Kia Window Regulator Settlement: 2016–2017 Optima and 2017 Sportage Owners Can Claim Up to $400 Per Repair by November 23, 2026 — No Claim, No Money

This is a claims-made reimbursement settlement over power window regulators in certain Kia cars. The plaintiffs allege the Class Vehicles have a defect that “can cause the automatic window regulators with drums/gears to separate or break, resulting in an inoperative window regulator and the malfunction of the power window system.” Kia denies the claims, and the settlement says it does not mean Kia broke any law. The court has preliminarily approved the deal and authorized the notice and the official site, but it has not yet given final approval.

If you paid for a window regulator repair on an eligible car, you can be paid back part or all of that cost. If you never paid for one, there is nothing to claim, except that current owners can choose a $40 Dealer Service Card instead of a reimbursement. The official site is explicit that “the only way to get the benefits available under the Settlement is by submitting a Claim Form.” The claim deadline is November 23, 2026, and claims can be submitted online or postmarked by that date.

The class vehicles are “certain 2016-2017 model year Kia Optima and all 2017 Kia Sportage vehicles, as identified by a defined Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) list.” So not every 2016–2017 Optima is in: the VIN list decides. The official site has a VIN Lookup page, and the administrator says to have your 17-character VIN ready; it is on the dashboard placard visible through the driver-side windshield corner and on your registration card.

The class is open to residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who currently own or lease a Class Vehicle, or who owned or leased one in the past. The class excludes, among others, fleet vehicles such as rentals and company cars, cars deemed a total loss or salvage, dealerships, insurers, extended-warranty providers, and people who opt out or already released their claims against Kia over this issue.

Kia reimburses “amounts actually paid by a Class Member for parts and labor” for a window regulator repair at a Kia dealership or at a reputable third-party shop whose legitimacy the administrator may verify through business license, tax or permit records. The replacement of one or more regulators counts, for up to four repairs per VIN. The percentage and cap depend on the mileage when the out-of-warranty failure happened:

• Under 35,000 miles: 100% of the amount paid, up to $400
• 35,001–55,000 miles: 80%, up to $320
• 55,001–75,000 miles: 60%, up to $240
• 75,001–125,000 miles: 45%, up to $180
• 125,001 miles and up: 40%, up to $160

Current owners can instead claim a Dealer Service Card valued at $40. Either way the claim must include the Required Documentation listed on the claim form, and the form is signed under penalty of perjury. The site does not state a total settlement fund or the number of vehicles, so we cannot say how large the pool is.

Claim online through the official site, or mail the form and proof to Kia Window Regulator Settlement, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391. Keep a copy of everything you send. A deficient claim is rejected with a notice, and you then have 30 days to fix it. The phone line is (833) 930-0988.

The dates on the site: claim deadline November 23, 2026 (90 days after the class notice); exclusion and objection deadline October 23, 2026 (60 days after notice); final approval hearing January 7, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 10D. The site warns the hearing date may change. Payments come “as they are approved after the Effective Date,” which is after final judgment and, if anyone objects, after appeals end. No payment date is published, so expect it after the January hearing at the earliest.

Staying in the settlement means giving up the right to sue Kia over the window regulator issue. The release does not cover death, personal injury or damage to property other than the class vehicle. Class counsel (Barnow and Associates and Ahdoot & Wolfson) will ask the court for up to $1,244,000 in fees, costs and expenses and $1,500 service awards per class representative.

The official site states that it is “the only authorized website for this case,” run by Kroll under court supervision, at kiawindowregulatorsettlement.com. A real claim asks for your VIN and repair proof; it never asks for a fee or a bank login. Do not pay anyone to file for you, and type the address yourself instead of following links in unexpected messages. The site is operated by the court-approved administrator and is free to use.

This is a separate case from the Kia and Hyundai anti-theft settlement and from the Hyundai/Kia airbag control unit settlement. See our pages on the Kia and Hyundai theft settlement and the airbag control unit settlement. A claim in one does not file a claim in the others.