The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 5 official safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Optima in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Air Bags & Restraints, Body & Structure, Fuel & Propulsion System.
Key Recall Findings
- • Official Recall Campaigns: 5 campaigns on file with NHTSA
- • Primary Affected Subsystems: Air Bags & Restraints, Body & Structure, Fuel & Propulsion System
- • Official Remedy: Detailed per campaign in official NHTSA records below
- • Most Recent NHTSA Report: August 24, 2023
VIN-Specific Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). A campaign listing on this model-year page does not establish that every vehicle or trim is affected. Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is needed.
Vehicle Subsystem 2 campaigns
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records also contain 24 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Body & Structure
NHTSA records also contain 43 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Fuel & Propulsion System
NHTSA records also contain 62 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA records also contain 75 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Domain Mapping Methodology: A single NHTSA recall campaign may involve more than one vehicle subsystem (such as electrical wiring affecting fuel delivery), so domain totals can exceed the total number of unique recall campaigns. Complaint and recall counts are grouped by broad vehicle system; component co-occurrence does not establish that an individual owner complaint is related to a specific recall campaign.
NHTSA Campaign #23V594000 Body & Structure
Affected Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
NHTSA Report Date: August 24, 2023
Safety Defect Summary: 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."
Safety Risk / Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #18V907000 Fuel & Propulsion System
Affected Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
NHTSA Report Date: December 19, 2018
Safety Defect Summary: 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.
Safety Risk / Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #17V007000 Air Bags & Restraints
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
NHTSA Report Date: January 6, 2017
Safety Defect Summary: 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.
Safety Risk / Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #16V705000 Powertrain & Transmission
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
NHTSA Report Date: October 3, 2016
Safety Defect Summary: 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.
Safety Risk / Consequence: 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.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #16V231000 Air Bags & Restraints
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
NHTSA Report Date: April 21, 2016
Safety Defect Summary: 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.
Safety Risk / Consequence: If the second stage air bag does not deploy it increases the risk of injury or death.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Source Data Notice: Campaign summaries, safety consequences, and remedy descriptions are direct text extracts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation.
Historical Reporting Note: Recall campaign counts are shown by model year and should not be interpreted as a vehicle reliability score. Campaigns may cover multiple model years, and newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time for new safety campaigns to be issued.
Safety recall campaigns on this page are associated with this make, model, and model year in NHTSA federal records. A campaign may apply only to certain vehicles based on production date, equipment, manufacturing details, or other campaign-specific criteria.
AutoUtility cannot determine whether a particular VIN is affected or whether a recall remedy has already been completed.
For vehicle-specific recall status, check the 17-digit VIN using NHTSA's official recall lookup or contact an authorized dealer. Campaign-specific remedy information shown above is reproduced from official NHTSA recall records.
Official NHTSA Safety Resources:
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)