2016 Kia Optima Complaint Log

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.

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.

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.

The component that failed in my 2016 Kia Optima is the engine, specifically due to excessive oil consumption. After each oil change, my oil levels drop significantly within 1,000 miles. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue poses a safety risk to me and others because if the oil levels fall too low, the engine could seize or fail while driving, potentially leading to a dangerous situation. A sudden engine failure, especially at highway speeds, could result in a loss of control and increase the risk of an accident. The problem has been confirmed by both a Kia dealership and an independent automotive repair shop. The dealership performed an oil consumption test, which revealed that my car is consuming 1.3 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. An independent shop also acknowledged that this make and model are known for high oil consumption. The vehicle has been inspected by the Kia dealership during my 120,000-mile service. However, despite confirming the issue, Kia has not offered a resolution because my vehicle is no longer under warranty. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. No warning lights, messages, or dashboard indicators alerted me to the issue. The only symptom was the rapid drop in oil levels, which I first noticed in October 2023 following a routine oil change.

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

Engine failure . Engine failed on highway car wouldn’t go past 15 MPH. Then suddenly accelerated

No FireNo Injuries0 Deaths0 I’m experiencing severe oil consumption and spark plug fouling, which are known problems with the GDI engine. This is affecting driveability and may indicate piston ring or valve seal failure. My engine code starts with G4KJ which falls under the current recall, but my vin does not show up. Why isn't my car eligible? I have called Kia and their response was to call my local dealership. Started noticing the issue on [XXX]. Called dealership at that time and they said my car doesn't qualify. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Heavy oil consumption , unintended acceleration , car jerks . Back window occasionally won’t roll down .

Burning oil. Took to a mechanic. Blow by engine

driving in the dark, my auto headlight selector only works when it wants to. like it’ll just just my headlights off at random no matter how dark it is

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 65 MPH, after driving over a bump in the roadway, the trunk door opened independently, obstructing the rear-view line of sight. No warning lights were illuminated. 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 unknown.

I have a 2016kia optima EX and I had a problem with it. I used to take it to the Kia dealership for oil change and services. So recently I have done the transmission fluid and oil change.! After that I have weird transmission problems like it finding hard to accelerate and even when I am changing the gear from park to drive or reverse it makes weird noise like clutching. I spoke with the dealership and they say we have changed the transmission fluid then it shouldn’t be the problem.! They don’t even find the exact problem.! I have been spending a lot on my car . Kia is messing up with the recalls.!

The fuel gasoline hose line was leaking, so I changed it. Because of that I changed the high pressure pump twice

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact depressed the brake pedal harder and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer the following day and the dealer was not able to identify a failure with the vehicle brakes although the transmission was adjusted. The contact stated that the failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated at the time of the failure. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, and a field inspector was sent to the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was 92000.

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.

I bought my car in August of 2022 with roughly 66,000 miles on it. It now has 71,000 miles on it which per the manual would only needed one oil change. I’ve had to do three and top off my oil every 500-700 miles with 1.5-2qt of oil each time. Which is way over the criteria for KIA’s “normal” oil consumption. This has caused my spark plugs to foul out costing me more money in repairs. I have only put 5,000 miles on this car in the whole year I have owned it.The oil consumption rate of this car is insane.

In May of 2023, as I entered an intersection, my 2016 Hybrid Kia Optima suddenly did not feel right and gave me a hybrid system warning error. I pulled to the side of the road and shut it down. I restarted the car. The error light remained on, but the car seemed to drive okay. I finished my short distance into work, and shut it down. I called the dealer and was asked to restart it to see if the hybrid warning light came back on. I restarted it after lunch, and no warning lights came on. The dealer had me bring it in to the service department. They had it for a week or two but could not repeat the problem. They updated the software and thought that might fix the issue. The car worked fine until September 2023 when it suddenly cut out on me as I was turning a corner in my development with the same hybrid system warning error. I was able to glide to the shoulder. I restarted it and drove home with the error warning light. This time the dealer had the car towed into their shop. They had the car for a few weeks but could not diagnose the issue and gave the car back to me with a “trigger” system to monitor for codes. In about a week, the same warning light popped on my wife who pulled over and shut it off. She restarted the car and drove the remaining short distance to work with the hybrid system warning light on. Later that day, it restarted without the hybrid warning light coming on, and I drove it the short distance to the dealer. It took about another month until mid-November to diagnose the problem as a defective hybrid battery and order the under-warranty replacement. Here it is in mid-June 2024 and I am still waiting for a replacement hybrid battery. I no longer trust the car or Kia Corporate, and I haven't been able to get Kia Corporate to respond to me in over a month. Hopefully, no one else is involved in an accident due to this model car cutting out on them.

our ac keeps blowing relays. every month. and they other day we have to force power bank to the blower motor just to get it to work. half the inside and sometimes the even the outside lights works.

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

Three of the four windows stoped rolling up at the same time. One or two days apart to each other, the 4th one I’m not going to rolling down, it may stop working too.

Vehicle purchase July 20th 2023 with new oil change per Carvana. On August 7th 2023, check engine light appears. Car was taken to a local shop. No oil and some other issues found. "Issues fixed.". On September 13th oil light comes on. Again, taken to car shop, no oil. Oil topped off again. Car is not maintaining oil.

My ABS warning lamp came on braking seems okay. My blind spot is not working warning light is on.

FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, IVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS RELATING TO MY ENGINE BURNING OIL TO FAST, ENGINE SHAKING AND NOT ACCELERATING LIKE ITS SPPOSE TO... YOU HAVE A RECALL ON 2016 OPTIMAS BUT ONLY THE HYBRID (HEV). WHICH WE ALL KNOW ITS NOT RIGHT. WHY ONLY DO IT FOR CERTAIN OPTIMAS KNOWING WE ARE ALL (ALL OPTIMAS) ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING!! SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, IN AND OUT OF DEALERSHIPS AND AUTO SHOPS AND NOW IM MENTALLY DRAINED , UPSET, CONFUSED AND OVERALL FEEL MANIPULATED BY KIA... NICE CARS BUT DOES NOT KEEP ITS VALUE.. CAN SOMEONE FIX THIS PROBLEM

My car has been consuming oil and has locked up and will not operate. This issue has been reported to the manufacturer by several other customers, and my car is not a part of the recent recalls. This issue could have caused me serious harm, had I been on a highway, or busy intersection. My car engine now doesn't work.

Oil started leaking from the car and checking underneath it looked as though it was leaking from the plug so i replaced the plug, which did not fix the issue, and accidentally forgot to put the gasket back on. took it to the local shop was given a gasket and an oil change. the car started leaking oil worse than before so i took the car back. The oil pan had a little over an inch long crack on the corner/edge where the oil pan plug is. Mechanic told me he’d never seen or heard of a steel oil pan cracking before. $400 for a new oil pan made from below par steel.

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.

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.

Purchased this car in July of this year. I checked all fluids prior to purchase and after driving it for 30 days the oil light flicked then went off. I decided to check the oil and it was 2 quarts low. I immediately called my extended warranty and they said to take it to the shop. After it being there for 3 months they said it was the rings in the piston and it needed a new motor. They referred to it as excessive oil consumption. Of course the warranty company Old Republic refused to cover it because it’s a on going issue with this model car.

My vehicle is consuming excessive oil. I have to keep oil in my trunk to replace oil regularly. My car is a 2016 Kia Optima and has about 58,000 miles on it. I have reached out to Kia on several occasions including consumer affairs and voiced my safety concerns about the vehicle and potential of the engine seizing due to oil loss and concern of a potential vehicle accident as a result of an engine seizure while driving. I asked for an oil consumption test to be performed on the vehicle because of its excessive consumption and was told that the oil consumption test only applies to the 1st owner.

Knock sensors

I'm noticing that I'm burning oil frequently. I started to notice this becoming an issue summer of 2023. Once when I get an oil change about 3-4 Weeks later my oil light comes on. Then I would have to put oil and my car. The dealership always ask me if I'm sure that I want an oil change because I haven't hit my time for an oil change. 26th Feb 2024 I spoke with Kia Customer Care and they stated that this is not an issue and that oil consumption is not under warranty. I stated that I didn't inquire about the oil consumption. I repeated my question asking if it's a known issue that the Kia optimas burn oil. Angel the customer care representative stated that it isnt. However, I started how is when I took my car to numerous dealerships and mechanics that they all said the same thing. That I spoke to a Kia dealership before I called and they stated that it was a known issue. Once when I said that, Angel changed her story and said yes that it is a known issue but all cars burn oil. I asked was there a solution for this issue. Angel then repeated the same thing and I said thank you for your time and got off the phone. Needless to say there was no solution made.

This 2.4ltr engine burns 1 quart per 1000 miles! 53769 miles, Kia claims not under warranty and wants over 600 dollars for an engine flush! KIA OF PORT CHARLOTTE FL. They filled my oil too much! It is at least a half a quart above full! They also filled the Kia with 5-30, I do understand that from book and temp. Ranges. Found PCV valve partially defective and replaced that... Can you help me understand why I have no warranty under 54,000 miles and why engine is not covered under 100,000 miles? Also, is this defect acceptable to the NTSB? It has caused multiple accidents due too engine failure and seizing Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My high beams and low beams are starting to shut off randomly. When it happens, my dash shows that i am trying to turn my headlights from auto to another setting, which is not the case. It has happened at night and that poses a danger because i cant see the road and people cant see my car. I have not had it looked at yet. I do see multiple complaints online for multiple different kia models and years. There is no recall and i do not see a TSB.

I got this recall done. I found out about it because my insurance raised a couple hundred dollars a month and when I called they told me about this recall. I got the recall done however, when the insurance pulls up my VIN # they state it is still flagged. I contacted NYS DMV about this and they stated the information is supposed to be sent to you (NHTSA). When I put in my VIN number in the window prior it came up with the safety issue and said 0 recalls. So, does that mean that it was sent in that the car has this? I was on the phone today with KIA for almost an hour and they could not advise me on anything pertaining to this. I would appreciate if you can let me know if the document was sent/processed because the insurance company is stating my VIN number is still flagged. Thank you for any help you provide me. I am using this form because when I clicked on email I do not have the email app installed and could not find a regular email address. my email is : [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have already had to have motor and transmission replaced once under warranty. The replaced transmission was worse than the original problem. The original problem was hard shifting. Now I have intermittent hard shifting, occasional lunging forward, occasional shuddering while pressing accelerator, and feeling like there is hesitation to change gears. I have not taken it back to the dealer yet. I always get the excuse that they cant replicate the problem. It took me 2-3 years to get it acknowledged the first time.

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.

My daughter was driving on the interstate and her car lost power while driving. This is a major safety issue. A car losing power in the middle of 80 or higher mph traffic could result in fatalities.

All four windows stopped working within two months of each other. The motors still work, but the plastics parts inside broke. The trunk latch also stopped working and the trunk won’t stay shut. There are recalls on the 2016 Optima for the trunk latch, but the dealer says my VIN isn’t involved. There are also tech notices for the windows on the 2016 Kia optima, but no recalls yet. There is a class action lawsuit for the windows also for safety reasons. No one would be able to get out of the windows or trunk if the car were in an accident because none of them work. Kia is useless to fix their junky cars. The mileage is 70,000.

The 2016 Optima SX Ltd is consuming oil, but no leak can be found by the mechanics. It is available for inspection upon request. Had the motor seized, I would have been stranded on the side of the road. I have all the CarFax Service records. It is serviced IAW Mfg recommendations. The oil light flickers and turns off at starting. A service engine in 30 days light came on. Took it to change the oil and there was NO oil in the vehicle. The oil and filter were changed, the engine cleaned and no leak could be detected. One week later the engine oil light flickered on and the oil was checked. It had consumed 1.5 quarts of oil in one week. There are zero oil stains in my driveway where the vehicle is parked every single day. This problem has been reported on multiple complaints NHTSA ID#s 11539081, 11538898, 11538679, 11538029...since August 1. Kia should issue a recall or investigate why the vehicles are consuming so much oil that leads to engine damage/failure with occupants stranded on the side of the road. Why is the oil light just flickering on and then off and not staying on if the oil is low? Please help.

Car has been consuming too much oil and burning spark plugs all the time since car was at 80k miles. Car was covered under a bumper to bumper 100k mile warranty. Now at 136k, dealership is now doing oil consumption test, but even if we fail this test, new engine will not be installed. Dealership is saying they “got in trouble” for replacing too many engines and now an inspector has to come out to inspect the engine, which is only once every 2 weeks. Kia will not pay for rental car and car has to stay on lot until inspected, and will only pay for rental car after inspector looks at car. We were also told that unless the car throws a knock sensor code, throws a rod, or locks up, engine will not be replaced and we will have to pay for all repairs. We are the sole owners of the car, and all updates/recalls have been done at dealership. Dealership even told us to “run the car with no oil, let the engine lock up, and then replace the oil before bringing it to dealership” and that doing this will ensure a replacement engine. We also have the lifetime warranty on the engine, but Kia will not honor it unless we throw a knock code, throw a piston/rod, or engine locks up. This is a HUGE safety hazard not only for us driving, but for others on the road as well. We add no less than 2 quarts of oil per week and change at least one spark plug a month.

I had all four of my window regulators to go out within two days of each other and now my windows constantly drop automatically while driving especially if I go over speed bumps, hit pot holes or any type of bump. I try to keep them up by placing paper or holders in them but they only hold up for so long and at times when I’m driving they drop down and I’m afraid the glass will break completely because one of them dropped while driving and the window cracked. This is a very dangerous situation and Kia tried to charge me when I went to them and I know this has to be a defect for all windows to go out.

The contact's son owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his son was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that his son was able to pull into the driveway. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the dealer informed the contact that the failure could be related to the engine rod bearing. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Excessive oil consumption, 1.5 quarts or more per ever 1,000 miles.

Headlights will randomly turn off when driving. I then have to quickly turn the headlight switch from auto to off to on to get them to come back on. There are numerous complaints online regarding this very same problem with Kia Optimas and other Kia vehicles. This is extremely dangerous.

Crack in dash along outline of airbag. Burns oil so it has to be refilled monthly Now mechanic says compression and combustion are problems Can’t get into Kia until February when warranty will probably be expired

Mya paint is bubbling , chipping and peeling all over my car.

Dashboard shows a crack right where the passenger airbag is and Kia Motors wont change it, also the paint is flaking and noticed other Kia models with that same paint scheme that’s peeling off.

Window regulator replacement

Lurches at highway speeds and nearly stalled.

I have had zero, I mean zero issues with my Optima before today. I’ve maintained the vehicle since I purchased new in 2016 from Auffenberg Kia in Illinois. I had made it about halfway home when the vehicle started making a shuttering noise and began hard to drive. The first part of my drive was highway, no issues. The second part of my drive was country roads so a little slower speed when this began. The hard drive feeling went away briefly but was then followed by a flashing check engine light, still feeling okay to drive & maintaining a consistent speed. After I had slowed to go around corners is when it began again. I accelerated and the car accelerated as well but the rpms weren’t going over a thousand. Kept driving fine with no shuttering. Once I stopped at the stop sign and accelerated I couldn’t get over 30mph without the front end rattling and a faint squealing sound. I putted home and there it sits. A friend of mine is a mechanic and came with his diagnostic reader. Long story short, engine failure. I’m frustrated all over again because this seems to be an ongoing issue with the Optima’s with no resolution. I just hit 111k miles, which is not high miles for this to happen considering the vehicle is in good condition. Next is to get towed to the junk yard because it’s not worth putting a new engine in it & hopefully for a resolution from Kia.