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: visibility
37 reports, newest first. Show all
Visibility/wiper, Aug 13, 2026
Window falls into the door. The rear two windows have been repaired 3 times. They are currently both broken again along with the front drivers side. I currently have three windows being help up by tape. They are taped to the frame of the door to stop the window from falling into the door. I don't know why this wasn't a recall. I see there is a TSB BOD300. The dealership repaired once but never informed me about the known defect.
Visibility, Jun 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the front driver’s and passenger’s side windows lowered unintendedly. Neither the dealer nor an independent was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The rear driver’s and passenger’s side windows were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance since the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 107,000.
Visibility, Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was loud banging sound coming from the vehicle and there were shards of glass on the right elbow of the contact. No warning light was illuminated. Upon further inspection, the contact stated that the sunroof glass panel had shattered outward. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,500.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 3, 2025
All window regulators failed before 100K miles. This does not allow for windows to open in case of emergency, This problem has been personally confirmed by dealer and also in service bulletin SA418. This is a common problem in this car make/model/year. This component has been known to the manufacturer for defect. No warning lights, just instant lack of window use.
Electrical system, Visibility, Jun 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving in inclement weather on several occasions, all four windows of the vehicle became intermittently inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Visibility, Engine, Mar 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to operate properly. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Good Year Service Center where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery, alternator, and drive belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, several miles later the engine seized. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that all four windows shattered, and the window regulators were replaced several times. The contact stated that the front driver’s and front passenger’s side windows had shattered, and moisture entered the cabin of the vehicle during inclement weather. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an undisclosed NHTSA recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,889.
Visibility, Sep 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that both the driver’s side and passenger’s side windows opened independently without the driver or occupant input, and the windows failed to roll up while depressing the window switches. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,600.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 6, 2024
All 4 of my windows regulators went out within a week without any warning the two front windows went down and I can’t get them back up the two back windows are up but I have something holding them up which is dangerous because I can’t put the child lock on for my children because I can’t let the windows in case I have to get them out
Electrical system, Visibility, Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the front driver’s and passenger’s side windows and the rear driver’s side and passenger’s side windows were inoperable and would not open or close. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the window regulators for each window had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The contact also stated that the exterior door handles on the front and rear passenger’s side doors had fractured. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Visibility, Traction control system, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, and auto high-beam warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that the four windows failed to function as needed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.
Electrical system, Visibility, Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that on four occasions while the vehicle was parked and the window switches were depressed on all the windows, the windows failed to roll up or roll down as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver's side window regulator had become dismantled, allowing the glass to move up and down. The contact was informed that the window regulator and panel assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired each time. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
Electrical system, Visibility, Engine, Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine, with the check engine, oil, and battery warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that all four windows failed to function properly and failed to roll up. The dealer was contacted; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Electrical system, Visibility, Feb 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the driver's side window was not functioning. After which, all the windows in the vehicle failed to operate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with all four window regulators. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Structure, Visibility, Nov 16, 2023
2 of my windows drop when i go over a speed bump....i have already gotten the motors replaced for the windows (front driver, and back driver sides)....i don't even use the POWER up/down FOR the back windows AT ALL because i am the only one that drives my car (wondering why this is happening for this)....when i took my vehicle for these windows to be replaced, even my mechanic says there should be a recall on these windows and that this should not be happening....NOW my back passenger window is doing the same thing and again i don't even let the BACK WINDOWS down...someone can break in my car by just literally SLIDING the window down (OMG!!!!!!!!)....there are no warning lamps for this..i noticed this happening when KIA fixed one of my recalls
Visibility, Sep 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side window failed to roll up as needed. The contact’s spouse pulled the window up manually. The contact stated that months later while driving approximately 65 MPH, the rear driver’s side window fell into the door. The contact’s spouse manually pulled the window up. The contact stated that several months later while driving approximately 75 MPH, the failure occurred with the driver’s side window. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic and was informed that the window regulator failed and that the window panels needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
Other or unspecified, Visibility, Aug 26, 2023
Both rear windows, independently and at different times, have needed to have the gear inside the door panel that rolls the windows up and down replaced due to spontaneous stripping and total failure. The dealer has replaced the offending parts, which are sold only as part of a much larger / very large component panel, i.e. it is not possible to replace only the small plastic stripped-out gear. My safety was at risk both times because the window would not go up, resulting in my inability to lock and secure my car. If I had small children who ride in the back seat (I don't, but surely others who have this car do), I would not be able to secure their safety inside the vehicle. The problem has been inspected, confirmed, and repaired by the dealer. It is a known recurring problem by the manufacturer Kia, but they refuse to issue a recall. The first time it happened the car was still under warranty so there was no charge to me. With the second window the car was no longer under warranty and I had to pay the full cost of the repair. There were no warnings of pending failure; the windows were rolled down and just failed to roll up. I wish to state for the record that although this is a 2016 model and therefore is now 7 years old (in 2023), it has only 14,000 actual miles on it, i.e. I drive the car only around town for errands, etc. From 2017 (when we purchased the car) through mid-2020, I drove it 18 miles per week to my part-time job very near my home. I retired in mid-2020 and drive the car even less now. Furthermore, I've had riders in the back seat probably less than a dozen times in 7 years, my point being that the rear windows are rarely used. Mostly they have been used by me as the driver when I want to release built-up heat from the car when it has been sitting all day in the NC summer sun and I'm going out once or twice a week to drive it somewhere (like the grocery store). This failure should not be happening with a car with so little usage on it!
Visibility/wiper, Back over prevention, Visibility, Aug 15, 2023
My complaint is regarding the rear windshield, which came with the vehicle when I purchased it new in 2016 from a Kia dealership (Santa Fe Kia, Santa Fe, New Mexico). The Optima has never been in an accident. Over the last several years, the rear windshield has become increasingly blurry making it difficult to see traffic behind me. This situation is worse particularly at night. The blurriness is both from the outside looking in and inside looking out. I have called several Kia dealers and they claim that they are not aware of the problem, and have told me that the windshield is not warranted.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 19, 2023
3 of the 4 windows have had failures in the window regulators and the windows do not work.
Visibility, Jul 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof fractured without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the sunroof needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact learned of a lawsuit regarding the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Visibility, Visibility/wiper, Mar 17, 2023
Three of the 4 window regulators have unexpectedly failed leaving the window partially open. The passenger rear failed on 11/2022. The driver's side rear failed on 8/2022. The passenger front failed on 3/2023. On each occasion, the window failed where it was partially open. And none of the windows were in the process of being raised or lowered. The gears on each of the regulators had basically disintegrated. The window regulators are around $200 each for just the parts and they are not covered under the warranty. The new regulators come with a blue gear instead of the original white gear.
Electrical system, Visibility, Mar 11, 2023
Three power window regulators have failed over the course of a year. Without warning the window suddenly drops down and cannot be let up. On each occasion, the regulator gears appear to have just desecrated. The car windows are rarely let down. The passenger side rear was the first to fail. The driver's side rear failed 4 months later. The passenger side front was the third to fail 3 months later. It seems like this is a very common problem, but Kia has not set up a recall. Instead, they are raising the price of the window regulators. Interestingly enough, the new regulators have a blue gear instead of a white gear.
Electrical system, Visibility, Nov 24, 2022
Complete power window failure (driver and 2 rear windows). Estimated repair cost is $2,084.90. This model has a history of power window defects that Kia Motors is well aware of. Over time, this defect becomes increasingly severe until you have a complete without warning failure like in my case. Kia Motors refuses to acknowledge problems and stated there is no recall by NHTSA. I want a full reimbursement for my out of pocket payment for untimely repair cost.
Other or unspecified, Visibility, Nov 14, 2022
Driver window back window (driver side) passenger window won’t let down and need window regulators. I’ve had one replaced before
Other or unspecified, Visibility, Nov 8, 2022
Right passenger window dropped down. It came off regulator track for no reason with a child in a car seat sitting at that window putting that child's safety at risk.
Visibility, Jun 27, 2022
All 4 windows in my car has dropped down and won't go back up. Have to put a car cover over it to keep it from raining in it or to keep anything else out of it. I rarely rolled my windows down in this car every since I have purchased it and all of a sudden all the windows just drops down. This is a defect on the company part and not mine and i want to find out why I never received a recall letter to this effect for I have seen and read that there were cars recalled for the same problem that I am having with mine.