WHEN DECELERATING/BRAKING, THE CAR JERKS HARSHLY FORWARD AT 52,42, 32 MPH. ON WET HIGHWAYS A WHEN IT JERKS THE REAR OF THE CAR FISHTAILS. KIA KNOWS THE FAULT IS BECAUSE OF THE DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT TIMING AND HAS NO SOLUTION. I BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES ON THIS. FISHTAILING ON WET HIGHWAYS HAS A SERIOUS RISK OF AN ACCIDENT. THEY JUST SAY LIVE WITH IT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FELT THE PROBLEM WITH ME ON A TEST DRIVE IN MY CAR AND OTHER CARS OF SAME MODEL IN THE NEW CAR LOT. IT IS TIME THEY FACE THIS SERIOUS HAZARD, AS BRAKING IS SUPPOSE TO THE THE #1 SAFETY ISSUE IN A CAR, NOT CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE STATED A DATE BELOW, BUT THAT DATE IS WHEN I FIRST WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE PROBLEM, IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY, AND EVERY TIME AT THOSE SPEEDS.
2016 Kia Optima complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2016 record →
THIS VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM A HESITATION DURING TAKE OFF. ACCORDING TO KIA THIS HESITATION COME FROM A 7 SPEED DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION(DCT). WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER TO FEEL A SHUDDER SENSATION. THIS VEHICLE HAS A DOUBLE CLUTCH. I HAVE TAKEN MY 2016 KIA OPTIMA DEALERS FOR REPAIR TO THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY SOLUTION. RUNS ROUGH.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN EXPLOSION. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE SUN ROOF HAD SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,039.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FEW SECONDS DELAY IN ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A SENSOR DELAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.
FROM A DEAD STOP DRIVING AROUND, RELEASING THE BRAKE PETAL FROM A STOP AND GETTING READY TO GET GOING, THE CAR SHUTTERS A BIT AND/OR BOTH THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT'S GONNA STALL. HESITATION TO GET GOING.. DOES IT IN ALL 3 DRIVE MODES. DEALERS SAYS NPF.. OF COURSE AND SAID MAYBE QUALITY OF GAS, I USE TOP TIER GAS ONLY.
WAS HIT HEAD ON BY A SLIDING VEHICLE WITH BALD TIRES. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT HOLD US IN PLACE.WE WERE DOING ABOUT 15 MI.PER HOUR OR LESS ON A MT PASS BECAUSE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DOING ABOUT 45 MI. PER HOUR OR MORE WHEN HIT US. HIGHWAY PATROL INVESTIGATED ACCIDENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 KIA OPTIMA. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 15 HOURS, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS BELIEVED TO BE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,700. UPDATED 03/17/17*LJ UPDATED 08/29/2017*JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE ENGINE RPMS DRASTICALLY INCREASED TO 6 OR 7. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CVT VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NUMBER 75 ON THE WAITING LIST FOR THE REPAIRS AND PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE. TWO DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THEY PERFORMED AN INTERIM REPAIR AND THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN. THE DEALER ORDERED THE PART FOR A PERMANENT REPAIR. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.
WHEN STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP, THE CAR HESITATES UP TO 6 OR 7 SECONDS. I THINK IT HAS STALLED, THEN IT STARTS AGAIN BY ITS SELF. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION. IT DOES THIS CONSTANTLY.
I WAS INVOLVE IN A BAD ACCIDENT WITH 10K IN FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND HALF OF THE AIR BAG SENSOR CAME APART IN THE DAMAGE
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2016 Kia Optima → · Every Optima year → · How the figures are calculated →