Model year 2016 · Large Cars, Midsize Cars

2016 Kia Optima: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 Kia Optima at 25–37 mpg combined across 7 versions. NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 764 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

25–37

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as OPTIMA HYBRID.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Kia dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 Kia Optima recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 5 safety recalls for the 2016 Kia Optima, newest first.

Latches/locks/linkages: Trunk lid: Latch

NHTSA 23V594000 Reported Aug 24, 2023

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC278)
Units affected: 319,436 (estimate)
Problem: 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: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Engine and 1 more component

NHTSA 18V907000 Reported Dec 19, 2018

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC172)
Components: Engine; Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Units affected: 71,653 (estimate)
Problem: 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: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module

NHTSA 17V007000 Reported Jan 6, 2017

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC143)
Units affected: 1 (estimate)
Problem: 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: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Power train: Axle assembly: Axle shaft

NHTSA 16V705000 Reported Oct 3, 2016

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC139)
Units affected: 12,214 (estimate)
Problem: 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: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Frontal

NHTSA 16V231000 Reported Apr 21, 2016

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC131)
Units affected: 17 (estimate)
Problem: 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: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 Kia Optima fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 Kia Optima EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Optima	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 7-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	28/37/31 mpg	$2,150	286
Optima	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	22/31/25 mpg	$2,700	360
Optima	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/34/28 mpg	$2,400	320
Optima FE	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	22/31/25 mpg	$2,700	355
Optima FE	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	25/36/29 mpg	$2,300	308
Optima Hybrid	2.4L 4-cyl hybrid	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	35/38/37 mpg	$1,800	242
Optima Hybrid EX	2.4L 4-cyl hybrid	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	35/38/36 mpg	$1,850	247

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 Kia Optima crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Kia Optima NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2016 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.8%	Optional
2016 Kia Optima Hybrid 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.6%	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 Kia Optima owner complaints

Owners have filed 764 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Optima, most recently on Oct 22, 2026. 27 mention a crash, 21 a fire, 21 injured people and 1 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 Kia Optima complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	428
Unknown or other	121
Electrical system	102
Power train	75
Fuel/propulsion system	53
Exterior lighting	45
Structure: Body	40
Vehicle speed control	28
Air bags	24
Steering	24

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Kia Optima model years

Kia Optima by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2020 Optima	24–42 mpg	0	153	5/5
2019 Optima	24–41 mpg	1	213	5/5
2018 Optima	25–42 mpg	3	244	5/5
2017 Optima	25–42 mpg	4	306	5/5
2015 Optima	24–37 mpg	4	1,020	5/5

All Kia Optima years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 Kia models

2016 Kia Cadenza 2016 Kia Forte 2016 Kia K900 2016 Kia Rio 2016 Kia Sedona 2016 Kia Sorento 2016 Kia Soul 2016 Kia Sportage

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Kia.