2018 Kia Optima Engine

My engine is under the Kia class action lawsuit for the KDS with the rod bearing clearance issues. I have done all my oil changes with paper work available. I got the update to the ECU several years ago as needed to be covered. Now my engine has failed and I took to the dealer to check but they said I didn't have a specific code and that they can't do any testing to verify it would be under the warranty. I called Kia Customer Care and have talked to them several times. They have told me there wasn't a need for the code and that the dealer could do other testing. The dealer stated that they can't do the BCT test due to a cylinder not having compression. I told Kia this is all related to the bearing going out and they said they can't do anything if the dealer said it's not under warranty. So I have now been going in circles with kia and dealer since 11/18/25. I sent kia another email on 12/15/25 and another on 12/18/25 due to not receiving a response. It's now 12/23/25 and still no response. They have a service bulletin that I seen online that was for dealers if any issues with testing they had other options but still nothing has been done.

Subject: Urgent Request for Engine Replacement – 2018 Kia Optima Dear Kia Consumer Affairs, I am writing to formally report a recurring and increasingly dangerous engine issue with my 2018 Kia Optima, and to request immediate assistance, including consideration for an engine replacement due to ongoing safety and reliability concerns. Since June 2024, I have routinely visited the Kia dealership on a near-monthly basis for service due to persistent problems with excessive oil consumption and spark plug failures. Each visit has resulted in service-related expenses, despite my efforts to maintain the vehicle in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. Unfortunately, the issue has not been resolved and continues to worsen. Most recently, on [XXX], I experienced a critical incident. While driving, the engine began shaking aggressively, the check engine light illuminated, and smoke was detected coming from the engine compartment. Out of concern for my safety, I immediately pulled over and had the vehicle dropped off at a nearby garage for emergency inspection. This incident, combined with the repeated monthly service visits and associated costs, clearly indicates a systemic issue that may be linked to known engine defects in similar Kia models. I urge Kia to review my case for warranty coverage, recall eligibility, or goodwill engine replacement assistance. I have attached supporting documentation including service records, receipts, and oil consumption logs. Please advise on the next steps for resolving this matter. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am the current legal owner of a 2018 Kia Optima Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ), which has an open safety recall under campaign number SC218Y3 (DTC P1326 – Knock Sensor Detection System / ECU Update / Possible Engine Repair). I attempted to schedule the recall repair with Martin Kia in Newark, Delaware. However, the service department refused to perform the recall service on the basis that I purchased the vehicle from an auction and do not have prior service records. This denial is a clear violation of federal recall regulations. As stated by NHTSA, all safety recall repairs must be completed free of charge regardless of ownership history or how the vehicle was purchased. I am now left with a potentially dangerous vehicle that Kia refuses to service, despite an active recall on file. This situation is unacceptable and puts me, as well as other road users, at risk. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate Kia’s non-compliance and ensure they are held accountable for refusing to fulfill their legal obligations regarding this recall. I am willing to provide proof of ownership and any supporting documentation. Thank you Best regards My Contact Info: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Car keeps stalling while driving

Engine failed despite maintenance and repairs. The car is part of the active class action for Kia Engine Defects. The KSDS software was never installed as we were never notified about the recall by kia. As a result, Kia denied coverage under the engine defect class action settlement. We need this vehicle repaired or compensation for replacement

While driving my 2018 Kia Optima S, the car suddenly jerked, lost power, and stalled in traffic. Multiple warning lights came on at the same time including the oil light, battery light, and check engine light. I had no acceleration and the brakes became very hard to press. The vehicle had to be towed for safety reasons. The Kia dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed internal engine failure due to “cylinder failure” and stated the engine needs complete replacement. This failure occurred without any external leaks and without warning other than the sudden loss of power. The dealer stated the issue is not covered, even though it is clearly an internal engine malfunction. This is a major safety hazard because the stall happened while I was in active traffic. A sudden loss of power and braking ability puts me and others at risk of an accident. The problem has been confirmed by the Kia dealership through diagnostic testing. The vehicle is still available for inspection. Warning lamps appeared only at the moment of failure, giving no advance warning. This appears to be related to the ongoing engine defects in Kia vehicles involving oil starvation, loss of compression, cylinder scoring, and internal engine failure. Cylinder failure and sudden stalling should be investigated as part of the known safety-related engine defects affecting this model.

Burning oil prematurely causing engine to go and need replacement.

The engine of my 2018 Kia Optima is burning oil. When it started, I had 72,000 miles, and it's burning one quart of oil every thousand miles. There is no oil leak. I will take it back to Kia on October 2, 2025. The mechanic reported that it has an internal engine issue.

The oil consumption is burning at a faster rate than normal. My oil changes are always on time but for months I have been having to take it for an oil change about 2,000 miles below mileage time. I have had it inspected but found no oil leaks. This is a major problem for the engine and safety.

Engine seized and stopped working. While I could not find any recall information based on the VIN, it is a 2018 Kia which was subject to the Kia Engine Settlement (In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation , No. 8:17‑cv‑00838‑JLS‑JDE and Flaherty v. Hyundai Motor Company, et al. , No. 18‑cv‑02223 (C.D. Cal.)). Was never notified of such settlement as the VIN would have triggered this notification by Kia but they obviously did not list this in the recall.

I was driving on the highway with my children and the engine started to knock and lock up. I had to swerve onto an exit and roll into a gas station. My check engine light was on. I had it serviced in 2023 at a kia dealership. I had electrical issues to my battery that I opted to get fixed elsewhere. The dealership was aware of the recall on my engine, when I had it towed to them in 2025. Dealership said I opted out of a recall on my engine.

Car would convulse and shake very wildly metal parts spread around engine. It has very rough idle. 4th cylinder went out and car only has about 99060 miles. The valve went out. My safety was very bad as car was not driving safely and shaking like a person having a seizeure each time it would stop. Vehicle has been inspected by a Kia dealer. This problem I had seems to get an issue many other people with Kia Optima have.

Oil consumption and engine code P200A

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal with the oil warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The contact's friend initially inspected the vehicle and discovered that the engine oil was empty. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the mechanic discovered oil around the engine; however, the source of the leak was not discovered. The contact was informed that an engine valve was sealed and that the failure was repaired. Despite the repair, the failure persisted, and the oil light was frequently illuminated on the instrument panel. The engine oil level was checked and was extremely low. The dealer had not offered any additional assistance for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact made several attempts to reach the manufacturer but was unsuccessful. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

My 2018 Kia Optima has a cracked oil pan, which caused an excessive oil leak —up to 5 quarts in a matter of hours. This eventually led to my engine going out.

Vehicle engine shut down without warning while driving on the interstate on April 27,2025. I had the vehicle towed and come to find out a "campaign" was issued for the vehicles engine in July of 2018. I purchased the car used in March of 2021 and was not aware of the "campaign" in which the vehicles engine was defective and could possibly cause a fire. I have reached out to KIA to see if they could help me in resolving the issue with the engine, but have yet to hear back from them.

Kia is aware of the engine oil consumption causing misfires, failed emissions test, blowing a rod and engine lock up. THEIR SOLUTION WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT STATE ONCE THE CAR IS LOCKED UP OR ROD HAS BLOWN THROUGH THE ENGINE THEN THEY WILL FIX IT. I HAVE HAD TO ADD OIL AT LEAST 3 TIMES EVERY 3000 MILES AND CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE OIL FILTER AS WELL. THE SPARK PLUGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED MUTLIPLE TIMES ALSO TO HELP WITH THIS ISSUE. KIA ADVISED THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT FALL UNDER THIS RECALL EVEN THOUGH MY VEHICHLE IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE RECALL STATES. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH SELLING DEFECTIVE VEHICLES AND NOT REPAIRING THE ISSUES THEY KNEW THEY HAD PRIOR TO SELLING THE VEHICLES. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

I’ve had my car for 6 months and it constantly burns oil I’ve had 4 oil changes because it Is completely disappearing but my mechanics can not find any leaks. Then I changed all my spark plugs and two were completely burnt and they were changed a month ago and now one of them went again and this time is completely covered in oil

Got an oil change, and they advised that it was low on oil. (I had just replaced it recently) I took it to the dealer and they advised a part was bad, that they replaced. I was driving and the check engine light and oil light came on . I had to tow car. Dealer said the engine was burning oil, and that the engine is covered, but I would have to drive it until it got worse.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact turned off the cruise control; however, the failure persisted, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check oil warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart, and the vehicle was towed to a service station. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed, causing fuel intrusion into the engine and engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

This vehicle has an active recall: SC218 / DTC P1326 – ECU UPDATE / ENGINE REPAIR. I brought it to Martin Kia in Newark, Delaware, but they refused to perform the recall stating that since the vehicle is owned by a used car dealer, the recall is not applicable. They also provided a written statement saying that the extended warranty does not apply because I am a dealer, and that they will not perform any recall work until the vehicle is owned by a “customer.” However, federal law requires all safety recalls to be completed free of charge, regardless of the vehicle’s current ownership status or whether it is owned by a dealership. This is a safety issue and refusal to perform recall work puts future drivers at risk. I have attached the letter they gave me for your reference. I kindly request your urgent review of this case and enforcement action to ensure the dealership complies with federal recall obligations.

Mi Kia Optima 2018 con motor 2.4L GDI presenta consumo excesivo de aceite, un problema que he visto reportado por muchos otros propietarios del mismo modelo. En solo 700 millas recorridas, el aceite baja hasta el punto “Low” sin fugas visibles. Este consumo anormal puede causar fallos en el motor si no se revisa constantemente. El concesionario Kia ya revisó el vehículo, pero como no hay recall abierto, no ofrecieron solución, a pesar de que este motor ha sido identificado en boletines técnicos por este problema. Solicito que este caso sea considerado por la NHTSA para que se investigue si debe emitirse un recall extendido para los Kia Optima con motor 2.4L GDI.

Car suddenly stopped working; it was struggling to stay on. Mechanic stated cylinder is not functioning at full force.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed an abnormal oil consumption. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a spark plug misfire. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to a local independent service center, and the spark plugs were replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was repaired several times; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a second local independent mechanic, where the spark plugs and other unknown repairs were made. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart but was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured valve in cylinder #1. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the maintenance records of the vehicle were satisfactory; however, the manufacturer denied assistance and informed the contact that the failure was not a factory defect but was due to wear and tear. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.