Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Kia Optima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On June 5th 2022 as I was traveling out of state with my wife and daughter the car lost power on the highway. I pulled over to the side when safe and noticed whitish grey smoke puffing from under the hood by the hinges. Being a fire lieutenant, I recognized this as the car being on fire. We exited the vehicle, my daughter was asleep in the back seat, so it was a panic to wake her and make sure she got out away from traffic. Within the 3 minutes I was on the phone with 911 the car was engulfed. A few minutes after the first Chief arrived the fire had reached the fuel tank and the vehicle exploded, approximately 8 minutes in. I opened a claim with my insurance and with Kia America. Kia has taken the blame but refused to replace the vehicle, instead offering me $15000 for the car with only 57000 miles on it. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact's wife was asked to complete and record information for daily engine testing. The contact's wife completed the daily engine and oil pressure testing for ten consecutive days. The contact's wife submitted the information to the dealer and the manufacturer. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and an oil consumption test was requested. The vehicle was at the dealer for several days; however, a diagnostic update was not provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and seized before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where an unknown software update was performed, and the anti-theft software was updated. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that every two days he had to add 1-quart of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty, but no further assistance was provided. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the speed decelerated independently while the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the accelerator pedal needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where they informed the contact there was an unknown software update. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but two days later the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact reset the check engine warning light however, the light became illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the engine oil was low and needed to be topped off. Additionally, the dealer offered to perform an oil consumption test. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he had researched online and related the failure to an engine design flaw. The contact requested that the dealer attempt to repair the engine and was refused. The contact was advised by the dealer to drive the vehicle until the engine failed and then he would be placed under consideration for a manufacturer engine replacement program. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that upon routine maintenance with a local independent mechanic, it was discovered that the vehicle had low engine oil. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that an oil consumption test was needed to determine any failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that engine oil was added almost every 2 weeks. The message to "Contact the Dealer" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to Team Kia of El Cajon (541 N Johnson Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020), where it was determined that there was engine oil leaking onto the catalytic converter. The contact related the failure to a Kia recall related to a connecting rod bearing failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,400.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled. The oil change warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an oil change was needed almost every two weeks. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the oil change warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed; however, the result of the diagnostic test was unknown. The vehicle was repaired; however, the oil change warning light remained illuminated. The contact research and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, black smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe and the vehicle was jerking. The oil warning light was illuminated. The contact added engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where oil was found on unknown sensors and on the coils. The contact was informed that an oil change was needed, and the filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 110,569.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated and then lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while driving. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence and retrieved DTC Code: P1326, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the knock sensor was previously replaced for the same issue; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 100,670.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle onto the driveway of her home. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the mechanic stated that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The sparks plugs were replaced but the failure persisted. On another occasion, the contact noticed that oil was leaking from under the vehicle again, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was oil cylinder #3 spark plug. The spark plug and PCV valve was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the contact would receive a call back. The failure mileage was 93,226.
Related recalls
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA investigations
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Optima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2017 Kia Optima?
NHTSA has 169 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Kia Optima, 66% of the model year's 257 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Kia Optima engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-907 (engine, Dec 19, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Kia Optima engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.