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
756 reports, newest first.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 24, 2023
When accelerating the car will randomly loose all power from the engine. The electrical systems will stay on but the car RPMs will drop to zero. The accelerator will not provide acceleration when being pressed. The car has to be turned off and then turned back on for power to be restored. The check engine light, the oil light and another warning light will come on.
Electrical system, Wheels, Engine, Nov 20, 2023
We have had two motor replacements in less than 6 months that we have owned this vehicle for the first one started started a knocking noise right after a flashing check engine light both Kia is by us totus will we can't get it in today wouldn't give us a rental and was going to charge us for a diagnostics fee right up front and told us it would still be a few days before they could get it in so we had no choice but to continue driving it not even 2 days later left my fiance on the side of the road wouldn't start wouldn't do nothing engine seized Kia dealer number one put the motor put it back together wrong and then when it seized again in less than 5,000 mi try telling us that they weren't responsible well if we did the engine again give it back to us notice that the ignition coils were not put on properly and orbital down properly You're still an electrical issue and the engines are starting to do the engine is starting to do the same as engine one and two. What I don't understand is why don't Kia just completely recall the entire car and take it off to fucking market and replace the people replace the cars that have that still have people owning them
Engine, Nov 19, 2023
Lurches at highway speeds and nearly stalled.
Service brakes, Engine, Nov 18, 2023
I found my car on a list of recalls. The recall is NHTSA ID: 23V-652000. Why was I not notified of this recall. This is a serious recall that Kia has no fix for. I can't believe that Kia is putting people and families at risk. This plan that Kia has is ridiculous and unprofessional. You want people to park cars outside of there garages. That does not work. Kia needs a better plan and thats to come up with a fix and NOW!
Engine, Nov 18, 2023
it appears the engine is burning oil or leaking. I have been needing to fill up with oil every 1,000 miles. There is a very faint smell of burning every now and then. I was told by Kia that the oil pump needed to be replaced along side with the oil pan, i had that replaced at in independent shop however it still seems to be having the same issue. No risk to me while driving
Engine, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and making an abnormal knocking sound. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to the residence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was trailered to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
Air bags, Nov 17, 2023, crash
I got into a frontal car accident the other car hit the front of my vehicle and no airbags deployed. I’ve researched today and seen people are having many issues with airbags on this vehicle and that there were many recalls regarding airbags from years ago. I was never informed of any issues with any of that when I got this vehicle.
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
Structure, Nov 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving in a heavy rainstorm, the vehicle experienced water intrusion causing the sub frame undercarriage to become damaged and unsecured. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 14,000.
Engine, Nov 13, 2023
my 2016 kia optima start at 60000 miles was using about a qt.ever 800-1000 miles under the 10yr. 100000 warranty they replaced the motor with about 80000 miles on it now with new motor now with about 80000 miles on 2nd.motor it doing the something they did all text now at 1000 miles I'm using about 3qt. after all the tests they say nothing they can do.was told after test was done if all checked out nothing they could do it did not pass they would replace motor when test started i was using 2-qt. every 1000 miles after they did there combustion cleaning i felled test and now use 3-qt. every 1000 mile now back 2 sq. 1 nothing they can do. ANY HELP WITH THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREAT!
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 12, 2023
Driving 80 miles an hour several hours from home on a major interstate and my car shut off. Pulled over on side of interstate and check engine light came on and car won’t accelerate and is making a knocking noise
Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2023
All four windows are not operational and ceased function within 2 months of the initial rear window failing. Three of the windows are currently propped up by door stops and the driver window is stuck all the way down. I spoke to Kia Dealership and they are familiar with the problem. It happens a lot in warm climates. They can repair all 4 windows for a cost of $2000.00 to $2400. Kia vehicles are defective and dangerous because the power window regulators fail and cause the windows to fail. There is currently a class action lawsuit against Kia for this Issue. Michael Le Beau, et al. v. Kia America Inc., Case No. [XXX] filed in California. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Nov 8, 2023
The motor is knock and no acceleration . Burning oil to much. Get oil change but adding oil everyday.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Nov 3, 2023
My 2016 Optima has the Pearl White paint. In April 2018 I noticed that it started peeling on the hood. The dealership told me that since I was past the 36k mile warranty (I was at 39k miles then) that I would have to cover the cost out of pocket. It's sad that the vehicle was not even 2 years old and that the paint was coming off and the dealership basically told me "oh well". I am now scared to hand wash the vehicle for fear of it getting any worse. If Kia knew/knows there was an issue with the paint, why don't they just make it right? It's now all over the car that it has peeled off, not just exclusively to the hood, and theres even rust that has started to show up in aomw of those paintless spots. I have always hand washed the vehicle, waxed, never taken to a car wash either. You can see from the pictures provided that this is not caused by rocks or pressure. You see on the rear driverside how it starts to form bubbles or air pockets before it cracks and then peels off from the frame of the vehicle.
Engine, Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking violently. The contact pulled into a parking area where the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The contact also stated that the low-oil warning light was illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that frequent oil top off was needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Nov 1, 2023
We were backing up of out a parking spot at the local 7 eleven and another car almost cream us till the associate that was outside at the moment yelled out a warning
Engine, Oct 31, 2023
The car fails to respond to throttle. It does it randomly every one in a while. It's very dangerous. There are no check engine lights or anything. The car can run for weeks beautiful and all of a sudden you hit the gas and the car doesn't move. It can take 3-4 seconds before it responds.
Power train, Engine, Oct 31, 2023
Vehicle Dash Check Engine Light came on 08/31/2023 Code P200A was found. Several weeks went by and vehicle started to hesitate pretty bad Vehicle was towed to Kia dealership on 10/04/2023 : Was told engine failure which needed replacement along with intake and several other required parts. Covered under Powertrain Warranty, vehicle was completed and ready for pick up on 10/17/2023 On 10/24/2023, on my way home from work, Dash Warning "Engine has overheated" has came on. Vehicle was towed back to original dealership. Kia reportedly found "air pocket" in cooling system. Vehicle was ready for pickup same day. On 10/30/2023, on my way to work, Dash Warning "Engine has overheated" has once again came on. Luckily I was able to get off the interstate and happened to be by a Kia dealership in the area. At this time, info is pending.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 31, 2023
It started shaking really bad out of no where , then wasn’t going faster than 80 then down to 65 but wouldn’t go more than 80 with my foot all the way on the gas. As soon as I made it to work tonight the car cut off. I got a jump the car was still shaking & wouldn’t stay on if I let my foot off of the gas. I started it again without the cables but it cut right back off. I saw on cars.com it’s a recall for the similar thing, number Sc172. I have been having fuel leaks for a while and had my knock sensor replaced from a previous recall. Now I have no way home.
Engine, Oct 28, 2023
Car purchased in 11/2022 with roughly 60,000 miles. I have owned the car for about 11 months. When we took the car for its first oil change there was no oil registering on the dipstick. The engine began knocking before the second oil change was due and after checking the oil I needed to aff 4.5 quarts of oil. I took the car to my mechanic was informed that there was no oil leak and that KIA engines were known for oil consumption and engine failure. He recommended I take the car to a dealership. I spoke with KIA corporate at this point and they said the car needed an oil consumption test before they would possibly help me. I scheduled an appointment at a Kia dealer for the test and when I took the car on 10/26/2023. They started it and refused to do the oil consumption test stating that the engine was ruined and it wasn't safe to drive. They quoted me nearly $10,000 to replace the engine, and stated that while other 2016 Optimas were covered under a recall for the exact same problem, my car is not covered under the recall and is not warranted therefore they will not help me. I paid over $15,000 for this car 11 months ago and it is nearly worthless, with a 10K repair it is worth 10K.
Engine, Oct 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after driving approximately 60 MPH for 20-30 minutes, the vehicle would start shaking abnormally. While driving approximately 40 MPH or less, the check engine warning light would become illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who noticed that there was no oil in the engine which caused engine failure. The contact stated the vehicle had received an oil change less than 3 months prior to the failure. The contact was informed that the KSDS sensor had failed and caused the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine and KSDS sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Electrical system, Structure, Engine, Oct 23, 2023, fire
The body shop later informed me that there is a recall for engine fire recently,but my year/make is not listedin the info obtained online. The car started stalling while driving down the off. Smoke started coming through the vents. I pulled over to the side of the highway. A passerby told me that the car was on fire. Called 911. To note I had just picked the car up from Jim marsh Kia for battery replacement and problems with steering after the car was stolen in July. I had no previous issues with my car other than routine maintenance which I have records for.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 21, 2023
I most recently started noticing that my oil changes were not lasting at around 46,174 miles. I found this to unusual in a car with low mileage. I had to result to buying oil from a local store. The light indicator started coming on when ever I apply the brakes. When I checked my oil, it was completely dry. So I started monitoring the oil intake, even after I had oil changes at the dealership in which I mentioned that it appears to be taking in an excessive amount of oil. What I noticed was that I was adding oil every week. I did not detect any outward appearance of a leak. In addition, I experienced on several occasion what felt like the car was having a seizure. As soon as I filled up the gas tank. The car froze up, steering wheel would not move and the car was in drive but not accelerating. I immediately shut the engine off, then restarted the car. That seem to alleviate the problem for that time. It then got really bad, that it shook and was running rough as if it was falling apart. So I drove it the dealership, explained the two problems I had, running rough and a high level of oil being used in between oil changes. I was given a diagnosis on cylinders misfiring and needing spark plugs replacement, and ignition coils. Nothing about the oil issue. I was later told that would be an additional diagnosis charge to check. I asked about engine warranty and possible complaints or recalls, and was told that my issues would not be covered under the warranty. I purchased the items they indicated needed to be addressed and took my car to someone else. That's where it was discovered, when the spark plugs were removed, that oil was sitting in each pocket or cup that holds the spark plugs. All of them were soaked in oil. Though the spark plugs have been replaced and the rough shaking of the car has subsided, the acceleration is still questionable and I'm still having to fill my car with oil weekly. I'm not due for oil change until 51,174 miles and I'm currently at 51, 098.
Service brakes, Engine, Oct 19, 2023
Emergency break stopped working. Engine misfires and heavy oil consumption or burning to quickly. Gets really really hot more than normal than any other car I owned.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 18, 2023
Engine failure, high oil consumption, already failed to operate properly on interstate, dealership said nothing was wrong and charged me $160. Two months later, the vehicle failed again, but this time the engine sounded like it was going to blow and barely made it off the road.