NHTSA recall 18V161000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 18V161000 |
| Manufacturer's number | SC162 |
| Manufacturer | Kia Motors America |
| Reported | 2018-03-08 |
| Owners notified | 2018-05-03 |
| Component | HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM |
| Units potentially affected | 1710 |
| Report | Quarterly report 6, for 2019 quarter 3 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2019-10-16 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 1710 |
| Reported remedied | 1380 (80%) |
| Reported unreachable | 39 |
| Reported removed | 21 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2019 quarter 3, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
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.
What can happen
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.
The 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.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| 2017 KIA OPTIMA | Built 2016-08-25 to 2017-09-11. |
|---|---|
| 2018 KIA OPTIMA | Built 2016-08-25 to 2017-09-11. |
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.