# 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

## 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.


## Remedy progress the manufacturer reported

- 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.

## Vehicles this campaign lists

- [2017 KIA OPTIMA](/makes/kia/optima/2017/recalls.md). Built 2016\-08\-25 to 2017\-09\-11.
- [2018 KIA OPTIMA](/makes/kia/optima/2018/recalls.md). Built 2016\-08\-25 to 2017\-09\-11.

## Check a VIN

- [NHTSA recall lookup by VIN, United States](https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls)
- [Transport Canada recall search, Canada](https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/menu.aspx?lang=eng)

JSON: [/v1/recalls/nhtsa/18V161000](/v1/recalls/nhtsa/18V161000)

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