Model year record
2016 Kia Optima Hybrid recalls & problems
The 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 4 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is power train (2 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
2016 Kia Optima Hybrid 4 DR FWD
| Frontal crash | ★★★★★ |
|---|---|
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover risk | 9.6% |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Optima Hybrid Hybrid
| City / highway | 35 / 38 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
2.4 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $1,800/year to fuel
Optima Hybrid EX Hybrid
| City / highway | 35 / 38 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
2.4 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $1,850/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 2 | — |
| Engine | 2 | — |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | — |
| Electrical system | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Electrical systemFire
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid, which caught fire and was completely destroyed on October 5, 2025. Incident Summary: While driving on a highway at approximately 65 mph, I noticed that the vehicle was not entering Hybrid Mode, which is abnormal for its typical operation. I reduced my speed to 45 mph, then down to 35 mph as I began to observe smoke coming from the vehicle. At no point did the vehicle show signs of overheating, and there was no Check Engine Light until shortly before I was able to safely pull over. Within moments of stopping the vehicle and exiting with my passenger, the vehicle was engulfed in flames…
- Exterior lighting
THE RIGHT PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WON'T WORK I CHANGED THE LIGHT BULB AND IT'S COMPLETELY OFF. AT FIRST WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE BULB THE LIGHT FLICKERED AND I THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT'VE NOT BEEN PUT ON ALL THE WAY OR IT MIGHT'VE BECAME LOOSE. BUT THEN IT WENT COMPLETELY OUT CAUSING A ROAD HAZARD AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS LIGHTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. IT ALSO HAS CAUSED ME TO BE PULLED OVER BY MANY POLICE WHEN I SHOULDN'T BE GOING THROUGH THIS OR ANYONE'S ONE ELSE THAT IS GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH KIA. THIS FIRST OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY COULD'VE BEEN A BAD SITUATION. IT COULD BE A BAD WIRING AS I READ FROM OTHER REPORTS BUT KIA HAS NOT DONE A RECALL. THIS SITUATION…
- Engine
FOR THE 2ND YEAR, MY KIA WOULD NOT START IN 32 DEGREE WEATHER IN BIG BEAR, CA. THIS IS AN ANNUAL TRIP & TOOK MY KIA.THE LIGHTS, RADIO ALL TURN ON BUT THE ENGINE WILL NOT START. I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NOON FOR THE SUN TO WARM UP THE CAR & THEN IT'S BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP & HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY CANNOT FIND ANY MALFUNCTION & NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE. THERE ARE MANY FORUMS WITH KIA OWNERS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME, BUT CANNOT GET A FIX OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS. IT'S BEYOND FRUSTRATING WHEN THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 40K MILES.
- Power train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO KIA DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (1945 S FIGUEROA ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90007) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO KIA DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO KIA DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES WHERE THE DEALER STATED THAT SOME WIRING INSIDE THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert soundsClosedLed to recall 22V063000
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review…
- Loss of Motive PowerClosed
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 the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003)…
- Electrical overstressClosedLed to recall 20V024
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 subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal,…