2016 Kia Optima: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Optima. The newest campaign is 23V594000. NHTSA received the report on 24 Aug 2023. The NHTSA record gives the component Latches/Locks/Linkages / Trunk Lid / Latch. NHTSA has 65 complaints on file for this model year. 3 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 23V594000, in the NHTSA record

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.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 15 May 2019. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

5 campaigns, newest first. 403,321 units in total.

23V59400024 Aug 2023Latches/Locks/Linkages / Trunk Lid / Latch
18V90700019 Dec 2018Engine
17V0070006 Jan 2017Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
16V7050003 Oct 2016Power Train / Axle Assembly / Axle Shaft
16V23100021 Apr 2016Air Bags / Frontal

23V594000Received 24 Aug 2023. 319,436 units.
Latches/Locks/Linkages / Trunk Lid / Latch
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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."
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Kia America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number SC278. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 19 Oct 2023.
18V907000Received 19 Dec 2018. 71,653 units.
Engine
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Kia Motors America. Manufacturer campaign number SC172. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 17 Jan 2019.
17V007000Received 6 Jan 2017. 1 unit.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Kia Motors America. Manufacturer campaign number SC143. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Jan 2017.
16V705000Received 3 Oct 2016. 12,214 units.
Power Train / Axle Assembly / Axle Shaft
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Kia Motors America. Manufacturer campaign number SC139. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 30 Nov 2016.
16V231000Received 21 Apr 2016. 17 units.
Air Bags / Frontal
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the second stage air bag does not deploy it increases the risk of injury or death.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Kia Motors America. Manufacturer campaign number SC131. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 6 May 2016.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

65 complaints, 98 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2016 Kia Optima
All 2016 vehicles

2016 Kia Optima: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2016 Optima	All 2016 vehicles	Optima, all years	Mentions
Engine	204.1	119.7	181	20
Power Train	153.1	128.6	54.6	15
Air Bags	91.8	48.1	100.8	9
Electrical System	91.8	100.4	95.6	9
Unknown or Other	81.6	120.5	46.9	8
Vehicle Speed Control	71.4	54.3	32.4	7
Exterior Lighting	61.2	33.3	37.5	6
Seats	51	12.6	7.9	5
Structure	51	49.7	61	5
Service Brakes	30.6	76.8	23	3

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 16.

Complaints that report a crash: 13
Complaints that report a fire: 4
Injuries in the complaints: 13
Deaths in the complaints: 1
Date of the newest complaint: 13 May 2019

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2016 Kia Optima, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2018, with 30 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2016 Kia Optima
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
DP22003	Defect petition	Loss of Motive Power	Engine	12 Sep 2022	12 Dec 2023
DP21003	Defect petition	Throttle control system vulnerabilities	Vehicle Speed Control / Throttle	12 Nov 2021	20 Jun 2023
EA19001	Engineering analysis	Electrical overstress	Air Bags / Air Bag/Restraint Control Module	19 Apr 2019	19 Sep 2024	20V024

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2016 Kia OptimaThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2016 Kia Optima: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/kia/optima/2016/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 15 May 2019
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: Kia America, Inc.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Optima?: 403,321 units in 5 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Kia Optima have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 22 recall campaigns for the Kia Optima, model years 2001 to 2019. 5 of them name the 2016 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2016 Kia Optima name most often?: Engine: 20 of 98 component mentions, or 204.1 per 1,000. For all 2016 vehicles the figure is 119.7 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2016 Kia Optima open?: No. Each of the 3 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.