- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 5
- on record
- MPG
- 31
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2016 Kia Optima
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 748
- Complaints citing a crash
- 26
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalised by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
5 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 18V907000high
Fuel system issue
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
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.
- 17V007000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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.
- 16V705000high
Drivetrain issue
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
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.
- 16V231000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
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.
- 23V594000high
Latches/locks/linkages · trunk lid · latch
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
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."
Consumer complaints
748 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 748
- Total
- 26
- Crashes
- 19
- Fires
- 21
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE460
- OTHER79
- ELECTRICAL46
- STRUCTURE30
- LIGHTING30
Serious Concerns
748 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 21 reports involve injuries. 26 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Large Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 1.6L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AM7)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
28
City
37
Hwy
31
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,950
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19001
Electrical overstress
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP21003
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power