Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (5)
Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid, latch
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 Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Risk and remedy
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.
Engine
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 pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Air bags: frontal, driver side
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: The affected vehicle was remedied on January 10, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC143.
Power train: axle assembly, axle shaft
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the driveshaft cracks and separates from the vehicle, it will not be able to move forward. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied upon exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC139.
Air bags: frontal
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 stage not deploying in necessitating crashes.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the second stage air bag does not deploy it increases the risk of injury or death.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC131.
Canadian recalls (6)
Show 6 Canadian recalls
Structure
2023-08-28 · campaign 2023-476
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk compartment may not work properly. This could prevent a person that is trapped inside the trunk from opening it.
Safety Risk:
If a person is closed inside the trunk compartment, they may not be able to get out. This could create a risk of injury.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the trunk latch base subassembly.
Electrical
2023-05-08 · campaign 2023-275
Issue:
Kia is conducting a service campaign to inspect and upgrade the safety plug fuse. On certain Optima Hybrid (HEV) models, the safety plug fuse could blow and cause a loss of hybrid system power while driving at low speeds. Additionally, installing an incorrect aftermarket fuse could cause overheating.
Safety Risk:
A loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash. Using an incorrect aftermarket fuse could create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the vehicle for an aftermarket fuse and replace the 125-A safety plug with one that has a 150-A rating.
Engine
2021-07-09 · campaign 2021-424
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Note: This campaign only affects Optima Hybrid models equipped with a 2.4 L MPI engine.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Kia recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Kia advises you to immediately visit a Kia dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.
Engine
2019-03-18 · campaign 2019-143
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Vehicles repaired under Service Campaign SC023 already have this software update.
Fuel system
2019-02-27 · campaign 2019-098 · 760 vehicles
Issue:
When the engine was replaced under warranty or under Kia's Product Improvement Campaign SC023, the high pressure fuel pipe may not have been properly installed on the fuel pump outlet. A fuel leak could occur if the pipe was damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the recall repair.
Safety Risk:
Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. If fuel leakage is detected, the fuel pipe will be replaced with a new one.
Powertrain
2016-10-18 · campaign 2016-514 · 575 vehicles
On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine, the passenger side axle shaft could fail. This could result in a loss of vehicle propulsion which could increase the risk of a crash. This could also allow the vehicle to roll away if parked on a sufficient slope, despite the transmission shift lever being set in the PARK position. Both issues could cause injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the right front axle shaft assembly.
Owner complaints (760)
Owners filed 760 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Optima (27 crashes, 20 fires, 21 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 20 model years of this model, it ranks #4 for the most complaints (median 212).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 426 | |
| Unknown or other | 121 | |
| Electrical system | 104 | |
| Power train | 74 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 53 | |
| Exterior lighting | 47 | |
| Structure | 41 | |
| Visibility | 30 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Kia Optima.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2016 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2016 Kia Optima version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Optima 1.6 L Automatic (AM7) | 28 | 37 | 31 | $2,150 |
| Optima 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 22 | 31 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Optima 2.4 L Automatic (S6) | 24 | 34 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Optima FE 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 22 | 31 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Optima FE 2.4 L Automatic (S6) | 25 | 36 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Optima Hybrid 2.4 L Automatic (AM6) | 35 | 38 | 37 | $1,800 |
| Optima Hybrid EX 2.4 L Automatic (AM6) | 35 | 38 | 36 | $1,850 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.