2016 Kia Optima

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

• 23V594000 2023-08-24

  Recall 23V594000

  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."

  Recorded model years: 2016

• 18V907000 2018-12-19

  Recall 18V907000

  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…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• 17V007000 2017-01-06

  Recall 17V007000

  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.

  Recorded model years: 2016

Showing 3 of 5 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 22 records exist for the Kia Optima where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

• 11034003 2026-06-08

  CS2312_TSB_R2

  TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 20,…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• 11031854 2026-04-04

  SC340_TSB_R5

  VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Electronic Control Module ‘ECM’ system software for certain 2016-2020MY Optima, 2016-2020MY Sorento, 2017-2022MY…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• 11030390 2026-03-17

  SC340_OWNR_JF&JFA_104

  VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 104 ) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic Control Module (ECM) for certain 2016-2020 MY Optima vehicles equipped with 2.4L Gas Direct Injection (GDI) engines to ensure compliance with emissions regulations.

  Recorded model years: 2016

Showing 3 of 226 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 677 records exist for the Kia Optima where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

• DP22003 2022-09-12

  Loss of Motive Power

  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• DP21003 2021-11-12

  Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra,…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• EA19001 2019-04-19

  Electrical overstress

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The…

  Recorded model years: 2016

A further 11 records exist for the Kia Optima where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

• 2023476 2023-08-28

  Transport Canada recall 2023476

  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…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• 2023275 2023-05-08

  Transport Canada recall 2023275

  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…

  Recorded model years: 2016

• 2021424 2021-07-09

  Transport Canada recall 2021424

  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…

  Recorded model years: 2016

Showing 3 of 6 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 18 records exist for the Kia Optima where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

754 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

• reports mentioning a crash 27
• reports mentioning a fire 19
• reported injuries 21
• reported fatalities 1

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

• Engine448 (41.5%)Official recall records for this system: 15, covering model years 2011–2020.
• Electrical system103 (9.5%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 2001–2016.
• Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)73 (6.8%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 2006–2018.
• Fuel system61 (5.7%)Official recall records for this system: 8, covering model years 2002–2018.
• Lights47 (4.4%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2008–2011.
• Body & structure40 (3.7%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 2012–2018.
• Visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors)38 (3.5%)
• Speed control & accelerator29 (2.7%)

Other / uncategorized: 122 classifications (11.3%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 7,486 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.