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
Engine, Jan 26, 2025
The car has been burning a qt of oil every 4-5 days. Now it stalls when changing gears and won't go faster than 45 MPH.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 14, 2025
Driving down the road trying to accelerate. My rpm's wouldn't go over 2000. The engine started fluttering and the accelerator stopped working. Went to take to local repair shop and they stated it was an issue with the engine. problem listed after a scan: OBD P1326 Recall NUMBER: PI1802W/X (Rev 2, 01/28/2019) With this stated. My vehicle under the same Year, Model, Engine, and Production Date are all calling for a recall but my VIN doesn't have a recall. So I am wanting to enquire why my vehicle doesn't have this recall.
Engine, Jan 6, 2025
The car is leaking a massive amount of oil. This was accompanied by a warning light for low oil levels. Problems started in the summer/fall of 2024. It is available for inspection upon request. An independent mechanic has confirmed the leak and replaced the spark plugs in September 2024 ago, and the oil was changed as part of regular maintenance in October 2024, but the car is still leaking oil (just had to add 2.5 quarts of oil after the check oil light came on again). The mechanic suggested I check for related recalls and report the issue.
Service brakes, Engine, Dec 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after having a routine oil change and tire maintenance, the vehicle began making an abnormal clunking sound. The vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message that the automatic brake was disabled was displayed. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic and was referred to the dealer. The contact called the local dealer, and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer declined to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 149,020.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed the engine failure and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 21, 2024
Engine burns over 2 quarts of oil every 500 miles due to carbon build up in engine resulting in engine ceasing up.
Engine, Nov 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a scheduled service and the contact was informed that while the vehicle was running, the engine was vibrating abnormally. The contact was informed that the rattling might have been caused by the abnormal vibration of the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine was replaced in 2023 under an undisclosed recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 17, 2024, crash
On [XXX] I was proceeding to come up to the stop sign when out of no where the car started rapidly accelerating and when I proceeded to step on the brakes it wouldn't stop it only sped up more. And caused a server accident that left me with serious injuries. And I cause of the defect they found me at fault said I failed to yield at a stop sign. The car never was fixed from the 2 times the motor has to be replaced by Galena Kia in fort Myers fl. They even caused the ac to go power retarded and wouldn't work half the time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Nov 14, 2024
To whom it might concern. My car suddenly started burning a lot oil every 800 miles I had to change the oil twice a month and I have contacted Kia number of times and took the car to the dealer but no one helped me until last month when I was driving the car and suddenly the engine stops while I was in the highway and almost got hit by a truck and was a death near experience and I am still suffering from that incident mentally. Please notice Kia knew about the car problem and refused by all means to help me and now they refusing to acknowledge they defect with their cars and meanwhile I am left with near death experience and 8k dollars to buy a new engine .
Engine, Nov 5, 2024
While driving my car Engine just cut off, and now it has a knocking noise, miles on the car 94739. Its my understanding that there is a recall on the engine for this reason issued in 11/2023 the car Manufacture refuse to replace engine. Car was taken to Kia New Port Richey, were the car was purchased on 01/08/2017. The safety problem is when engine shut down while driving in the middle of the road, no warning lights came on until after the engine turned off. its my understanding that the engine is blown. i called Kia Motors and they said will not replace engine because i did not take car in for the recall, and i was unaware there was such a recall
Engine, Nov 4, 2024
THE CAR WAS BOUGHT WITH 88K MILES AND USES OIL BADLY AND ITS GOT 92K MILES AND ITS BASICLY NEW I SEEN RECALLS FOR SUCH PROBLEM
Engine, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud knocking sound and experienced reduced engine power. The contact stated that the engine failed to exceed 2,000 RPM. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Engine, Oct 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Engine, Oct 6, 2024
The component that failed in my 2016 Kia Optima is the engine, specifically due to excessive oil consumption. After each oil change, my oil levels drop significantly within 1,000 miles. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue poses a safety risk to me and others because if the oil levels fall too low, the engine could seize or fail while driving, potentially leading to a dangerous situation. A sudden engine failure, especially at highway speeds, could result in a loss of control and increase the risk of an accident. The problem has been confirmed by both a Kia dealership and an independent automotive repair shop. The dealership performed an oil consumption test, which revealed that my car is consuming 1.3 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. An independent shop also acknowledged that this make and model are known for high oil consumption. The vehicle has been inspected by the Kia dealership during my 120,000-mile service. However, despite confirming the issue, Kia has not offered a resolution because my vehicle is no longer under warranty. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. No warning lights, messages, or dashboard indicators alerted me to the issue. The only symptom was the rapid drop in oil levels, which I first noticed in October 2023 following a routine oil change.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 30, 2024
While driving the car will not accelerate past 49mph in turbo mode and 61mph in regular mode and rpm will not go above 1800. And it jerks and studders. Blinking check engine light and consumes a ridiculous amount of oil even though regular maintenance performed. I have read several engine issues with this model and cannot find recall info
Engine, Sep 17, 2024
Unknown, per kia website, P1326 engine code- bad engine, kia will cover all faults and cost associated to this code, including branded title vehicles. But, because my car has a branded title, kia dealership is saying no they won't do anything.. please help
Engine, Sep 14, 2024
Check Engine light on due to too much oil consumption of engine per mechanic
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced due to fouling by engine oil. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure, approximately 1 quart of engine oil was being added every week. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,434.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the vehicle started shaking and then stalled. The vehicle was restarted each time. Additionally, a quart of oil needed to be added weekly due to excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced or repaired. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred three years later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Aug 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pipe and determined that the fuel pipe was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Engine, Aug 16, 2024
Vehicle is burning through oil at ridiculous rates. I am putting in a quart almost every week. From what I can tell; my engine has no recall but it absolutely should! There is no evidence of a leak whatsoever.
Engine, Aug 9, 2024
They are selling defective engines with out any leaks the car consumes a gallon per hundred miles , the acceleration of the car changes itself . the dealer has already informed that these engines are defective. I want to fix the issue from the company at their cost.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact stated that prior to the engine failing, one quart of engine oil was being added every week. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 7, 2024
The car had engine failure. The same issue that 1000s of the same make and model had a lawsuit for. Apparently my VIN isn’t one of them covered even though the exact issues stated in the engine failure lawsuit are the same issues I had. It’s under 80,000 miles I get synthetic oil and all other maintenance done when recommended. I was driving one day and the car started jerking and the engine would just stall out there was also a lot of smoke and very loud noises. I have tried contacting Kia and they say that it’s not one of the VIN numbers covered. If it’s the same issue how could they know if it was going to happen to my specific VIN or not. This is a huge safety issue because I am concerned the engine will blow up or catch on fire. I have had a mechanic come look and he started the engine and said to immediately turn it off. This is clearly a safety issue that’s not being handled well at all.
Engine, Aug 7, 2024
Forgot to add invoice for new engine. This is regarding claim # 11606977