Kia Optima Complaints (2016)

764 consumer complaints on file.

#11445086December 27, 2021
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION: OIL COOLER
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and checked the oil level of the vehicle with the assistance of her son. The contact stated that her son noticed that the vehicle did not have oil on the dipstick. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys who had previously refilled the oil and the oil was refilled; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle back after 1,000 miles. The dealer also advised the contact to not open the oil cap per the manufacturer's instructions. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that oil was leaking in the engine compartment and an unknown part needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000. Consumer stated mechanic put new oil valve gasket. Paid 300+ to put new gasket.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445143December 27, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
All four of my window regulators/and or motors have died within months of each other. First it was my back two, now my front two have gone and don’t stay up. I don’t have children nor frequent passengers. I find it mind boggling that all four of my windows have to be repaired. It is completely unsafe that my windows just drop at any given moment, especially if it’s pouring raining or even at night when it’s locked my personal stuff isn’t safe inside.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11444347December 19, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
First my driver side back window wouldn’t roll up or down. It just sags and falls down everytime I drive so I duck taped it until I could afford to get it fixed. Now a month later, the passenger back seat is doing this exact same thing. There is over 100 articles of people talking about this exact problem with 2016-2017 Kia Optimas and I read apparently Kia is even aware as they sent out an alert to dealerships about it or something along those lines? Well that’s all great and dandy but what about the people who already have the car and are dealing with the problems? I have 2 kids under 2 and it’s a tough financial time. Even with the duct tape, it doesn’t always hold and the window will fall down on the highway and my son starts screaming crying cause its loud and the hard wind hits his face. This should be resolved. It shouldn’t take more than like 5 people complaining about the same thing for it to be deeply looked into and fixed. There’s well over 100 people talking about online like I said.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11440433November 15, 2021
ENGINE
my engine started making a knocking noise so i get off the freeway and had my car towed to the dealership and they Confirm that the engine is making a knocking noise but they denied the engine replacement just because it didn’t have the software update done i have only had this car since july i had no idea of this or it would have been taken care of i make sure all my cars are up to date on every repair that it may need
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11440078November 10, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I experienced sudden acceleration while attempting to park our car. The car was double parked waiting for my husband to move a car so I could park in that space. I put my foot on the brake to put the car in drive. I start to pull forward and the car takes off and I eventually crashed into my apartment building. I remember having my foot on the break to stop the car and could not. The sudden acceleration caused damage to the building inside and out. I did do some research and saw there are others who have experienced the same thing across different models of Kia.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11439579November 6, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oil light comes on after oil change. Check engine light comes on and the car feels like it going to quit or stall when going down high way.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11439375November 4, 2021
ENGINE
My car has been burning oil and progressively got worse. The oil lamp light would only blink for a few seconds and turn off to indicate the oil tank was low. I would be around 3 quarts of oil low every 2,000 miles. I have taken my vehicle to the KIA dealership and started the process of a oil consumption test to build a case. After some maintenance work and coming due to check back with the dealer for the 3rd engine oil test, the engine light illuminated. I checked my oil level to make sure there was oil in there and after restarting my car the light turned off. 4 days later my car stalled when coming to a stop. After a few minutes I was able to power my car back on and drive it safely home. The car was taken to the Dealership I have been going to in San Bernardino. I let them know I had checked the oil dipstick after the engine light was on before the stall and they told me I would have to start the engine consumption test over for taking out the dipstick, altering the test. My car has been at the dealership for 4 days with no word on why my engine stalled but I can pick up my car today after they do an oil change to begin the oil consumption test again. They asked that I drive 1,000 miles and bring it back for a final check on the oil per KIA's instruction. In the meantime I have to hope that my car will not stall again possibly causing a wreck harming myself and others or that my engine will not fail before the 1,000 miles are up. If I make it to 1,000 I am hoping KIA will honor the powertrain warranty and fix the engine, but my hope is fading. Although a settlement for similar issues has been made in favor of KIA owners, my problems are occurring after the settlement date.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438984November 1, 2021
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Misfire– oil on the spark plug caused misfire. check engine light came on. OBDII scanner show a P0302 trouble code. Eventually the engine misfired enough and lead to a backfire. This also led to Decreased Fuel Mileage, Catalytic Converter Damage, and Blue Exhaust Smoke.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438220October 26, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Rear passenger window failed in June 2021 and cost $700 to fix, not under warranty per dealer. Replaced the window regulator unfortunately, I did not ask for the old part. One week later the rear window on the driver side failed in the same manner. Motor can be heard running and window drops down on it's own. My first fear was I was ripped off and dealer only switched the two parts because what are the chances? Having just spent $700 I did not return immediately but within 2-weeks, before making the appointment the passenger front window breaks! So at that point I start thinking a there must be a recall and start checking. I don't learn the cause of the issue until last month, Sept when the final window gave up as well. Not having the driver door window in FL where I drive on bridges is a hazard. I learned that a "plastic on plastic gear mechanism" fails over time. I am single and rarely have anyone in the rear seats so those gears crumbled from lack of use! KIA changed the design in 2018 due to failures but is failing to take care of earlier models costing owners thousands in repairs. I am the original owner, the car was 5-years old Feb 2021 and the car is garaged at work and home. These should be recalled no one should have to pay thousands in repairs when clearly this is defective and dangerous. All of the windows broke while the car was driving down the road. I live in Florida and this happened during storm season. Very luckily for the interior it wasn't raining as the windows were in the down position when they would not return to closed. I drive over Tampa Bay every day for work so not having working windows is dangerous. Someone should hold KIA accountable they know they are defective. I heard from a Hyundai owner they have the same problem, no surprise KIA owns Hyundai! I bet they changed that design too! My car is garaged work & home so likely helped mine from crumbling under warranty. Please recall window regulators!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437036October 17, 2021
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Air bag light came on after I also began having issues with blind spot detection warning lights. ABS lights on as well. Took vehicle to Kia Dealer in Gainesville GA and they told me it was the left rear wheel sensor. Wanted $800 to repair ( no longer under warranty). Took vehicle to my mechanic, who ordered the part and replaced sensor. ABS lights & BSD lights went off for almost 2 weeks, then came back on. Air bag light has not gone off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11436932October 15, 2021
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the daytime running headlight would inadvertently blink on and off and turn off. The contact was unable to drive the vehicle at night due to the failure. Also, the rear driver’s and passenger’s side windows were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not replicate the headlight failure. The dealer replaced both rear windows. However, the failure recurred with the front driver’s and passenger’s side windows. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11436819October 14, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
There have been 2 occasions while driving at night with the headlights on auto that the lights have gone off for no apparent reason. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I was driving on a major highway and was not able to get to the side of the road. The entire dash went out. This was very dangerous as I could not see anything in front of me. After jiggling the turn signal switch the lights did come back on. I have taken the car into a dealership and also into an independent service center to have the problem addressed. Neither location was able to reproduce the incident. The best guess from the dealer was a headlight switch and from the independent service center their guess was possible an ignition switch. Both of the estimates were unable to confirm that replacing the switch would correct the problem. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11435959October 7, 2021
ENGINE
The contact owns 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after an oil change on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact that there was only a ½ quart of oil in the engine prior to the oil change. A few weeks after the oil change was performed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and checked and noticed that the oil level was very low. The contact added 4 quarts of oil to the engine to fix the failure however, the failure recurred. The contact was concerned about the excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11435002September 30, 2021
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving the car on the high way when I suddenly heard a strange noise from the engine with a shake in the car then the car completely switched to the hybrid engine from the gas one. The hybrid battery was depleted within a minute or two but I was able to put the car on the side of the high was before it completely stopped moving. After that whenever I press on the gas pedal nothing happened there was zero propulsion. I took the car for inspection the hybrid battery was depleted so it got replaced but then the engine itself isn't working and apparently there is a metallic parts in the oil My car is available for inspection if needed It was definitely unsafe to break down in the middle of the highway I believe the normal non hybrid car had a recall issue with the engine and the hybrid has the exact gas engine the 2.4L one The car wasn't inspected yet by the dealership as it is hard to get an appointment The car had 2 codes before breaking they were P0014 and P0420 they appeared approximately 2 weeks before the incident
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434582September 27, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving at night lights turned on of course then all of sudden they turned off I couldn't see i had to slam my brakes on almost crashed and this is the 3 time this has happened I usually don't drive at night so I didn't notice this problem as a problem I was thinking maybe it was the street lights were to bright and caused them to turn off but on a very dark street with no lights and it happened again then I realized this is a serious problem but this has happened the times I have drove at night. This is very dangerous for this to happen it is going to cause someone to lose their life if it hasn't happened already. This really needs to be looked into a recall for this issue. Please fix
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434314September 25, 2021
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Since purchasing this car I’ve had to have electrical repairs done every year. If it’s not the seat it’s the window. If it’s not the window it’s the dash. A couple of days ago my husband said he noticed that the oil in the car was running low really fast. We had just done an oil change on the car not even 30 days prior to this. We were driving late at night back from a work trip when al of a sudden the check engine light came on and the motor started to shake and a thudding noise was getting louder. We were able to pull over and saw that there was literally no oil in the car. No warning nothing. Again we had just had an oil change not even 30 days prior. My father had to come tow us home an hour and a half away because he was worried with the sounds it was making that it might blow. There was smoke coming from the exhaust and the motor was shaking like it had no control. I’ve read multiple issues just like this one and of course my car just passed warranty. I’m not even done paying the car off. This should be an issue Kia has to fix by now with so many similar complaints. It’s dangerous and fraud. I’m just lucky the car was able to pull over safely as my husband and our 8 month old were in the car with me. Please help get this fixed. I’m now out of a car that’s only 5 years old and not paid off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434039September 23, 2021
ENGINE
2016 Optima with 111K miles: 7/17/19 car received ECU upgrade for the KSDS system. After upgrade, on 5/23/2020 at 90K miles, the car started to shake/knock, engine light came on, car went in to limp mode, car was taken back to the Kia dealer, code was recorded as P1326, another update was performed, and due to excessive damage bearings were replaced. Car performed ok until 9/22/21, again the car started to shake violently (bucking), loud knocking sound, engine light came on, went into limp mode, was pulled over immediately, dealership contacted, car driven directly there (3 miles). Notified at 4:30pm "there was a complete failure of the 'Fuel Injector System' and needed replacement". Was told that the "entire fuel injector system failed allowing fuel to soak and flood into the cylinder and spark plugs". This was ALARMING. Luckily, we knew to pull the car over and keep the RPMs below 1500, and only traveled a few miles. Had we been driving for a while, or the engine had been hot I do not think a rupture of the entire fuel injection system that again is located in the cylinders of the engine would have ended well. Kia Service now telling me the "Lifetime Warranty" on engine is not applicable bc a code did not get captured. The fact that my car previously captured that code speaks to the fact that the engine was faulty on production, misaligned, allowing damage to occur from mile 1 on. ECU upgrades and replaced bearings do not remove the damage that was previously sustained by the migration of metal shavings throughout the engine compartment for the 90,000 miles before it was detected and repairs were made. While the "Lifetime Warranty" speaks to engine replacement and engine repairs the original class action suit was due to engine fires, which you all (NHTSA) determined in its reporting that the exact cause of the fires in all cases was “undetermined”; noting dealers should be looking at fuel and or oil leaks within the engine. This is alarming to say the least.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433589September 20, 2021
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
Without heavy use (I don’t often have passengers in the back seat), driver side rear window regulator/motor failed in May, causing the rear window to fall into the door while driving. This is a major safety issue as anything can go through the car - rain or debris. It was roughly $600. This weekend, the same thing happened to another window out of the blue while having my dog in the back who nearly jumped out after it fell into the door. Now, the part is backordered and the Kia dealership has said it could be months before the window can be repaired and they offer no solution on how to keep the window up in the meantime. This is an expensive safety issue and should not be failing in multiple windows. My car only has 65k miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433227September 16, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights, set in AUTO, randomly will briefly go dark at night while the vehicle is in motion, putting driver at risk of night-time crash. Headlights can be re-illuminated by turning the lights off and back on. This issue has not been by dealer, service tech, or any other party. The issue occurred twice 9/15/2021, and once previously on an unknown date. There were no warning signs, dashboard lights, or any other indication of malfunction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432962September 14, 2021
AIR BAGS
A straight line crack about 4 inches long appeared suddenly on my dash. Upon doing some online research, I found that the crack is directly over the dash mounted airbag. I took the vehicle to the local KIA dealer and they said it was not covered by the warranty. My concern is that the crack may impede the deployment of the airbag in a critical situation. I feel it should be investigated because there are a lot of exact same complains on the internet concerning a crack at the same location.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Kia Optima