2016 Kia Optima complaints

Knock sensor failure and misfiring

I had a catastrophic engineer failure that was reporting a DTC to replace the spark plug/ignition coil. This failure is miss mapped and had no previous Indicator warning the customer of a engine failure that would potentially leave the customer in an unsafe condition stranded. I had to have my vehicle towed in for service and the dealer informed that the vehicle needed a new intake valve. The intake valve failure at 118k miles is a little outside of warranty but still considerably young for an engine. There could be a number of reasons for this failure, material quality could make the valve brittle, manufacturing so the retainers could not seat properly in the spring. All the reasons are not customer induced nor at the stage in engine life that would be appropriate. After reviewing the Kia main social media account and talking to several dealers this type of failure is not uncommon for this product line as early as 30k miles. I believe that the volume of failure is large enough population that Kia should investigate 1) the mapping of DTCs/Indicator warning to the customer and 2) the actual engine failure population is large enough it should be reviewed by the government.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine; oil was added. The contact stated that several weeks later, the oil warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The mechanic found no oil leaks nor the cause of the failure. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.

*The vehicle is burning oil at a very speedy rate....much quicker than normal. Perhaps more than a quart per 1000 miles. The car is available for inspection. *Today was the second time that I was surprised to find that there was not enough oil to even register on the dip stick. I don't yet know if there was any permanent damage to the engine. My experience seems to be very similar to many other people who have posted online....a possible flicker of the oil light before finding out about the oil deficiency. It concerns me that others said that this led to their car faltering and/or freezing up while driving. That is certainly a safety risk for the drivers/passengers and other motorists. Some people indicated that their engine was ruined and needed to be replaced. *It was the Valvoline mechanic that told me today that there was an issue with these engines causing high oil consumption. *I have not yet had the engine inspected. I just emailed the Kia dealership to inform them and ask about a possible repair. Last year was the first of two instances where I experienced the low oil level. The first time, I had noticed the oil warning light flicker when I rounded a corner a few times during a week or so. I then took it in for an oil change. Today, I noticed one flicker and went right to Valvoline and there was almost not oil remaining. My second issue of concern is that my headlights have randomly turned off when I am driving at night. The first time I thought that I might have acci

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 74 MPH, the vehicle made abnormal metallic banging sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle began to lose motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road and added engine oil to the vehicle. The contact drove to a nearby parking lot and parked the vehicle. The contact's friend, a certified mechanic, diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the oil, which led to engine failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as he failed to complete the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

Code P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System) appeared on scanner after knocking and jerking randomly occurred one night. When researched was performed on if there have been recalls in the past, saw there was a recall for Knock Sensor Detection System back in 2021. Recall issues don’t appear to be fixed with the KSDS despite prior recalls on this part.

I was driving my car and it just slowed down on the freeway and wouldn’t go pass 60mph I went to my nearest autozone And received code p1326 I was told it was the knock sensor and got it changed. I checked my oil and noticed it was low even tho I got an oil change not even a month before. however the problem didn’t change. I decided to go to the internet and notice many other kia have had these problems and have received a recall

We purchased the car used (private party) in July. Afterward, we noticed it was using oil rapidly. We checked & refilled the oil several times. We also noticed a slight ticking sound when the car was running, but we did not think it was a problem. The day of the incident, the oil had been checked & topped off. Our college-age daughter was driving the car 70mph on I-75 north when she noticed a sound of high revving rpms while on cruise control. It continued to get louder over the next 2 minutes & became very concerning. She exited the freeway. The oil & engine lights came on at the beginning of the ramp. She was able to continue coasting through the light & into a parking lot, though the engine had limited power. Smoke filled the cabin & a strong smell, so she immediately exited the car. Smoke also came from the hood. The car could have caught on fire at this point, but we are glad it did not & our daughter's life was not harmed. We are thankful she exited the freeway when she did or she could have gotten into a wreck. These safety issues have occurred to some owners of this vehicle upon engine seizure. We had the car towed to Kia of Grand Blanc, MI. Upon inspection, they determined the engine had seized. They never opened the engine to look inside, only hooked up it for error code diagnostics. There was no record of the KSDS product improvement update being performed prior to the incident, so Kia Corporate has refused to replace the engine. Not the original owner of the car,

Oil changes every 3500 miles, however between those oil changes having to add more oil about every 7-8 hundred miles. Car is sluggish to start after sitting at a stop light. Spark plugs have been replaced twice during the life of the car. I know Kia is aware of all the engine issues and this is very frustrating. You buy a car thinking it will be dependable only to discover that it is a road hazard every time you leave your home.

I purchased this vehicle about a year ago upon purchasing vehicle I noticed I was having to get an oil change every other week and when I would go in I would have no oil. Fast forward to now I am buying 5g oil from Advance Auto parts every week my car is burning through oil excessively and causing my sparks plugs and coils to go bad from the oil. I have had to get my coils and sparks plug replaced three times in 5 months. I took the vehicle to get an oil consumption test at the Conway Kia dealership and they said nothing was wrong which is inaccurate because no car is burning 5 g oil each week. My car is currently at 80,000 miles I know once it reach 100,000 my warranty voids and at that point Im left with no recourse on this vehicle

I had my car for about 2 years and it had 1 owner before me. At first it was a great car no issues, but soon it became a nightmare. First thing I noticed was my lights would turn off by themselves whiles driving at night. I usually kept them on auto and they would randomly go off and I would have to turn they nob off and back on to get them to come on again. Soon after that I noticed that I would have to get oil changes more frequently. My oil light would come on and start to flicker only a few weeks after an oil change. My car was burning oil like crazy and it only got worse until it began to leak. Any time I had it serviced I was never told that I had a leak and my car would run fine for a few weeks and then the light would start to flicker again, usually anytime I pressed the brake. Not soon after that my car started to have problems accelerating and shaking really bad. I had the spark plugs changed and it ran fine for a few weeks and started to do it again. I took it into the shop and they told me that I needed a whole new engine and that it wasn't covered under the warranty. I would have to pay $5500 to get it fixed. So now it's just sitting because I can't afford it and Kia doesn't seem to care to do anything. I don't understand when I've read so many complaints with people having the same exact problems that I had. Now I'm stuck with a car that I can't drive and still owe on and have to find a new way of transportation to get to work. This is messed up that Kia knows a

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil level warning light was illuminated. The contact also noticed that the front driver's side tire was low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed her that the vehicle was 3-quarts low on engine oil due to the excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred her to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 79,993.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who replaced the spark plugs and coil pack; however, the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 124,000.

My dealership has confirmed oil consumption on my vehicle

The engine was burning oil rapidly without any indicators or lights on dashboard warning to get it fixed or anything like that.

My 2016 Kia Optima sx engine lost significant power while on the highway at 65mph. Lost of power at highway speed was very dangerous. The engine suddenly ran increasingly rough, shaking the vehicle and drastically changing its performance. My girlfriend, myself, and other drivers on the highway were put at risk as I attempted to maneuver out of traffic and pull off to a safe area. Fortunately I was able to do this without collision or loss of control. I had my car towed to the dealership. There was no warning or engine light on before the incident. The dealership has diagnosed a cracked valve and no firing in cylinder 3. They recommend a new engine. They do not know what caused this issue. The vehicle has about 78,000 miles on it. I am the second owner, warranty is expired, and it is not covered under an active recall. The vehicle is currently at a Kia dealership and available for third party inspection upon request. Please help.

On Sept. 21, 2021, my Kia Optima Hybrid ex shut down and would not start. I took it to King of Hybrid EV Auto Repair where they ran a diagnostic test and found that there was an issue with the Hybrid System affecting the transmission and the High-voltage system. I paid $3,000.00 out-of-pocket. On October 26, 2022, while driving 75mph on Hwy 15 to Las Vegas, my car randomly shut down. The dash warning lights read "STOP VEHICLE TO CHARGE BATTERY". I was in an unsafe position with cars speeding past me. I was afraid that I would be rear-ended by another car. I had to have my car towed. I believe that these cars have issues with faulty high voltage systems and transmissions. Please investigate. Thank you.

On Sept. 21, 2021, my Kia Optima Hybrid ex shut down and would not start. I took it to King of Hybrid EV Auto Repair where they ran a diagnostic test and found that there was an issue with the Hybrid System affecting the transmission and the High-voltage system. I paid $3,000.00 out-of-pocket. On October 26, 2022, while driving 75mph on Hwy 15 to Las Vegas, my car randomly shut down. The dash warning lights read "STOP VEHICLE TO CHARGE BATTERY". I was in an unsafe position with cars speeding past me. I was afraid that I would be rear-ended by another car. I had to have my car towed. I believe that these cars have issues with faulty high voltage systems and transmissions. Please investigate. Thank you.

Too much oil consumption. Consuming 3 quarts of oil in 3000 miles. No leaks. Did oil consumption testing through Kia dealership. Kia dealer says it needs a new engine and the vehicle is only 6 years old with 73k miles. Still under extended warranty and Kia dealer will not cover the cost of the engine.

I have been having issues with my vehicle randomly not wanting to start at first. There wasn’t any warning lights showing up. I have noticed that my vehicle is going through a LOT of oil. This is at least the 3rd time were I have had a few thousand miles left on my oil change but when I drive and press the break, the oil light comes on. When checked the oil is empty. These engines need to be throughly checked out by the manufacturers. I also had an issue with my Kia completely turn it off when I was driving with my child in the car. It would not start back up. We had the people trying to help direct traffic around until the police showed so that we wouldn’t get hit. This could’ve been a VERY dangerous situation.

EXCESSIVE oil consumption. Just got oil changed last week oil is already gone and check oil light is on again.

Complete power window failure (driver and 2 rear windows). Estimated repair cost is $2,084.90. This model has a history of power window defects that Kia Motors is well aware of. Over time, this defect becomes increasingly severe until you have a complete without warning failure like in my case. Kia Motors refuses to acknowledge problems and stated there is no recall by NHTSA. I want a full reimbursement for my out of pocket payment for untimely repair cost.

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.

I have a 2016 Kia Optima FE and I keep up with regular oil changes and maintenance. My oil light has been flashing when I accelerate and when I turn, but turns off when idling. I’ve had this car 9 months and 2 weeks after getting it, that’s the first time I’ve brought it to get serviced. I’ve always complained about the flashing red oil light when I’d get an oil change, but no one ever told me that my car was consuming oil until NOW. After they did the oil change, the car would be fine for about 900-1,000 and then it would come back on. I would always have about 3,000-4,000 miles left before I was due to get it serviced again. So, I would just get oil changes in between oil changes because that seemed to fix the problem. I went to the Kia dealership near me and they told me that my engine is consuming oil. He showed me the dipstick and it was bone-dry. I should not have to drive around with my daughter in this car that can blow up at any second. I’ve looked on forums where other people have had the same issues and all of them say that it’s because of “faulty pistons.”

Failed connecting rod bearing. Happened on the freeway my car shut off and steering wheel locked up. It almost caused multiple crashes as other people got out of their cars to try and help me move my car out of the freeway. I take very good care of my car and maintenance was up to date. I still owe over 9k on the car and it only had 130k miles. Kia has a class action lawsuit I was unaware of and promised a lifetime warrant for my engine but now refuse that warranty. I had to get out of my car on the freeway or risk getting hit from the back. Other cars on the freeway were constantly passing at 80mph. Multiple people had to help me push my car that would not turn and kept shutting off. This was very sudden and random I had no check engine lights or any lights on my dash board at the time. This all happened within the matter of 2 minutes and I’m very happy the person who was behind me had distance enough to go around me or else the would have been an accident.

We bought this car brand new and for the past two or so year it has started to consuming oil like crazy at least 3 to 4 quarts every thousand miles and they wont do anything to see what is causing the issue its not leaking anything at all. Secondly with the head light turned to auto we will be driving down the road and all of a sudden the lights shut off and you have to flip the light to on to get them to turn back on huge safety issues there but they will not do Anything for this issue either. I should have to do what im doing to a very well taken care of vehicle and its only 6 years old i get it if it was 10 years old but to burn this much oil this not right.

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.

Driver window back window (driver side) passenger window won’t let down and need window regulators. I’ve had one replaced before

Kia Optima Hybrids from 2014-2016 and most likely the two previous model years all have defective taillights. I know this because I've had two Optimas and I've had to replace 9 taillights in 4 years. The Kia dealer service department told me that that was quite typical of these cars. The light assemblies are not water tight and they fill with moisture on rainy days. This eventually causes the LED ribbons to fail and then the light has to be replaced. Kia will replace them under warranty for the first 60,000 miles but after that the car owner is on the hook for a part that costs approximately $500. A taillight that will not light up is obviously a safety problem. Kia should be forced to replace these pieces for free for as long as these cars exist. I tried to attach two photos but the system wouldn't allow me to continue until I removed them.

My vehicle's engine stopped working on October 15th as my son was driving us 80 mph on I90 headed east just outside of Rochester MN. The cruise control was on but then the car started to decelerate on its own and he pulled onto the shoulder. It smelled like burnt oil. I opened the hood and saw nothing substantial; waited 5 minutes and tried to start it again and although it was turning over, it did not start. Check engine lights came on when the problem started and it vibrated violently twice. AAA took 3 hours to get us which was beyond stressful and scary watching in the rearview mirror as semis and cars in the right lane past us at 80 mph. The Luther Kia dealership in Inver Grove Heights MN stated eventually that the 2 cylinders have no compression and there is a broken exhaust valve. There is only 115K miles on it and I had it into the Bloomington Luther Dealership a month prior. Initially for the front collision sensor that wasn't working but when I pulled in, it smelled of burnt oil and the service tech and I discussed that I had notice it sputtering every once in a while when I accelerated from a dead stop. They said they fixed it by changing the gasket covers. Now Kia wants me to pay $9,000 for the engine to be repaired because my warranty doesn't cover it. I've researched and spoke to people and have heard comments have been made that these engines are constantly failing and they know about it. I would have never put my 15 year old son behind the wheel if I thought it

I have been having some issues with my Kia Optima. It is consuming so much oil. Constantly have to get oil changes. Recently, my engine light went on. Was told it was because of all the oil that is burning. Car does not perform properly. It does not want to accelerate. It feels like it will turn off. I get scared driving. What if my car stalls in the middle of the busy LA traffic? I have gone do dealership so many times. Whenever, I say the reason why I need an appointment, they tell me they have no available time slots. They just told me they will see me next year!! I say its because Kia doesn't want to fix it. Several mechanics have informed me that my engine needs to get replaced because of the excessive oil consumption. Kia needs to pay for it. They know it’s their fault.

Right passenger window dropped down. It came off regulator track for no reason with a child in a car seat sitting at that window putting that child's safety at risk.

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.

Unknown Driver’s window does not operate either up or down.. Making a noise when I tried to put the window down in order to open it. Only 23,700 mileage on my 2016 Optima This is a safety issue and my VIN number needs to be placed on the recall list. There has been a gear breakage issue on 2016 optima I cannot afford to repair this, being a senior citizen on fixed income

I took my car in for an oil change and it was extremely low on oil, I found out that Kia has a class action law suit for excessive oil consumption. I had the test performed at a Kia dealership and it does in fact have the oil consumption issue, it was down 2 quarts within 1000 miles. Kia is saying that they will not cover it or perform the necessary fix that is required (replace the engine or at least perform the combustion cleaning procedure). This in my mind is a safety hazard and Kia should back their product of a known issue. My wife drives this car and if the engine locks up she could be stranded or injured if it happens on the road.

The oil is leaking into the engine, was taken to a kia dealer for repair $542.45 unsuccessful , I am putting oil in my car every 3 weeks. Purchased the car in April and over $2500 spent. The oil is still going into the engine, no leaks on the ground. Was told to deal with it and wait until my engine pops by Thomas kia of highland indiana

Engine stalled while driving on main highway. It is available for inspection Safety: was on major highway when vehicle stalled other cars on highway had to swerve around me to avoid hitting me. no it has not been confirmed no it has not been inspected no there were no warning light

10-17-2022 * failure is plugged coil or spark plugs due to heavy oil consumption. Vehicle is available for inspection * driving when vehicle completely stalled and would not restart while on a 4 line highway barely got off the road almost hit by other cars as the vehicle just stalled Has happened before, has heavy oil consumption have been told it is due to faulty piston rings * At this time it is at the garage for investigation of problem *No *No

Was driving my car and it just lost all power and cut off. It will not start now. It only has 1 click. The car has used a lot of oil since I've owed it. I do regular oil change and the oil lights still go off and on. I researched why it had power failure and replaced the starter but that didn't work. I started looking into the engines for 2016 kias n found out some have a recall. I hope my car falls in that recall bc I need it fixed . my car gave no warning signs that anything was wrong . just cut off all of the sudden and will not start . had to have it towed to my home

It burns a quart of oil every thousand miles shouldn’t be doing this

I have a 2016 Kia Optima within the 2nd year all my window motors fail within a 6 month timeframe. My car in the 4th year started to burn oil quickly the oil light would not appear until I begin to hear a knocking sound. Also, in the 4th year of having my car there has been cracking in my passenger side (I think it is where the airbag is located). All of the areas could put my life in some type of danger or a family member if KIA doesn't see fit to remedy these areas. In 2018, my warranty was out and I didn't know until I received my bill the service person didn't advise me of this issue. So, I ended up paying $700 for a battery installment when I advised him that it was the issue, he insisted I get a diagnosis done.

Issues with all of the window regulators stop working. The gears in the regulators are plastic and become dry rot and strip out not allowing the windows to function.

Car has been burning oil since purchased. Over a quart in 1000 miles. Engine rattled during acceleration and sometimes stalls at red light. Every time I take it into Kia they state nothing is wrong. They performed an engine cleaning around 80,000 miles but won’t help me now that my car has 107,000 miles.

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

Engine suddenly failed. Heard loud tapping sound and engine stopped working. No assistance from KIA,

On Saturday, 09/17, I took my vehicle in for a standard oil change & alignment with a 3-party mechanic (pepboys). Once the work was done I was informed by the mechanic that the Driver's side window was in the down position and would not go back up. I was informed that it was because the Regulator went out and it is a Kia only part. Kia is unavailable on the weekends so they would get the part on Monday. On Tuesday, 09/20 Pepboys was able to get the part and repair the window to the tune of $822.67. The part alone was $542. Today, Thursday, 09/22 on my drive into work the back Driver's side window began to slide down while I was driving. This is a severe safety hazard that needs to be address by Kia. The Window Regulators will fail without warning & while the vehicle is in motion. I have 60k miles, this is not a high mileage vehicle.

I have a kia Optima Hybrid that has an Open Recall for the engine according to Kia's website' which they failed to address or informed me of it needing it on 07-30-2022 which was installing the KSD update for the engine. The engine started knocking on 09-12-2022. The informed me that they do not make the KSD sensor update available to customers anymore since it is passed the campaign in dates in 2021, and that is why it was not installed. Although the owners site shows the recall and asks if I want to make and appointment for it. They are doing this with multiple owners. I am also curious as to why my car doesn't show this recall on here and it shows on Kia's owner site as being and open recall along with another recall. Kia case #15050283

Every window in my car has come off track within a 3months time period . The motor steady runs in the door and the window will not move up or down.

This car has developed P0010 code which stands for "A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit/open bank 1. Car idles roughly, shifts weirdly and has less power than before. I found that there is a TSB from KIA for the same issue but only for cars made in South Korea in 2016, mine was built in Dec. 2015 in Georgia plant so it doesn't qualify for this TSB and I'll have to pay out of pocket to fix this issue.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the oil level warning light was illuminated. The contact also noticed that while following while his wife was driving the vehicle, a blueish color smoke would emit from the tailpipe. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where he was given an estimate for an oil consumption test. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where they confirmed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact attempted to notify the manufacturer of the failure but received no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.