2016 Kia Optima Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Car stop accelerating when I went to get my oil change the shop reported my engine eating up my oil found out kia have a recall on engine
The car is leaking a massive amount of oil. This was accompanied by a warning light for low oil levels. Problems started in the summer/fall of 2024. It is available for inspection upon request. An independent mechanic has confirmed the leak and replaced the spark plugs in September 2024 ago, and the oil was changed as part of regular maintenance in October 2024, but the car is still leaking oil (just had to add 2.5 quarts of oil after the check oil light came on again). The mechanic suggested I check for related recalls and report the issue.
The check engine light came on in the car. Upon having it checked at a local automotive shop, we discovered that the thermostat assembly is malfunctioning. This can cause the engine to overheat and shut off at any time which of course would be a severe danger. Additionally, a bad thermostat assembly in Kia vehicles can lead to engine overheating or overcooling, potentially causing engine damage and even a fire risk. Upon searching, this appears to be a common issue with the 2016 Kia Optima.
Valve 3 does not have compression sent to private mechanic. Sent to KIA was told this is not covered under warranty for new engines went to say that intrest rates are down for new used cars. After some research this could be caused by engine recall.
Car has been consuming way more oil than usual which caused engine failed and I’ve filed several complaints with Kia America few years before engine failure with concerns of how much money I was spending in oil
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while coming to a stop, the vehicle leaned forward as if the engine had moved abnormally too far forward out of position. The contact stated that her boyfriend attempted to roll down the passenger’s side window; however, the window failed to open as intended. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact attempted to take the vehicle to the local independent dealer where it was purchased; however, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The vehicle was towed to the local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown and there was a hole in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact diagnosed the failure and related the failure to the motor mount, alternator bracket, and in need of an intake manifold replacement. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the local dealer. The vehicle was given back to the local independent dealer and the vehicle was repaired and put up for sale. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,086. The VIN was not available.
My 2016 KIA Optima is burning 5quarts of oil very fast every 2,000 miles. When I put oil in my car then 2 weeks later or a few weeks past, my car empty from oil
1. Burning Oil Issue: I began noticing excessive oil consumption in my vehicle at approximately [130,000], with the need for frequent oil top-offs. I made multiple visits to my local dealership and reported the issue, but no lasting solution was offered. This burning issue is a known issue due to position ring failure. 2.Catalytic Converter Failure: Due to the excessive oil burning, the oil eventually began to damage the catalytic converter. This caused significant issues with the performance of my vehicle, including [specific symptoms such as loss of power, poor acceleration, engine misfire, etc.]. 3.Engine Failure: As the oil-burning issue continued, the damage to the catalytic converter worsened, leading to a total engine failure. I am left with a car that is no longer operational, and I believe that these issues are the result of a persistent defect in the engine that should have been addressed under warranty or a recall.
I was driving on 295 and my engine light came on. My car started shaking when I was accelerating and when I don’t accelerate it stops. When I come to a complete stop the car jerks back and forth acting like it wants to stall… I’m waiting on a call back from my mechanic on their diagnostic results
Vehicle has been burning oil excessively for the last 3 years until engine finally went out
Engine sludge and failure. Engine part failure p0010 began happening within 1 year of Kia engine replacement. It is available for inspection. This creates a problem with acceleration in the vehicle, putting my family's and my safety at risk. This problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The check engine light is one. This part failure and engine sludge (despite consistent maintenance) has caused engine failure again, just 3 years after replacement.
Engine started making a knocking noise. Took the car to a machine that agreed this is the same issue that other Kia's have had. Those Kia's engines were on recall but for my year, it is not on recall. Even though it's the same exact issue. Car maintenance is up to date.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY, ALMOST GOT REARENDED BUY A VEHICLE FROM BEHIND, VERY SCARRY! CAR IS AT THE KIA DEALER GETTING DIAGNOSED.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was advised to complete an oil consumption test. The contact declined. The contact stated that upon driving approximately 500 miles after the oil change was performed on the vehicle, there was no oil left in the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that oil was leaking onto the spark plug. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Driving vehicle down the highway and engine seized up without any warning. According to Kia cooperate the vehicle could have experience a "bent rod failure". This was confirmed by a nearby Kia dealership service tech.
The car has been burning a qt of oil every 4-5 days. Now it stalls when changing gears and won't go faster than 45 MPH.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shuddering and making a loud clanking sound. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the diagnostic test result was undisclosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 129,104.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a scheduled service and the contact was informed that while the vehicle was running, the engine was vibrating abnormally. The contact was informed that the rattling might have been caused by the abnormal vibration of the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine was replaced in 2023 under an undisclosed recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
To whom it might concern. My car suddenly started burning a lot oil every 800 miles I had to change the oil twice a month and I have contacted Kia number of times and took the car to the dealer but no one helped me until last month when I was driving the car and suddenly the engine stops while I was in the highway and almost got hit by a truck and was a death near experience and I am still suffering from that incident mentally. Please notice Kia knew about the car problem and refused by all means to help me and now they refusing to acknowledge they defect with their cars and meanwhile I am left with near death experience and 8k dollars to buy a new engine .
UNKNOWN ISSUE: Car shut off while driving and would not crank back up. In fact it didn’t respond to the key turn at all. SENSOR reads the code p0014 which can mean costly repairs.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud knocking sound and experienced reduced engine power. The contact stated that the engine failed to exceed 2,000 RPM. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Engine light is blinking
Unknown, per kia website, P1326 engine code- bad engine, kia will cover all faults and cost associated to this code, including branded title vehicles. But, because my car has a branded title, kia dealership is saying no they won't do anything.. please help
Check Engine light on due to too much oil consumption of engine per mechanic
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Quick Summary
The 2016 Kia Optima has 279 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.