- Vehicles
- 319,436
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 19 October 2023
- Repaired
- 40%
- Unrepaired
- 98,111
Does this affect my vehicle?
The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.
- 2016-2018 Kia Optima
- 2017-2018 Kia Optima Hybrid
- 2017-2018 Kia Optima Phev
- 2016-2017 Kia RIO
Repair progress
98,111 of 319,436 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2026.
40% repaired — 128,774 of 319,436 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 52,207
- Scrapped or exported
- 40,344
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
What could happen
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
What gets fixed
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023.
Parts involved
- Latch Assy-Trunk Lid81230-1W010 and 81230-1W030Trunk Lid Latch Assembly (Rio)
- Latch Assy-Trunk Lid81230-D4000Trunk Lid Latch Assembly (Optima / Optima Hybrid / Optima Plug-in Hybrid)
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA24 August 2023
- Owners notified19 October 2023
- Latest repair reportQ2 2026 — 40% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 24 August 2023.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- SC278
- Recalling manufacturer
- Kia America, Inc.
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 401
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional 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.nhtsa.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.