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What 252 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Optima Phev

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 (252)Crash / fire / injury (13)Engine (161)Electrical system (25)Fuel system (22)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Lights (15)Speed control (13)Steering (11)Driver assistance (8)Seat belts (8)Engine & cooling (7)

1 of 252 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 24, 2023SteeringSpeed controlDriver assistanceCrash2 injuries

On 6 June 2022 I was driving Eastbound Interstate 80 passing Fairfield, CA. Traffic was moderate, average traffic speed 65. The Kia’s Adaptive Cruise was enabled and set to the maximum amount of safe distance. I recall the car directly in front of me changed lanes to pass a truck towing a trailer. I remember the Kia began to accelerate and I couldn’t turn the wheel. Next memory was opening my eyes to the dust smoke of deployed air bags. I lost consciousness likely due to the sudden impact and air bags deployed. I was taken to a Fairfield hospital by ambulance where I spent 4 days. A slurry of tests ruled out loss of consciousness as the cause. No stroke, heart attack or seizure occurred. I was treated for bruised ribs due to the airbag. No doubt to me that this collision could have been catastrophic to this driver and others driving nearby. Witness reported that I sped up and clipped the truck/trailer while attempting to pass. What I believe happened: 1) the Adaptive Cruise accelerated when it determined there was room but failed to see the trailer and 2) the steering was unresponsive when I attempted to avoid a collision. The reaction time between car accelerating and getting knocked out had to be a mere three or four seconds. The vehicle was totaled, The insurance company, Mercury Insurance, released the vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11534208

Working with the data? Download all 252 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 Phev verdict →