What 748 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Optima

The vehicle hesitated to move after a stop. I have escaped hitting the incoming vehicles when taking a left turns as my car drives very slow after a stop and there are chances of hitting with the vehicles coming from other direction.

NHTSA ODI 11525385

2016 Kia Optima was towed to Kia Dealer after it became inoperable; on 10/22/22 diagnostic done and found engine failure. Kia Motors denied claim for repair/replacement. Not sure why not covered under class action settlement, and/or extended warranty, or subsequent technical bulletins regarding Kia's defective engines.

NHTSA ODI 11525300

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.

NHTSA ODI 11494733

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.

NHTSA ODI 11493689

Driving along the interstate approximately 70 mph, the vehicle jerked with knock sound then lost acceleration speed. At the same time, the check engine light started blinking. I pulled over to the side of the interstate put the car in park. I put it back in drive and slowly attempted to accelerate again. I was able to make it home because I was only about a mile and a half away, but I the acceleration was very slow and there wasn't much power behind it. At a speed of about 45-50, the vehicle barely seemed to have much power.

NHTSA ODI 11492736

My car is experiencing excessive oil consumption, engine knocking and shifting delays, grinding or jumping during acceleration, the car jerking on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11486699

Despite maintaining the vehicle and replacing the battery, the car will have weird acceleration jumps during highway and city travel. It will also not start properly on occasion where it will idle rough and stall when trying to shift into drive or reverse.

NHTSA ODI 11478428

My name is E........ M........ and I'm writing this email/complaint in hopes it can be resolved or you can pass this email along to the appropriate person or persons to have this matter looked into. We purchased a used 2016 Kia Optima a few years back and have had nothing but trouble, from electrical issues, recalls, transmission issues, oil consumption, and smoke coming through the air vents!!!! and there's more, the last time we had an issue and took it to a dealer for problems shifting, hard shifts, loss of power, and smoking, we were told the dealer could not duplicate the problems while driving it and that was that, not a damn thing fixed because apparently everyone is stupid or blind and I was more than pissed. On 7/13/22 the car has been at the dealer again (for almost two weeks now, but they were so busy they just got to it today) so the car is there for the same exact things listed before only this time they state the turbo turbine is bad and it's gonna be $4000.00 to fix it. First off NO, and secondly NO, I will not let this happen! BTW, please pay close attention to the part of smoke coming through the air vents!!!! Currently, the car is at a KIA dealer still, the general manager was to call me on the 14th and NEVER DID today is the 19th, I called today and they are acting like they don't even know me. NO warning lamps, the car can be completely out of oil, and still no engine or oil light will come on. The fact that this car has smoke coming through the air vents is of most concern, I need help dealing with this issue and will contact a lawyer if needed or if you advise me to. BTW I emailed all head people at Kia corporate and NO response from them as well. Thank you The consumer stated the general manager has the approval to move forward with the repairs and would like to rescind the complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11474792

Four times in less than one year, car stutters, or stalls completely, check engine light flashes, and I have to maneuver to highway shoulder or slow lane to get towed. Very unsafe. Kia keeps it for a week , forces a software update repeatedly, sends me on my way and a few months later the sane thing again. Error codes always indicate engine knock amongst other things/an issue they know is theirs but “have to exhaust all options before they will approve replacement” according to service mgr. I have a car that I don’t feel safe driving because I drive alone and can’t trust it to get home home so I end up in the highway at 4am every time.

NHTSA ODI 11462891

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.

NHTSA ODI 11456893

My steering wheel will randomly lock in the middle of road while driving. I have to forcefully turn wheel to be able to pull of off the road meanwhile the there is on coming traffic. I have been told my car is having misfire and an engine knock code P1326 I have also got other codes and was told it could be a factory malfunction.

NHTSA ODI 11455444

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11447053

#1Headlights & break lights going out often. Bulbs can’t be replaced anymore due to wiring burnt ( 1 headlight ) Took it in and they didn’t even look at it. Have do Documents to back that up #2 Engine light coming on, diagnostic testing indicated spark plugs need to be replaced . Had to do this two times with oil on plugs Took it in and they NEVER look at the spark plugs #3 car burning excessive amount of oil anywhere from 1 quart a week to 3 1/2 quarts after driving 600 miles. Took it into the shop for oil consumption testing only to be told that their warranty would not cover it and it needs a new engine. I have a 10 year or 100,000 mile warranty on my car! and at the present time I only have 88496 miles on my car I have documentation to back up my claim, I have been a loyal Kia owner for 18 years and they have absolutely treated me horrible in regards to this saying that it was lack of maintenance and they never checked the issues that led up to their findings. They indicated that there was sludge in my engine but could never prove or show me anything that they did to document the sludge and trying to blame it on me. This car is a safety hazard as I am aware of mini other Kia optima’s dad have either caught fire or repaired to have their motors replaced due to the same issues. Anything you can do to help me with this issue ! I’m 60 years old and know how to take care of my car

NHTSA ODI 11446382

2016 kia Optima will not go in reverse. It will only work in drive. Tried to drive out of my driveway today. 07.22.2021 and the car would not go in reverse. Pulled back in the driveway and will not drive due to safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11426043

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER BOWIE KIA LOCATED AT 16620 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11406115

WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY, CAME TO A STOPLIGHT, AND AS CONTINUING WITH DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AND WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE, AS IF IT WAS SLIPPING. CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER AROUND 30 MPH UNTIL FEELING THE CAR NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. I USED A CODE READER AND GOT CODE P1326, WHICH I HAD LOOKED UP AND SAYS IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM. HAD BRING MY CAR IN TO GET IT CHECKED OUT AND WAS TOLD MY CAR HAD LOW OIL, ABOUT 2 QUARTZ. I DO REGULAR OIL CHANGES THOUGH AND HAD DONE AN OIL CHANGE A FEW WEEKS PRIOR. THE SHOP I WENT TO TOLD ME THERE MAY BE A SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR THE CAR. WAS TOLD SPECIFIC YEARS HAVE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH OIL, LOSING OIL ALTHOUGH NO LEAKS OR SIGNS.

NHTSA ODI 11400426

CAR LOST ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11366274

FROM A STATIONARY POSITION, UPON ACCELERATING THE CAR HESITATES, VIBRATES, FEELS AS IF IT MIGHT STALL BUT DOES NOT STALL. CAR, WITHIN A SECOND OR SO WILL CATCH AND ACCELERATE AS IT SHOULD. DRIVER IS VERY AWARE OF THE VIBRATION HESITATION. THE PASSENGER CAN ALSO FEEL THE HESITATION. SKIPPING SENSATION HAPPENS AT ANY STOPPED LOCATION, AT AN INTERSECTION OR STOP SIGN ETC. I T SEEMS TO HAPPEN ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME. OCCASIONALLY THERE WILL NOT BEEN A HESITATION EXPERIENCE. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN AT LEAST 2 TIMES TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THY COULD FIND NOTHING TO ACCOUNT FOR THE PROBLEM AND EVEN SUGGESTED THAT I USE A HIGHER GRADE FUEL. FUEL MILAGE IS GREAT, ALL OTHER DRIVING ASPECTS OF TH KIA ARE PERFECT.

NHTSA ODI 11353173

WHEN I TRY TO START MY CAR IT'LL TURN ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON BUT NOT MY ENGINE. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO POWER STEERING WHEN THIS OCCURS. CAR WILL GO INTO GEAR BUT I CANNOT ACCELERATE. HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.

NHTSA ODI 11351796

WHENEVER DECELERATING THE CAR JERKS TERRIBLY HARD ENOUGH THE THROW YOUR HEAD FORWARD. IT FEELS AS IF YOUR HITTING YOUR BREAKS REALLY HARD!

NHTSA ODI 11339978

P1326 ENGINE CODE CAME ON WHILE DRIVING 60MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. LUCKILY WAS IN FAR LEFT LANE WHEN ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WAS SAFELY ABLE TO GET OFF FREEWAY TO A NEARBY GAS STATION.

NHTSA ODI 11283209

E - C V V T SEAL SEATING ISSUE. MY 2016 KIA OPTIMA IS GIVING AN OBD II ERROR CODE OF P0010 "A" CAMSHAFT POSITION ACTUATOR CIRCUIT. THIS CAUSES REDUCTION IN POWER DURING ACCELERATION, AND ELEVATES ENGINE IDLE SPEEDS TO 1200-1400 RPM. THIS ELEVATION IN ENGINE SPEED CAUSES THE CAR TO TRY TO MOVE FORWARD EVEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THIS COULD EASILY LEAD TO VEHICLE CRASHING. THIS, I BELIEVE, SHOULD BE A PART OF RECALL INSTEAD OF A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM THE MANUFACTURER. HYUNDAI AND KIA USE SAME ENGINE, AND HAS A TSB NUMBER 15-01-022-1, AND KIA HAS A TSB TO CHANGE THE MOTOR PLUG AND ECVVT COVER FOR IT. THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE IN THEIR CAR, AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL. WHEN THE CAR WAS IN MOTION FOR ME THE FIRST TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I ALMOST HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME AS THE ENGINE DOES NOT GO BACK DOWN TO IDLE SPEEDS. THIS IS DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI 11283015

WAS TRAVELING TO DALLAS, TEXAS FROM WACO, TEXAS ON 10/05/2019. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE SURGED ERRATICALLY MULTIPLE TIMES, WHILE THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN, SPEED LIMIT WAS 75MPH, WITH BARRIERS ON BOTH SIDES (NO SHOULDER ON EITHER SIDE. OF INTERSTATE 35 NORTH) MY VEHICLE GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 40MPH WHEN WE HAD TO COAST UNTIL I FINALLY FOUND A BREAK IN THE BARRIERS. WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION. THEY WERE VEHICLES OBVIOUSLY DRIVING SPEED. LIMIT BEHIND US. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE INTERSTATE AND CALL ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. THEY TOWED THE VEHICLE BACK TO UNIVERSITY KIA IN WACO, TEXAS. WHERE IT CURRENTLY SITS, AWAITING A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE ARE TERRIFIED TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS CAR AGAIN. ALL I AM BEING TOLD IS THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION IS BEING ORDERED AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11267191

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V705000 (POWER TRAIN) AT GREENWAY KIA OF FRANKLIN (5026, 1413 MURFREESBORO RD, FRANKLIN, TN 37067, (615) 224-7973). THE DRIVESHAFT WAS REPLACED DURING THE REPAIR, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FLUID AFTERWARDS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO CALL THE DEALER BACK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS VALID FOR ONLY TWELVE MONTHS AND HAD EXPIRED. THE DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND THEY WOULD NOT GET PAID TO PERFORM THE REPAIR; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,323.

NHTSA ODI 11265936

MY OIL IS BURNING FASTER THAT EXPECTED. I GOTAND OIL CHANGE AND A WEEK LATER IT WAS TO THE BOTTOM.

NHTSA ODI 11257103