Owners have filed 754 safety complaints about the 2016 Kia Optima with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 27 crashes, 19 fires, 21 injuries, 1 death.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2016 Kia Optima, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.
"These cars have a known issue for burning oil the motor thats in my car was recalled for same issue but they are not trying fix my car under that recall of the bad motor that they did recall"
"Engine oil light doesn’t work. Oil light flashed a couple of times in separate instances. Checking oil dip stick which smells like burning oil and dip stick hardly showed any oil left."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2016 Kia Optima peaked later than usual, in 2023.
Across the Kia Optima model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file (1,381); the 2016 ranks 4 of 6.
5 recalls apply to some or all 2016 Kia Optima vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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 stag…
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.
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.
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 pip…
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…
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 754 complaints about the 2016 Kia Optima with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.
The 2016 Kia Optima has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2016 Kia Optima an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.