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.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 9, 2023
*The vehicle is burning oil at a very speedy rate....much quicker than normal. Perhaps more than a quart per 1000 miles. The car is available for inspection. *Today was the second time that I was surprised to find that there was not enough oil to even register on the dip stick. I don't yet know if there was any permanent damage to the engine. My experience seems to be very similar to many other people who have posted online....a possible flicker of the oil light before finding out about the oil deficiency. It concerns me that others said that this led to their car faltering and/or freezing up while driving. That is certainly a safety risk for the drivers/passengers and other motorists. Some people indicated that their engine was ruined and needed to be replaced. *It was the Valvoline mechanic that told me today that there was an issue with these engines causing high oil consumption. *I have not yet had the engine inspected. I just emailed the Kia dealership to inform them and ask about a possible repair. Last year was the first of two instances where I experienced the low oil level. The first time, I had noticed the oil warning light flicker when I rounded a corner a few times during a week or so. I then took it in for an oil change. Today, I noticed one flicker and went right to Valvoline and there was almost not oil remaining. My second issue of concern is that my headlights have randomly turned off when I am driving at night. The first time I thought that I might have accidently touched the switch. However, it has happened two more times that I am aware of and I am sure that I did not touch the switch. I'm not sure if the headlights would have gone back on on their own because I turned the switch from on to off and back again and the lights went back on. There might have been more instances which I have not bee aware of. I just sent an email to Kia about both of these issues. This is item has not been inspected.
Engine, Jan 8, 2023
I was driving my car and it just slowed down on the freeway and wouldn’t go pass 60mph I went to my nearest autozone And received code p1326 I was told it was the knock sensor and got it changed. I checked my oil and noticed it was low even tho I got an oil change not even a month before. however the problem didn’t change. I decided to go to the internet and notice many other kia have had these problems and have received a recall
Engine, Jan 8, 2023
Code P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System) appeared on scanner after knocking and jerking randomly occurred one night. When researched was performed on if there have been recalls in the past, saw there was a recall for Knock Sensor Detection System back in 2021. Recall issues don’t appear to be fixed with the KSDS despite prior recalls on this part.
Engine, Jan 5, 2023
We purchased the car used (private party) in July. Afterward, we noticed it was using oil rapidly. We checked & refilled the oil several times. We also noticed a slight ticking sound when the car was running, but we did not think it was a problem. The day of the incident, the oil had been checked & topped off. Our college-age daughter was driving the car 70mph on I-75 north when she noticed a sound of high revving rpms while on cruise control. It continued to get louder over the next 2 minutes & became very concerning. She exited the freeway. The oil & engine lights came on at the beginning of the ramp. She was able to continue coasting through the light & into a parking lot, though the engine had limited power. Smoke filled the cabin & a strong smell, so she immediately exited the car. Smoke also came from the hood. The car could have caught on fire at this point, but we are glad it did not & our daughter's life was not harmed. We are thankful she exited the freeway when she did or she could have gotten into a wreck. These safety issues have occurred to some owners of this vehicle upon engine seizure. We had the car towed to Kia of Grand Blanc, MI. Upon inspection, they determined the engine had seized. They never opened the engine to look inside, only hooked up it for error code diagnostics. There was no record of the KSDS product improvement update being performed prior to the incident, so Kia Corporate has refused to replace the engine. Not the original owner of the car, we never received notification regarding this update. We had no way of knowing about it since we did not take it to a Kia dealership for maintenance (not required per the Magnussen-Moss Act (1975)). Prior maintenance was regularly completed at a local repair shop, & the previous owner provided us with all the records they had. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by anyone other than Kia. We are requesting an NHTSA inspection asap to pursue a covered engine and/or recall. Please contact us.
Engine, Jan 3, 2023
Oil changes every 3500 miles, however between those oil changes having to add more oil about every 7-8 hundred miles. Car is sluggish to start after sitting at a stop light. Spark plugs have been replaced twice during the life of the car. I know Kia is aware of all the engine issues and this is very frustrating. You buy a car thinking it will be dependable only to discover that it is a road hazard every time you leave your home.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 30, 2022
I purchased this vehicle about a year ago upon purchasing vehicle I noticed I was having to get an oil change every other week and when I would go in I would have no oil. Fast forward to now I am buying 5g oil from Advance Auto parts every week my car is burning through oil excessively and causing my sparks plugs and coils to go bad from the oil. I have had to get my coils and sparks plug replaced three times in 5 months. I took the vehicle to get an oil consumption test at the Conway Kia dealership and they said nothing was wrong which is inaccurate because no car is burning 5 g oil each week. My car is currently at 80,000 miles I know once it reach 100,000 my warranty voids and at that point Im left with no recourse on this vehicle
Engine, Dec 27, 2022
I had my car for about 2 years and it had 1 owner before me. At first it was a great car no issues, but soon it became a nightmare. First thing I noticed was my lights would turn off by themselves whiles driving at night. I usually kept them on auto and they would randomly go off and I would have to turn they nob off and back on to get them to come on again. Soon after that I noticed that I would have to get oil changes more frequently. My oil light would come on and start to flicker only a few weeks after an oil change. My car was burning oil like crazy and it only got worse until it began to leak. Any time I had it serviced I was never told that I had a leak and my car would run fine for a few weeks and then the light would start to flicker again, usually anytime I pressed the brake. Not soon after that my car started to have problems accelerating and shaking really bad. I had the spark plugs changed and it ran fine for a few weeks and started to do it again. I took it into the shop and they told me that I needed a whole new engine and that it wasn't covered under the warranty. I would have to pay $5500 to get it fixed. So now it's just sitting because I can't afford it and Kia doesn't seem to care to do anything. I don't understand when I've read so many complaints with people having the same exact problems that I had. Now I'm stuck with a car that I can't drive and still owe on and have to find a new way of transportation to get to work. This is messed up that Kia knows about this and refuses to recall this car. Its a crap car and they couldn't care less about it. I've read other stories about the car locking up or stalling while people have been driving. This is a very dangerous and serious problem. I drive my kids around and their lives were in danger and I didn't even know it. Kia needs to do something!!!
Engine, Dec 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil level warning light was illuminated. The contact also noticed that the front driver's side tire was low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed her that the vehicle was 3-quarts low on engine oil due to the excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred her to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 79,993.
Engine, Dec 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who replaced the spark plugs and coil pack; however, the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 124,000.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Dec 12, 2022, fire
My dealership has confirmed oil consumption on my vehicle
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 9, 2022
My 2016 Kia Optima sx engine lost significant power while on the highway at 65mph. Lost of power at highway speed was very dangerous. The engine suddenly ran increasingly rough, shaking the vehicle and drastically changing its performance. My girlfriend, myself, and other drivers on the highway were put at risk as I attempted to maneuver out of traffic and pull off to a safe area. Fortunately I was able to do this without collision or loss of control. I had my car towed to the dealership. There was no warning or engine light on before the incident. The dealership has diagnosed a cracked valve and no firing in cylinder 3. They recommend a new engine. They do not know what caused this issue. The vehicle has about 78,000 miles on it. I am the second owner, warranty is expired, and it is not covered under an active recall. The vehicle is currently at a Kia dealership and available for third party inspection upon request. Please help.
Engine, Dec 9, 2022
The engine was burning oil rapidly without any indicators or lights on dashboard warning to get it fixed or anything like that.
Electrical system, Engine, Hybrid propulsion system, Dec 8, 2022
On Sept. 21, 2021, my Kia Optima Hybrid ex shut down and would not start. I took it to King of Hybrid EV Auto Repair where they ran a diagnostic test and found that there was an issue with the Hybrid System affecting the transmission and the High-voltage system. I paid $3,000.00 out-of-pocket. On October 26, 2022, while driving 75mph on Hwy 15 to Las Vegas, my car randomly shut down. The dash warning lights read "STOP VEHICLE TO CHARGE BATTERY". I was in an unsafe position with cars speeding past me. I was afraid that I would be rear-ended by another car. I had to have my car towed. I believe that these cars have issues with faulty high voltage systems and transmissions. Please investigate. Thank you.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 8, 2022
On Sept. 21, 2021, my Kia Optima Hybrid ex shut down and would not start. I took it to King of Hybrid EV Auto Repair where they ran a diagnostic test and found that there was an issue with the Hybrid System affecting the transmission and the High-voltage system. I paid $3,000.00 out-of-pocket. On October 26, 2022, while driving 75mph on Hwy 15 to Las Vegas, my car randomly shut down. The dash warning lights read "STOP VEHICLE TO CHARGE BATTERY". I was in an unsafe position with cars speeding past me. I was afraid that I would be rear-ended by another car. I had to have my car towed. I believe that these cars have issues with faulty high voltage systems and transmissions. Please investigate. Thank you.
Engine, Dec 6, 2022
Too much oil consumption. Consuming 3 quarts of oil in 3000 miles. No leaks. Did oil consumption testing through Kia dealership. Kia dealer says it needs a new engine and the vehicle is only 6 years old with 73k miles. Still under extended warranty and Kia dealer will not cover the cost of the engine.
Engine, Nov 26, 2022
I have been having issues with my vehicle randomly not wanting to start at first. There wasn’t any warning lights showing up. I have noticed that my vehicle is going through a LOT of oil. This is at least the 3rd time were I have had a few thousand miles left on my oil change but when I drive and press the break, the oil light comes on. When checked the oil is empty. These engines need to be throughly checked out by the manufacturers. I also had an issue with my Kia completely turn it off when I was driving with my child in the car. It would not start back up. We had the people trying to help direct traffic around until the police showed so that we wouldn’t get hit. This could’ve been a VERY dangerous situation.
Engine, Nov 25, 2022
EXCESSIVE oil consumption. Just got oil changed last week oil is already gone and check oil light is on again.
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.
Power train, Engine, Nov 23, 2022
Every 2000 miles I need to put in a quart of oil. When car down shifts to 35mph the oil light flickers. At downshift of 10mph there is a slight shutter and the oil light flickers.
Engine, Nov 22, 2022
I have a 2016 Kia Optima FE and I keep up with regular oil changes and maintenance. My oil light has been flashing when I accelerate and when I turn, but turns off when idling. I’ve had this car 9 months and 2 weeks after getting it, that’s the first time I’ve brought it to get serviced. I’ve always complained about the flashing red oil light when I’d get an oil change, but no one ever told me that my car was consuming oil until NOW. After they did the oil change, the car would be fine for about 900-1,000 and then it would come back on. I would always have about 3,000-4,000 miles left before I was due to get it serviced again. So, I would just get oil changes in between oil changes because that seemed to fix the problem. I went to the Kia dealership near me and they told me that my engine is consuming oil. He showed me the dipstick and it was bone-dry. I should not have to drive around with my daughter in this car that can blow up at any second. I’ve looked on forums where other people have had the same issues and all of them say that it’s because of “faulty pistons.”
Engine, Nov 21, 2022, crash
Failed connecting rod bearing. Happened on the freeway my car shut off and steering wheel locked up. It almost caused multiple crashes as other people got out of their cars to try and help me move my car out of the freeway. I take very good care of my car and maintenance was up to date. I still owe over 9k on the car and it only had 130k miles. Kia has a class action lawsuit I was unaware of and promised a lifetime warrant for my engine but now refuse that warranty. I had to get out of my car on the freeway or risk getting hit from the back. Other cars on the freeway were constantly passing at 80mph. Multiple people had to help me push my car that would not turn and kept shutting off. This was very sudden and random I had no check engine lights or any lights on my dash board at the time. This all happened within the matter of 2 minutes and I’m very happy the person who was behind me had distance enough to go around me or else the would have been an accident.
Exterior lighting, Engine, Nov 16, 2022
We bought this car brand new and for the past two or so year it has started to consuming oil like crazy at least 3 to 4 quarts every thousand miles and they wont do anything to see what is causing the issue its not leaking anything at all. Secondly with the head light turned to auto we will be driving down the road and all of a sudden the lights shut off and you have to flip the light to on to get them to turn back on huge safety issues there but they will not do Anything for this issue either. I should have to do what im doing to a very well taken care of vehicle and its only 6 years old i get it if it was 10 years old but to burn this much oil this not right.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Other or unspecified, Nov 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated upon activating the heater while driving, she smelled an abnormally strong gasoline odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to Kia Independent Recall Campaign Number SC172 (High Pressure Fuel Pump Outlet Inspection). Additionally, the contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and then lunged forward abruptly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay for a diagnostic test and the repair cost because the VIN was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
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
Exterior lighting, Nov 12, 2022
Kia Optima Hybrids from 2014-2016 and most likely the two previous model years all have defective taillights. I know this because I've had two Optimas and I've had to replace 9 taillights in 4 years. The Kia dealer service department told me that that was quite typical of these cars. The light assemblies are not water tight and they fill with moisture on rainy days. This eventually causes the LED ribbons to fail and then the light has to be replaced. Kia will replace them under warranty for the first 60,000 miles but after that the car owner is on the hook for a part that costs approximately $500. A taillight that will not light up is obviously a safety problem. Kia should be forced to replace these pieces for free for as long as these cars exist. I tried to attach two photos but the system wouldn't allow me to continue until I removed them.