Worst 2016 Kia Optima Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
ENGINE
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2016 Kia Optima.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 410 | 4 | 15 | 80,922 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 111 | 4 | 3 | 37,881 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 94 | 5 | 5 | 67,336 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 67 | 1 | — | 44,694 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 51 | — | 6 | 76,485 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 43 | 1 | — | 56,761 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 37 | 3 | 3 | 103,667 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 27 | 2 | 1 | 42,584 mi | |
| STEERING | 24 | 2 | — | 48,793 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 22 | 12 | — | 28,376 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 20 | 2 | 2 | 49,367 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 16 | — | — | 108,670 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 15 | — | — | 80,790 mi | |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 9 | — | — | 73,562 mi | |
| SEATS | 8 | 2 | — | 38,350 mi | |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 8 | — | — | 61,333 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 6 | — | — | 92,871 mi | |
| VISIBILITY | 5 | — | — | 75,678 mi | |
| WHEELS | 5 | — | — | — | |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 4 | — | — | 45,635 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION | 3 | — | — | 66,000 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 3 | — | — | 67,278 mi | |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING | 3 | — | — | 156,000 mi | |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 3 | — | — | 72,500 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 3 | 2 | — | 41,480 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 3 | — | — | 31,000 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 3 | — | — | 70,000 mi | |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING | 2 | — | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | 2 | — | — | — |
Recalls for 2016 Kia Optima
9 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,433,282 vehicles.
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."
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."
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Other Kia Optima Years
Wider context: See the full Kia Optima reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2016 Kia Optima
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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