2016 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 756 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 27 involved a crash and 19 involved a fire. 21 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchAug 24, 2023
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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.
Campaign 23V594000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleJan 6, 2017
Kia Motors America (Kia) has recalled one 2016 Optima vehicle. In this vehicle, the end seal for the driver's frontal air bag inflator may not have been properly installed, possibly resulting in reduced inflation of the frontal air bag in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.
The affected vehicle was remedied on January 10, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC143.
Campaign 17V007000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftOct 3, 2016
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Optima vehicles manufactured November 13, 2015, to April 23, 2016 and equipped with a 2.4l engine. The right front axle driveshaft may crack and fail.
If the driveshaft cracks and separates from the vehicle, it will not be able to move forward. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied upon exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario can increase the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC139.
Campaign 16V705000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalApr 21, 2016
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Optima vehicles manufactured November 10, 2015, to February 12, 2016. In these vehicles, a chemical enhancer required for the for the second stage deployment of the driver's frontal air bag was not loaded, resulting in the second stage not deploying in necessitating crashes.
If the second stage air bag does not deploy it increases the risk of injury or death.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC131.
Campaign 16V231000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
442 reports, newest first. Show all
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 31, 2023
On 2/24 I was driving on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, I was in the middle lane going thru an intersection, when suddenly while attempting to accelerate to go thru the light, all of my dash lights came on and the gas petal stopped working completely. I had cars in front, behind and on sides of me and I was unable to move out of the way. I attempted to restart the car to no avail. This could have been an incredibly deadly and dangerous situation and was extremely scary. With help I was able to move my car out of the way, call a tow truck and have it taken to the nearest Kia Dealership (Galeana Kia, 14483 Tamiami Trail, Ft. Myers) who advised they would evaluate the car and get back to me the next day. Tuesday I got word that my engine had seized and there was less than 1 qt of oil in it. I couldn't believe this as I just had an oil change 6 weeks prior. The service advisor, Jeff, said when an engine seizes they report it to Kia to see if they will replace but that Kia tech team advised they were declining replacing my engine as I didn't take my car to Kia for service and there weren't enough carfax reports to show proper care. This made no sense as I get my oil changed every 5k and use syntenic oil. I proceeded to send many oil change receipts only for them then tell me "it's owners responsibility to check oil between oil changes" and they aren't going to assist in any way. Sharing this story with others led me to learn that Kia is supposed to warranty these engines to 150k due to this being a known issue and multiple class action lawsuits about the engines burning oil and seizing while driving. I was in the middle of an intersection, that could have cost me my life! I called Kia Corp and they told me to work with dealership and they couldn't do anything for me. This after just replacing 4 window regulators where the regulator dies and your windows fall down (another safety hazard.) I appreciate you looking into and addressing this safety injustice for me.
Engine, Mar 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the failure was related to the vehicle not receiving the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software installation. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 27, 2023
I purchased a 2016 Kia Optima LX in 2021, and have been having issues with excessive oil consumption and cylinder misfires. I get regular oil changes and have to top it off every week after, if I forget to check, it will be completely dry. This is hazardous and unsafe to drive not knowing when it will be completely dry to cause serious problems. I've taken it to a Kia dealership and all they did was reset the ECU/EUC (whatever). Now, I've been told at my place for oil changes they can't service the vehicle until the issue has been fixed because it is too dangerous to be driving with the car burning too much oil. My car is at the dealership now to get combustion cleaning done. I had a 2013 Kia Optima in 2018 (and not knowing this issue about the oil consumption even after regular oil changes) the engine seized on that car while on the highway. The car lost power and would not start back up. On both cars, the warning light for oil never comes/came on. After purchasing my current vehicle (2016 Kia Optima), the car gave me trouble every 3 months and the car only had 65,000 miles on it. These vehicles are not safe and are a safety hazard. These vehicles need to be recalled for their engines. IT IS NOT SAFE AND GETS COSTLY to keep having to keep the oil in. It barely reaches 1000 miles and it consumed almost half of the oil after an oil change.
Engine, Mar 24, 2023
My car is burning so much oil the engine keeps stalling out....I pay to get it fixed and 2 months later it happens again. Im worried about the safety of me and my son as it has stalled in the middle of a busy highway. I have talked to Carriage Kia in Woodstock, Ga and emailed Kia directly and noone wants to help. I googled and noticed there was a class action lawsuit for this exact problem on my car. Can you please help me?
Engine, Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and was running on three instead of four cylinders. The contact stated that the vehicle had been consuming oil and fowling the spark plugs causing the vehicle to lose power. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who stated that the coils and spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact had the spark plugs replaced. The failure persisted causing the contact to add oil every 1,500 miles. The manufacturer had been made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Engine, Mar 10, 2023
Hi my car start making this thiking noise on the engine out of nothing i have heard that there was a recall for 1.6 turbo engines but sadly my car donst have any recalls at the moment and the engine replacement is a kind a expensive 8500 dollars to be precise so what can i do if the engine has exactly the problem that kia described a problem with the pushrod thanks
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 10, 2023
While driving down major highway the engine failed and the electrical system started blinking and I lost all power. No warning, dashboard just lit all up and engine seized up.
Engine, Feb 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH and various other speeds, the contact stated that the "engine oil" light flickered on and off. The contact stated that when he checked the dip stick the oil level was not showing. The contact stated that he checked for oil leaks but saw no evidence of an oil leak. The contact stated that the exhaust pipe was coated in a heavy black crust. The contact stated that he had been adding oil several times and that the failure persisted. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Engine, Feb 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the contact was informed that the knock sensor detection system (KSDS) was defective. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall or warranty. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
Engine, Feb 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, there was a knocking noise coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle failed to restart, and no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained with the independent mechanic awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Engine, Feb 20, 2023
Was driving car and started knocking and shutting down. Engine light came on and car was acting weird. Stopped to check oil and fluids which were full. Started car to try to get to a safe spot but car would not move. Took to a independent mechanic and he stated car had throwing a rod and motor was no good. All maintenance was done on time and accordingly. There is a faulty motor problem
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 20, 2023
The 2016 Kia optima lx 1.6t has so many issues. First off, The power windows all stopped working within a week of each other. On the way home from work the check engine light came on and as I tried to accelerate the car started stuttering to go, it ended up jerking as if I was pressing the gas and then brake. I had to get it towed home. There has been oil spilling into other parts of the engine like the intercooler and the throttle body which could mix with gas which is a huge fire hazard. The high pressure fuel pump needs to be replaced. The car will no longer drive, the throttle position sensor needs to be replaced as well. The oil burns so fast, after a brand new oil change it doesn’t even last a week. We have over 5 codes popping up when they did a scan and they are all misfires and fuel pump related.
Engine, Feb 19, 2023
Number 3 Fuel Injector, burning oil and have no idea where its going, gas mileage affected, VCT solenoid
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 17, 2023
I purchased a brand new 2016 Kia Optima and have been experiencing a really bad rattling noise that is coming from the motor. I have taken my car back and forth from the Kia dealership and each time they inspect my car, they tell me that they can’t hear any rattling. As a mentioned earlier, the rattling noise is still there. I have been to the Kia in Durham, North Carolina and the Cary, North Carolina Kia dealership and still nothing has been done. I believe that my head gaskets or something like that in the more was defects when I purchased my vehicle. I also feel that the Kia dealership knew that my car had a defective motor and failed to inform me of that information. I would be glad to have my vehicle available for inspection upon request. How my safety and the safety of others are put at risk, is because the car could suddenly catch fire, it may stall in traffic, etc. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center but I do know that something is wrong with my car and has been since I purchased it brand new in 2016. Kia Motors did a quick look at my car and stated that they heard not rattling noises coming from the car. Other than that no other component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? There are no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the problem and it occurred over 2 months after I purchased the Kia Optima. If you are uncertain, simply state UNKNOWN, I am not sure as to why the vehicle rattles when taking off, but it is and have been loud enough for me to notice and my passengers as well. Therefore, I hope that this is something that you would look into and get some type of remediation. Thank You,
Engine, Feb 16, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the oil level was checked every other day. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was oil and fuel in cylinder #4. The O-rings, spark plugs, valve cover, oil, and filter were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel injector was stuck open and spraying fuel. The O-rings and spark plugs were replaced but the failure persisted. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the manufacturer but failed to receive a response. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Feb 9, 2023
Car burns oil before oil changes, no warning light comes on. Technician at jiffy lube stated that this model vehicle has issues burning the oil with no warning light coming on. Have taken the car several times to get oil change services and they warn me of the same issue every time. no oil leaks coming from the engine itself. Car engine burns the oil which can cause issues with the engine if left unchecked.
Engine, Feb 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Engine, Jan 27, 2023
engine has seized. incident happened while driving. engine also burns excessive amounts of oil which require adding oil every 1-2 weeks.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 22, 2023
While driving vehicle on the freeway there is a sudden lots of power. Excited freeway and tried driving slowly on streets. Check engine light came on. Vehicle knocks and losses power during acceleration and while driving at speed. Problem diagnosed as bad knock sensor. Had knock sensor replaced in November, 22. Two days ago exact same problem. Mechanic believes that it's engine malfunction. How's it's covered by Kia recall, otherwise recommends engine replacement, but cautions used engine might have similar malfunction.
Engine, Jan 20, 2023
1 month after purchasing the car we noticed it was having oil consumption Problems. In December of 2022 we took the car in and were told by the kia dealership that the rings in the car were no good but when the issue was reported to our extended warranty the denied the repairs trying to say it is something else. This cars engines should have recalls on its engine just like all the other cars. We owe 20000.00 on a car that's engine is no good.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 20, 2023
My 2016 kia is using a lot of oil I get a oil change and 100,000 miles later my oil light comes on and I have to put more oil in the car. I’m told to check my oil every week an to get an oil changed every 150,000 miles. All my spark plugs have blown (I was told it’s due to oil starvation) an my car started shaking real bad as I was driving. I was told to get spark plugs changed in order to get an oil changed and sometimes turned away twice because I had no oil in the car. Its not keeping enough oil in the car to keep it running smoothly which could cause a fire or even engine failure. I also noticed that there’s a lot of smoke coming out of exhaust pipe when the car starts up in the back an that could be a problem one Macanic said. I was told to change my pvc valve to help with the increased oil consumption this didn’t help but it was clogged up glad i changed it. This kia is starting to be to much money with me having to keep a 5 gallon oil bottle to ensure im never out of oil. Still making payments and keeping the thought in my mind that this kia could possibly break down with my child in the car. I need help with this fix I like the style an the look but the everyday drive and problems I can pass off on a Kia.
Engine, Jan 19, 2023
Knock sensor failure and misfiring
Engine, Jan 17, 2023
I had a catastrophic engineer failure that was reporting a DTC to replace the spark plug/ignition coil. This failure is miss mapped and had no previous Indicator warning the customer of a engine failure that would potentially leave the customer in an unsafe condition stranded. I had to have my vehicle towed in for service and the dealer informed that the vehicle needed a new intake valve. The intake valve failure at 118k miles is a little outside of warranty but still considerably young for an engine. There could be a number of reasons for this failure, material quality could make the valve brittle, manufacturing so the retainers could not seat properly in the spring. All the reasons are not customer induced nor at the stage in engine life that would be appropriate. After reviewing the Kia main social media account and talking to several dealers this type of failure is not uncommon for this product line as early as 30k miles. I believe that the volume of failure is large enough population that Kia should investigate 1) the mapping of DTCs/Indicator warning to the customer and 2) the actual engine failure population is large enough it should be reviewed by the government.
Engine, Jan 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine; oil was added. The contact stated that several weeks later, the oil warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The mechanic found no oil leaks nor the cause of the failure. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.
Engine, Jan 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 74 MPH, the vehicle made abnormal metallic banging sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle began to lose motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road and added engine oil to the vehicle. The contact drove to a nearby parking lot and parked the vehicle. The contact's friend, a certified mechanic, diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the oil, which led to engine failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as he failed to complete the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.