Kia Optima Phev

Owners filed 33 complaints across 4 model years of the Kia Optima Phev. The 2017 drew the most (23); the 2020 the fewest (1).

Model years4

Complaints33

Recalls4

Fires2

Deaths0

Every Kia Optima Phev model year compared

Complaints per year

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Crashes	Most reported	Status
2020	1	0	—	—	Unknown or Other	Routine
2019	1	0	—	—	Service Brakes	Routine
2018	8	2	—	—	Engine	Routine
2017	23	2	2	1	Engine	Routine

Which Kia Optima Phev years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 2017 is the weakest year on record, with 23 complaints concentrated in the engine. It carries 2 recalls.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.