Apr 4, 2026
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 104 ) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions…
SC340_OWNR_JF&JFA_104 · Emissions · issued Mar 17, 2026
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSION SECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REV 4) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections…
SC340_TSB_R4 · Emissions · issued Mar 6, 2026
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of…
TSB_CS2312_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 19, 2026
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 103 / JF) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions…
SC340_OWNR_JF103 · Emissions · issued Dec 19, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder…
TSB_CS2312 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2025
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses the social media…
CS2312_OWNR · Other · issued Dec 17, 2025
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
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 101 / JF) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions…
SC340_OWNR_JF101 · Emissions · issued Nov 27, 2025
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 has 3 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?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 61,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.