2016 Kia Optima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,072 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Kia Optima, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 51/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 91,588 miles.
Below average
Where 2016 sits among all Optima years
What owners report
“Engine has no leaks but is consuming oil at an alarming rate. Oil must be added every 3 weeks”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Optima
“The headlights randomly turn off at night when i'm driving with the auto headlight feature on. Turning the switch to on manually and back to auto turns them back on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Optima
“Window regulator in the car 4 of them went out Oil light is flashing when but there is no leaks and just got a oil change”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Optima
“The engine is burning about a half a quarter of oil every 1000 miles. The transmission studers when trying to take off and sometimes lags when you accelerate harder.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Optima
“I have a flashing check engine light while driving my vehicle was not trying to give gas or anything”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Optima
“I have a 2016 Kia Optima Pearl White and the paint on the hood just started peeling! It looks awful. What should I do to get this problem fixed?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Optima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 372 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,916 and 102,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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.…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
Technical service bulletins
226 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Kia Optima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 Optima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2016 Kia Optima reliable?
The 2016 Kia Optima drew 1,072 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 51/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2016 Kia Optima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Kia Optima are engine (447 complaints), electrical (146), and other (132).
At what mileage do 2016 Kia Optima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Kia Optima problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,916 and 102,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Kia Optima have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 Kia Optima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.