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What 25 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (25)Crash / fire / injury (2)Engine (15)Electrical system (5)Brakes (4)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Airbags (1)Backup camera & sensors (1)Engine & cooling (1)Firerelated (1)Hybrid Propulsion System (1)Lights (1)

1 of 25 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters

Feb 13, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that DTC: P1326 was displayed on the instrument panel, with the message, “For Your Safety – Please Pull Over” displayed. The contact pulled over and opened the hood and there was a green liquid sizzling on the heat on top of the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was inspected; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the upper radiator hose had melted, and that the battery was an OEM part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11642636

Working with the data? Download all 25 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid verdict →