Owners of certain 2016-2017 Kia Optima sedans and 2017 Kia Sportage SUVs can now file for reimbursement of up to $400 after a federal court granted preliminary approval to a class action settlement over defective power window regulators. The deal covers repair costs for owners who paid out of pocket to fix a window regulator that Kia allegedly knew was prone to failure.
What the Lawsuit Claimed
The underlying case, Le Beau, et al. v. Kia America, Inc., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California under case number 8:22-cv-01545-FWS-JDE, alleged that certain Optima and Sportage models shipped with automatic window regulators whose internal drums and gears could separate or break outright. Plaintiffs argued the failure wasn’t just an annoyance — a window stuck partway down or unable to close poses its own risk in a crash or bad weather, and they said Kia was aware of the defect and didn’t adequately address it.
How Much Owners Can Get Back
Reimbursement is scaled to mileage at the time of the repair. Owners who had a regulator fixed before hitting 35,000 miles can recover 100 percent of what they paid, capped at $400. The percentage steps down from there: 80 percent (capped at $320) for repairs between 35,001 and 55,000 miles, 60 percent (capped at $240) between 55,001 and 75,000 miles, 45 percent (capped at $180) between 75,001 and 125,000 miles, and 40 percent (capped at $160) beyond that. Current owners or lessees who’d rather skip the paperwork trail can instead take a flat $40 dealer service card.
Key Dates and How to File
A judge granted preliminary approval to the settlement on June 8, 2026, opening the claims process this summer. The deadline to submit a claim is November 23, 2026, ahead of a final approval hearing set for January 7, 2027. Settlement administrator Kroll Settlement Administration LLC is handling claims through the official settlement website, and owners need to submit their VIN along with documentation of the repair — the shop order, mileage at the time, repair date, and proof of what they paid.
Which Vehicles Qualify
Eligibility is limited to specific 2016 and 2017 Kia Optima and 2017 Kia Sportage vehicles identified on the settlement’s VIN registry, not every Optima or Sportage from those model years. Owners who aren’t sure whether their vehicle is included can check their VIN directly through the settlement administrator’s claims portal before gathering repair paperwork.