What 748 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Optima

The contact owned a 2016 KIA OPTIMA. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH occupied with her husband the contact heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle as you looked in the drive side rear view mirror and while depressing the brake pedal attempting to come to a complete at the traffic light, the brakes failed to work a intended. No warning light illuminated. The contact mention she kept trying to depress the brake pedal, however the vehicle kept accelerating causing the vehicle to crash into a ditch, go around a telephone poll, crashing into a rock garden which allowing the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot call interstate towing then the vehicle was then towed by insurance company to a collision center. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact stated a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 166,834.

NHTSA ODI 11741833

1) Rear passenger window failed a couple months ago. I believe it was regulator, not 100% sure. Cost me a couple hundred to fix. Now, few months later, the driver side rear window has failed. I rarely use the windows so I believe the failing parts are Kia known manufacturing defect. The dealer acknowledged that it’s a known problem with the vehicles like mine and even suggested the other one is going to fail soon. Now it has. If the dealership is aware then it’s likely a Kia flaw. If it’s a know manufacturing flaw, shouldn’t Kia should be fixing them instead of making customers spend upwards of $1k+ to fix both windows? 2) cruise control cuts off or doesn’t set and menus won’t go back to speedometer. While trying to set cruise control, it gets into the menu and won’t go back to the speedometer. Sometimes I have to pull over and stop to get the cruise control to work again. It gets stuck in the menu and can’t see the speedometer. Might get stuck on the trip screen, or the range. This has been happening since about 75k miles. It also doesn’t work with the pedal to set sometimes. Messing with it while driving can be a real hazard and sometimes I need to have cruise control to work. It’s deforming more than just inconvenient

NHTSA ODI 11673169

On [XXX] I was proceeding to come up to the stop sign when out of no where the car started rapidly accelerating and when I proceeded to step on the brakes it wouldn't stop it only sped up more. And caused a server accident that left me with serious injuries. And I cause of the defect they found me at fault said I failed to yield at a stop sign. The car never was fixed from the 2 times the motor has to be replaced by Galena Kia in fort Myers fl. They even caused the ac to go power retarded and wouldn't work half the time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11625738

While driving the car will not accelerate past 49mph in turbo mode and 61mph in regular mode and rpm will not go above 1800. And it jerks and studders. Blinking check engine light and consumes a ridiculous amount of oil even though regular maintenance performed. I have read several engine issues with this model and cannot find recall info

NHTSA ODI 11617291

Car was at about 70,000 upon purchase. Once driving it regularly, I immediately noticed a faint knocking noise upon acceleration. Also, when coasting the speed adjusted on its own intermittently, both up & down, not by much but enough that I felt it on the gas pedal. Other times it fails to accelerate when pushing on the gas pedal. I have to release the pedal & try again, sometimes more than once before it finally accelerates. Despite doing regular oil changes, my engine burns through oil long before next oil change is due, so I have to add 1 - 2 quarts of oil in-between changes. I was barely at 80,000 miles when engine started seizing & the following day the check engine light came on. It had to be towed to be serviced. They said the fuel injector or pump (not sure which) was allowing fuel to flood my engine which caused its damage. Even with what the warranty covered I had to pay $500 out of pocket so there were a lot of repairs. I can get a detailed print out of service if needed. When I do oil changes there's oil under the oil pan somehow, but its not leaking because there is no oil where I park. As of lately, even though all fluids are good, when the car is idle with a/c on, the temperature starts to go up until the car is in motion again, then the temperature goes back down quickly. It has only overheated once, which was the first time I noticed the problem because I was parked at a gas station on a hot day checking my phone & the a/c started blowing warm & dash said, "engine overheated". Only happen the one time because I have been cautious about watching the temperature to avoid it happening again. I recently passed emissions & had AutoZone do code reader check & nothing came back. In order to figure out problem I'd have to get diagnostics test that requires I leave the car for at least 2 days so it hasn't been something I can manage yet. My car is available for inspection if needed & I'm happy to provide detailed print out of repairs if requested.

NHTSA ODI 11593271

While we were driving home (3 people in my car), with no notice, my car lost complete acceleration and broke down while we were on the highway. We hardly had notice to understand what was happening, let alone the other cars/people behind us on the highway where we almost got hit before being able to pull over to the side of the highway. We then had to wait for a tow-truck, again, on the shoulder of a very busy highway. Later, I came to find out that this was "sudden and unexpected engine failure" that occurs in multiple models of Kia and Hyundai that was included in the Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation, Case No. 8:17-cv-00838, and Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II, No. 8:18-cv-02223-JLS-JDE, New Theta II Class Action Lawsuit. Unfortunately, this was the first time I had heard of this, as I'd never received any recalls or notices for my car around this, even though my car is a part of this. As I am in contact with Kia Customer Care attempting to resolve this issue - which has been an awful experience so far - they have informed me that the RECALL CAMPAIGN PI1802B - PI1802 ECU UPGRADE - is a "product improvement" instead of a safety issue, in which I COMPLETELY disagree! This put the 3 people inside my car at the time of the engine failure in danger on the highway with zero notice except for when it happened, as well as the other people/cars on the highway surrounding my car. Clearly this has been a much wider issue for Kia and Hyundai that has called for class action lawsuits, and my experience has been terrible so far trying to get this resolved. I'm extremely unhappy with their customer service and "help" this far, and even more upset that this did cause safety issues that it feels they don't care at all about correcting or taking care of their customers.

NHTSA ODI 11564686

When accelerating the car will randomly loose all power from the engine. The electrical systems will stay on but the car RPMs will drop to zero. The accelerator will not provide acceleration when being pressed. The car has to be turned off and then turned back on for power to be restored. The check engine light, the oil light and another warning light will come on.

NHTSA ODI 11556705

Driving 80 miles an hour several hours from home on a major interstate and my car shut off. Pulled over on side of interstate and check engine light came on and car won’t accelerate and is making a knocking noise

NHTSA ODI 11554757

It started shaking really bad out of no where , then wasn’t going faster than 80 then down to 65 but wouldn’t go more than 80 with my foot all the way on the gas. As soon as I made it to work tonight the car cut off. I got a jump the car was still shaking & wouldn’t stay on if I let my foot off of the gas. I started it again without the cables but it cut right back off. I saw on cars.com it’s a recall for the similar thing, number Sc172. I have been having fuel leaks for a while and had my knock sensor replaced from a previous recall. Now I have no way home.

NHTSA ODI 11552770

On 2/24 I was driving on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, I was in the middle lane going thru an intersection, when suddenly while attempting to accelerate to go thru the light, all of my dash lights came on and the gas petal stopped working completely. I had cars in front, behind and on sides of me and I was unable to move out of the way. I attempted to restart the car to no avail. This could have been an incredibly deadly and dangerous situation and was extremely scary. With help I was able to move my car out of the way, call a tow truck and have it taken to the nearest Kia Dealership (Galeana Kia, 14483 Tamiami Trail, Ft. Myers) who advised they would evaluate the car and get back to me the next day. Tuesday I got word that my engine had seized and there was less than 1 qt of oil in it. I couldn't believe this as I just had an oil change 6 weeks prior. The service advisor, Jeff, said when an engine seizes they report it to Kia to see if they will replace but that Kia tech team advised they were declining replacing my engine as I didn't take my car to Kia for service and there weren't enough carfax reports to show proper care. This made no sense as I get my oil changed every 5k and use syntenic oil. I proceeded to send many oil change receipts only for them then tell me "it's owners responsibility to check oil between oil changes" and they aren't going to assist in any way. Sharing this story with others led me to learn that Kia is supposed to warranty these engines to 150k due to this being a known issue and multiple class action lawsuits about the engines burning oil and seizing while driving. I was in the middle of an intersection, that could have cost me my life! I called Kia Corp and they told me to work with dealership and they couldn't do anything for me. This after just replacing 4 window regulators where the regulator dies and your windows fall down (another safety hazard.) I appreciate you looking into and addressing this safety injustice for me.

NHTSA ODI 11514865

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

PULLED INTO NEIGHBORHOOD, PUT FOOT ON PEDAL TO ACCELERATE, AND CAR TOOK OFF. WOULD NOT STOP. WENT B/W 80-100 MPH ON IT'S OWN, BEFORE MY MOTHER DROVE OFF AN EMBANKMENT, AND FLIPPED HER CAR END OVER END. NEARLY KILLING HER, AS WELL AS HER DOG. CURRENTLY HOSPITALIZED.*DT*DT*DT*DT*DT

NHTSA ODI 11407753

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

MID SEPTEMBER, 2020, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF AS I WAS DRIVING. THEY WOULD CUT OFF FOR NO MORE THAN 15 SECONDS AND TURN BACK ON. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT, UNTIL I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH OTHER COMPONENTS OF MY 2016 KIA OPTIMA. ON 11/30/2020 I WAS DRIVING AT 30MPH THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL AREA. AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR BEGAN TO JUMP AND HESITATE. NO MATTER HOW FAR DOWN I PUSHED THE GAS, THE CARE WAS JUMPING/SHAKING AND WOLD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20MPH. I PULLED INTO AN AUTOZONE WHERE THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE VEHICLE. ERROR CODE P1326 (KNOCK SENSOR) CAME UP. THE NEXT MORNING, I CALLED COASTAL KIA OF WILMINGTON IN NORTH CAROLINA AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY SENT AN EMPLOYEE TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE (12/01/2020). THEY INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND INFORMED ME THAT THE PROTOCOL WAS TO PERFORM A BEARING CLEARANCE TEST AND ECU UPGRADE. I PICKED UP MY CAR ON 12/02/2020. A WEEK LATER, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND INFORMED THEM THAT ALTHOUGH MY ENGINE LIGHT HAD NOT COME BACK ON, THE ACCELERATION ISSUE WAS STILL OCCURRING. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE CAR AGAIN, TO WHICH THEY SAID NO, THAT THEY CANNOT TAKE A FURTHER LOOK AT IT UNTIL THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. ON 12/20/2020 I WAS DRIVING 40MPH WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO STUTTER UNCONTROLLABLY. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I CALLED KIA AGAIN TO INFORM THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND THEY AGREED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. ON 12/22/2020 THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THAT MY CAR WAS BURNING OIL AND SMOKING EXCESSIVELY. THEY OPENED A TECH CASE WITH KIA AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE CAR UNTIL THEY HEARD BACK FROM THEM. ON 12/23/2020 THEY CALLED ME AGAIN TO TELL ME THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL, AND THAT MY NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO REPLACE MY ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI 11385158

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, DRIVING STRAIGHT IN LEFT LANE ON A CITY STREET IN EASTBOUND DIRECTION. ON ITS OWN, THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE WHILE TURNING TOWARDS THE LEFT SIMULTANEOUSLY. DRIVER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH AND BASED ON AIR BAG MODULE, CAR SPED UP TO 55 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKE SEEMED TO BE LOCKED OR STUCK BECAUSE NEITHER COMPONENT WORKED WHILE THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. DRIVER TRIED TO PRESS THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN, BUT BRAKE WOULD NOT PRESS DOWN. ALSO TRIED TO TURN STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID ONCOMING WESTBOUND TRAFFIC, BUT STEERING WHEEL DID NOT WORK EITHER. DRIVER HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE CAR ACCELERATED AND VEERED LEFT FOR ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE UNTIL IT FINALLY HIT A CURB, THEN FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL, ROTOR, AND SUSPENSION BROKE. IT SEEMED AS IF CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE AFTER IT HIT THE CURB BECAUSE THERE ARE SKID MARKS FROM THE TIRES AFTER IMPACT. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WERE NO LONGER STUCK. THE STEERING WHEEL ROTATED PROPERLY AND BRAKE PEDAL PRESSED DOWN WITH EASE. BECAUSE OF BROKEN WHEEL, CAR WAS NOT OPERABLE AFTERWARD AND WAS TOWED TO COLLISION CENTER. COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND INSPECTION COMPLETED, BUT THEY SAID THEY DID NOT FIND ANY ERRORS WITH THE CAR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR ANY OTHER ERRORS. THE AIR BAG MODULE REPORT COINCIDES WITH THE MALFUNCTION CLAIM THAT I FILED WITH KIA ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, BUT KIA STATED THERE WEREN'T ANY ERROR CODES IN THE REPORT. AFTER REPAIRS AND INSPECTION WERE COMPLETED, I TRADED-IN THE VEHICLE OUT OF FEAR THAT THIS MALFUNCTION MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. SINCE AN ISSUE WASN'T FOUND WITH THE CAR, THAT MEANS THE ISSUE WASN'T FIXED AND I DIDN'T WANT TO OWN A MALFUNCTIONING VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11374179

THE DRIVER DOOR LOCK DOES NOT WORK. IT IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT WILL NOT LOCK SOMETIMES. OTHER TIMES IT IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT WILL NOT UNLOCK. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT ALWAYS WANT TO WORK. IT WILL SAY CRUISE BUT WILL NOT LET ME SET IT.

NHTSA ODI 11327625

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE FUEL CONSUMPTION IN THE MOTOR WOULD BOG THE ENGINE DOWN TO WHERE IT WOULD BARELY GO OVER 40 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE TROUBLE INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND NOT GO OFF. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP IN MT. HOPE, WV.. THE MECHANIC CHANGED OUT THE SENSOR THAT SHOWED UP ON HIS METER AND THE ENGINE SEEMED TO DO GOOD WHILE IN THE SHOP BUT WHEN THEY BACKED IT OUT OF THE SHOP BAY, ANOTHER SENSOR LIGHR CAME ON. WE HAD ALREADY PAID THE DEALERSHIP $206, THEY WOULD NOT RETURN OUR MONEY

NHTSA ODI 11292234

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN EARL L BUDDY CARTER ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT, REGARDING ISSUES WITH A KIA PURCHASED IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED VARIOUS ISSUES INCLUDING THE BATTERY BEING REPLACED 5 TIMES IN 8 MONTHS, MULTIPLE ENGINE ISSUES, ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND A LACK OF ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED, WHILE DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SPEED UP TO CATCH UP TO THE DESIGNATED SPEED AND COME IN TO CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE VEHICLE AHEAD. THE FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11286250

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

EVER SINCE I HAD MY CAR SERVICED ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO MY CAR HAS BEEN SLUGGISH AND ACCELERATION HAS WEAKENED, ALSO I'M GETTING POORER GAS MILEAGE. THE RECALL THAT WAS FIXED HAS GREATLY REDUCED THE PERFORMANCE OF MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11252838

ENGINE RUMBLES LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO DIE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I LET OFF THE BRAKE AND BEFORE I PRESS THE GAS AFTER BEING STOPPED IN TRAFFIC ON CITY STREETS. I OFTEN HAVE TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL HALF WAY DOWN TO GET IT TO GAIN SPEED ON CITY STREETS, IT FEELS SLUGGISH, AND SHIFTING DOES NOT FEEL VERY SMOOTH.

NHTSA ODI 11222725

INTERMITTENTLY CAR WILL SHUDDER (JERK FORWARD AND SLOW, JERK FORWARD AND SLOW) MANY TIMES WHEN ACCELERATING, EITHER FROM A STOP OR WHILE ACCELERATING FROM LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 45MPH) IT SEEMS POSSIBLE GEAR CHANGING IS NOT SMOOTH. AND CAN BE DANGEROUS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AS CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS IT SHOULD. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO KIA WHO REPORT THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH CAR WHEN THEY TEST DROVE IT. PROBLEM SEEMS WORSE WHEN IT IS HOT OR COLD OUTSIDE.

NHTSA ODI 11208566

THE CAR STUMBLES TO START AND WHEN I ACCELERATE IT FLUTTERS UNTIL PICKING UP SPEED. THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAY 43.

NHTSA ODI 11154465

2016 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES WITH CONCERNS MALFUNCTIONS WITH ADVANCED SMART CRUISE CONTROL. *AS *TR

NHTSA ODI 11132629

WHEN THE CAR ENCOUNTERS A HILL AND NEEDS TO DOWNSHIFT, EITHER TO CLIMB OR TO HOLD BACK THE SPEED WHEN IT DESCENDS, THE CRUISE CONTROL REMEMBERS THE DOWNSHIFT AND WILL NOT RETURN TO HIGH GEAR UNTIL A) IT IS MANUALLY OVERRIDDEN, BUT WILL STILL DOWNSHIFT UP TO 2 GEARS, WHEN THE LEVER IS PLACED BACK TO AUTOMATIC OR, B) WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS TURNED OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO BELATEDLY REACTS TO LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL AND OVERCORRECTS WITH TOO MUCH POWER, RESULTING IN A CRUDE RIDE, AS WELL. THE WORKLOAD IS INCREASED DEALING WITH GETTING THE CAR TO ATTAIN TOP GEAR ON FLAT ROADS, AND IS CREATING UNSAFE CONDITIONS, IN MY OPINION. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET THIS ATTENDED TO AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CONTINUE TO NOT FIX THE ISSUE, AS WELL AS INFORM ME I SHOULDN'T BE USING CRUISE CONTROL ON HILLS. MY 2014 KIA OPTIMA DID NOT EXHIBIT THESE ISSUES, NOR ANY OTHER OF MY CARS WHICH HAD CRUISE CONTROL. THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THESE PEOPLE WILL NOT FIX IT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEAT DOES ENTER THE FOOT WELL AREA. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11067114