2018 Kia Optima — surface rust underneath a winter daily
There is early surface rust on brackets, fasteners and seams underneath, but nothing structural. For a salt-belt car, what treatment slows it down without crea…
1 owner reports for this model.
Kia Optima
2018 Kia Optima — metallic rattle for a few seconds after cold start
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 124,500 miles. There is a short metallic rattle after the first cold start of the day, then it disappears once the engine settles. Wa…
2018 Kia Optima — open carrier or enclosed for a normal enthusiast car?
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 105,000 miles. The car is valuable to me but not exotic. Enclosed transport costs noticeably more. When is the extra protection actua…
2018 Kia Optima — buying a car 1,200 miles away without seeing it
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 96,500 miles. A hard-to-find spec is several states away. Dealer has provided video and history, but I have not seen it in person. Wh…
2018 Kia Optima — clunk when changing from reverse to drive
There is a single clunk when changing direction at low speed, especially reverse to drive. No vibration while cruising. What would you inspect first: mounts, d…
2018 Kia Optima — dealer lowered price but added accessories back in
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 93,000 miles. We agreed on a vehicle price, then the worksheet included dealer-installed products I did not ask for. The total is now…
2018 Kia Optima — history report shows a minor accident with no details
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 83,000 miles. Vehicle-history report lists a minor accident several years ago but does not describe the repair. Paint looks okay in p…
2018 Kia Optima — short-trip driving and oil-change intervals
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 51,500 miles. The car gets lots of cold starts, idling and short trips with few long highway runs. The factory interval feels long fo…
2018 Kia Optima — driver seat clicks during left-right transitions
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 49,500 miles. I can feel a small click through the seat base in corners. Mounting bolts appear tight and power functions work. How do…
2018 Kia Optima — huge doc fee: argue about fee or total price?
One dealer documentation fee is much higher than others nearby. Is it better to stop arguing about the label and just negotiate the overall out-the-door number?
2018 Kia Optima — when does GAP actually make sense?
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 87,000 miles. I am financing most of the purchase and depreciation could be steep early on. How do you decide whether GAP is worthwhi…
2018 Kia Optima — costs that mattered more than fuel economy
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 102,500 miles. After owning the car for a while, tires, insurance and service pricing mattered more than the MPG difference I obsesse…
2018 Kia Optima — rough idle disappears just above idle speed
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 58,000 miles. Idle has a slight shake once fully warm, but 100–200 RPM above idle it smooths out.
2018 Kia Optima — catalyst efficiency code but car drives normally
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 141,500 miles. A catalyst efficiency code came back after clearing once. The car drives normally and there are no misfire codes. Befo…
OldSchoolCommuter155Community StarterMay 22, 20262018 Kia Optima EXSalt Lake City36 replies0 helpful
2018 Kia Optima — battery dies after the car sits for a weekend
Battery passes a quick test and charging voltage looks normal, but after two or three days parked the car sometimes will not crank. What is the cleanest parasi…
2018 Kia Optima — best road-trip traits reviews barely talk about
After a few long trips I care more about seat shape, wind noise, HVAC behavior, storage and driver-assist smoothness than horsepower. What traits make a car gr…
2018 Kia Optima — oil level drops between services with no puddle
I started measuring the oil level every few hundred miles and it is definitely falling between changes. There is no obvious puddle and I do not notice smoke. H…
2018 Kia Optima — private seller still has a loan on the car
I like a privately listed car, but the seller still owes money and does not have a clear paper title in hand. What is the safest way to handle payoff, lien rel…
2018 Kia Optima — what should a real pre-purchase inspection include?
I am paying an independent shop to inspect a used car. Besides a scan and putting it on a lift, what should I ask them to check so it is more than a quick stat…
2018 Kia Optima — dealer cannot reproduce an intermittent warning
2018 Kia Optima EX, about 126,000 miles. I have brought the car in twice for the same intermittent warning and both visits ended with could-not-reproduce. I ha…