Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Safety risk
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Manufacturer remedy
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Optima hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.
Safety risk
If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install two newly designed Battery Management Systems (BMS) that contain Overvoltage Protection Devices (OPDs), free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC162.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Engine
173
72,800 mi
Unknown or other
44
25,000 mi
Electrical system
38
36,826 mi
Power train
21
22,450 mi
Service brakes
20
23,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
17
68,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling
15
98,000 mi
Exterior lighting
14
20,000 mi
Steering
13
42,100 mi
Air bags
12
46,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
12
22,500 mi
Structure: body
10
15,000 mi
Seat belts
7
19,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
57,000 mi
Lane departure: blind spot detection
3
—
Electrical system: ignition: coil: spark plugs
2
70,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ECU/ECM)
2
1,500 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication
The 2017 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2019 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.