While we were driving home (3 people in my car), with no notice, my car lost complete acceleration and broke down while we were on the highway. We hardly had notice to understand what was happening, let alone the other cars/people behind us on the highway where we almost got hit before being able to pull over to the side of the highway. We then had to wait for a tow-truck, again, on the shoulder of a very busy highway. Later, I came to find out that this was "sudden and unexpected engine failure" that occurs in multiple models of Kia and Hyundai that was included in the Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation, Case No. 8:17-cv-00838, and Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II, No. 8:18-cv-02223-JLS-JDE, New Theta II Class Action Lawsuit. Unfortunately, this was the first time I had heard of this, as I'd never received any recalls or notices for my car around this, even though my car is a part of this. As I am in contact with Kia Customer Care attempting to resolve this issue - which has been an awful experience so far - they have informed me that the RECALL CAMPAIGN PI1802B - PI1802 ECU UPGRADE - is a "product improvement" instead of a safety issue, in which I COMPLETELY disagree! This put the 3 people inside my car at the time of the engine failure in danger on the highway with zero notice except for when it happened, as well as the other people/cars on the highway surrounding my car. Clearly this has been a much wider issue for Kia and Hyundai that has called for class action lawsuits, and my experience has been terrible so far trying to get this resolved. I'm extremely unhappy with their customer service and "help" this far, and even more upset that this did cause safety issues that it feels they don't care at all about correcting or taking care of their customers.
2016 Kia Optima engine complaints
Page 7 of 16: complaints 161 to 190 of 445, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Engine light is blinking
My Kia Optima randomly stops working while driving. I get a notice that says, "HEV: Check Hybrid System. Stop Vehicle and Turn Off Engine." Also the gas pedal stops working, leaving me to try to coast to safety. The car essentially stops working in the middle of driving, without warning. Once this happened and blew out the spark plug, requiring a new one. Then, a day or two later, the car returns to normal. The Kia dealership could not reproduce the problem, nor could my service center. They say it's fine. I took my car in for previous recalls, and it is currently "up to date." This appears to be the same electrical issue as a recent recall for electrical failure, but the dealership told me the spark plug was fine and that I should change the battery. I did and this still happened. I do not feel safe driving this car, and Kia won't help me find the problem.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle failed to go over 2,000 RPM. The vehicle was shaking and shuddering violently. There was a loud knocking sound detected at 1,500 RPM. There was an abnormal odor detected from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated and flashing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced on three occasions. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, who replaced the engine and catalytic converter. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Kia Coughlin of Lancaster (784 N Columbus St., Lancaster, OH 43130), where it was diagnosed and determined that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 144,635.
Loss of power. Was driving across a 4 lane intersection and the vehicle lost power. The engine light came on. I stopped and check the oil and it was 2 quarts low. We had just changed oil less than 2,000 mikes ago. I tool the car to parts store and they said it was a p0309 code. That #4 cylinder misfire. It was either coil or spark plug. I replaced both coil and spark plugs 15,000 miles ago. The plug was covered in oil had black oiley substance covered on the spark area. I had similar loss of power due to oil burning 15,000 miles ago. The car has 97,720. This is an ongoing safety issue.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle after several attempts, the contact checked the engine and checked the oil level and found that the oil was extremely low. The contact added 3-quarts of oil and was able to start the vehicle. The contact observed that the vehicle would intermittently lose power and nearly stalled. The contact became aware that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and was adding 2-quarts of oil every two weeks. The contact checked for oil leaks and found none. The contact stated that the check oil warning light had illuminated once. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where an oil consumption test was conducted. The consumption test determined that the vehicle was consuming a high amount of oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Purchased this car in July of this year. I checked all fluids prior to purchase and after driving it for 30 days the oil light flicked then went off. I decided to check the oil and it was 2 quarts low. I immediately called my extended warranty and they said to take it to the shop. After it being there for 3 months they said it was the rings in the piston and it needed a new motor. They referred to it as excessive oil consumption. Of course the warranty company Old Republic refused to cover it because it’s a on going issue with this model car.
Car is leaking oil. It is not only visible but I can smell it as well. Visibly it looks like its leaking onto the heat shield. This is very dangerous as heat shield gets extremely hot since it is over the exhaust. Also visible are the stains on my driveway. Additionally, I have been measuring oil levels and it is dropping slowly.
Engine cuts out while driving. Engine light comes on. Unavailable to turn on hazard blinkers. Can restart engine after a few minutes . Also gas mileage has gone down.
When accelerating the car will randomly loose all power from the engine. The electrical systems will stay on but the car RPMs will drop to zero. The accelerator will not provide acceleration when being pressed. The car has to be turned off and then turned back on for power to be restored. The check engine light, the oil light and another warning light will come on.
We have had two motor replacements in less than 6 months that we have owned this vehicle for the first one started started a knocking noise right after a flashing check engine light both Kia is by us totus will we can't get it in today wouldn't give us a rental and was going to charge us for a diagnostics fee right up front and told us it would still be a few days before they could get it in so we had no choice but to continue driving it not even 2 days later left my fiance on the side of the road wouldn't start wouldn't do nothing engine seized Kia dealer number one put the motor put it back together wrong and then when it seized again in less than 5,000 mi try telling us that they weren't responsible well if we did the engine again give it back to us notice that the ignition coils were not put on properly and orbital down properly You're still an electrical issue and the engines are starting to do the engine is starting to do the same as engine one and two. What I don't understand is why don't Kia just completely recall the entire car and take it off to fucking market and replace the people replace the cars that have that still have people owning them
Lurches at highway speeds and nearly stalled.
I found my car on a list of recalls. The recall is the federal safety agency ID: 23V-652000. Why was I not notified of this recall. This is a serious recall that Kia has no fix for. I can't believe that Kia is putting people and families at risk. This plan that Kia has is ridiculous and unprofessional. You want people to park cars outside of there garages. That does not work. Kia needs a better plan and thats to come up with a fix and NOW!
it appears the engine is burning oil or leaking. I have been needing to fill up with oil every 1,000 miles. There is a very faint smell of burning every now and then. I was told by Kia that the oil pump needed to be replaced along side with the oil pan, i had that replaced at in independent shop however it still seems to be having the same issue. No risk to me while driving
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and making an abnormal knocking sound. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to the residence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was trailered to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
my 2016 kia optima start at 60000 miles was using about a qt.ever 800-1000 miles under the 10yr. 100000 warranty they replaced the motor with about 80000 miles on it now with new motor now with about 80000 miles on 2nd.motor it doing the something they did all text now at 1000 miles I'm using about 3qt. after all the tests they say nothing they can do.was told after test was done if all checked out nothing they could do it did not pass they would replace motor when test started i was using 2-qt. every 1000 miles after they did there combustion cleaning i felled test and now use 3-qt. every 1000 mile now back 2 sq. 1 nothing they can do. ANY HELP WITH THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREAT!
Driving 80 miles an hour several hours from home on a major interstate and my car shut off. Pulled over on side of interstate and check engine light came on and car won’t accelerate and is making a knocking noise
The motor is knock and no acceleration . Burning oil to much. Get oil change but adding oil everyday.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking violently. The contact pulled into a parking area where the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The contact also stated that the low-oil warning light was illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that frequent oil top off was needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The car fails to respond to throttle. It does it randomly every one in a while. It's very dangerous. There are no check engine lights or anything. The car can run for weeks beautiful and all of a sudden you hit the gas and the car doesn't move. It can take 3-4 seconds before it responds.
Vehicle Dash Check Engine Light came on 08/31/2023 Code P200A was found. Several weeks went by and vehicle started to hesitate pretty bad Vehicle was towed to Kia dealership on 10/04/2023 : Was told engine failure which needed replacement along with intake and several other required parts. Covered under Powertrain Warranty, vehicle was completed and ready for pick up on 10/17/2023 On 10/24/2023, on my way home from work, Dash Warning "Engine has overheated" has came on. Vehicle was towed back to original dealership. Kia reportedly found "air pocket" in cooling system. Vehicle was ready for pickup same day. On 10/30/2023, on my way to work, Dash Warning "Engine has overheated" has once again came on. Luckily I was able to get off the interstate and happened to be by a Kia dealership in the area. At this time, info is pending.
It started shaking really bad out of no where , then wasn’t going faster than 80 then down to 65 but wouldn’t go more than 80 with my foot all the way on the gas. As soon as I made it to work tonight the car cut off. I got a jump the car was still shaking & wouldn’t stay on if I let my foot off of the gas. I started it again without the cables but it cut right back off. I saw on cars.com it’s a recall for the similar thing, number Sc172. I have been having fuel leaks for a while and had my knock sensor replaced from a previous recall. Now I have no way home.
Car purchased in 11/2022 with roughly 60,000 miles. I have owned the car for about 11 months. When we took the car for its first oil change there was no oil registering on the dipstick. The engine began knocking before the second oil change was due and after checking the oil I needed to aff 4.5 quarts of oil. I took the car to my mechanic was informed that there was no oil leak and that KIA engines were known for oil consumption and engine failure. He recommended I take the car to a dealership. I spoke with KIA corporate at this point and they said the car needed an oil consumption test before they would possibly help me. I scheduled an appointment at a Kia dealer for the test and when I took the car on 10/26/2023. They started it and refused to do the oil consumption test stating that the engine was ruined and it wasn't safe to drive. They quoted me nearly $10,000 to replace the engine, and stated that while other 2016 Optimas were covered under a recall for the exact same problem, my car is not covered under the recall and is not warranted therefore they will not help me. I paid over $15,000 for this car 11 months ago and it is nearly worthless, with a 10K repair it is worth 10K.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after driving approximately 60 MPH for 20-30 minutes, the vehicle would start shaking abnormally. While driving approximately 40 MPH or less, the check engine warning light would become illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who noticed that there was no oil in the engine which caused engine failure. The contact stated the vehicle had received an oil change less than 3 months prior to the failure. The contact was informed that the KSDS sensor had failed and caused the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine and KSDS sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The body shop later informed me that there is a recall for engine fire recently,but my year/make is not listedin the info obtained online. The car started stalling while driving down the off. Smoke started coming through the vents. I pulled over to the side of the highway. A passerby told me that the car was on fire. Called 911. To note I had just picked the car up from Jim marsh Kia for battery replacement and problems with steering after the car was stolen in July. I had no previous issues with my car other than routine maintenance which I have records for.
I most recently started noticing that my oil changes were not lasting at around 46,174 miles. I found this to unusual in a car with low mileage. I had to result to buying oil from a local store. The light indicator started coming on when ever I apply the brakes. When I checked my oil, it was completely dry. So I started monitoring the oil intake, even after I had oil changes at the dealership in which I mentioned that it appears to be taking in an excessive amount of oil. What I noticed was that I was adding oil every week. I did not detect any outward appearance of a leak. In addition, I experienced on several occasion what felt like the car was having a seizure. As soon as I filled up the gas tank. The car froze up, steering wheel would not move and the car was in drive but not accelerating. I immediately shut the engine off, then restarted the car. That seem to alleviate the problem for that time. It then got really bad, that it shook and was running rough as if it was falling apart. So I drove it the dealership, explained the two problems I had, running rough and a high level of oil being used in between oil changes. I was given a diagnosis on cylinders misfiring and needing spark plugs replacement, and ignition coils. Nothing about the oil issue. I was later told that would be an additional diagnosis charge to check. I asked about engine warranty and possible complaints or recalls, and was told that my issues would not be covered under the warranty. I purchased the items they indicated needed to be addressed and took my car to someone else. That's where it was discovered, when the spark plugs were removed, that oil was sitting in each pocket or cup that holds the spark plugs. All of them were soaked in oil. Though the spark plugs have been replaced and the rough shaking of the car has subsided, the acceleration is still questionable and I'm still having to fill my car with oil weekly. I'm not due for oil change until 51,174 miles and I'm currently at 51, 098.
Emergency break stopped working. Engine misfires and heavy oil consumption or burning to quickly. Gets really really hot more than normal than any other car I owned.
Engine failure, high oil consumption, already failed to operate properly on interstate, dealership said nothing was wrong and charged me $160. Two months later, the vehicle failed again, but this time the engine sounded like it was going to blow and barely made it off the road.
At 95000 car had problem accelerating and then all of a sudden on the side of the road did that 2 had 2 engine rebuilds done no but the problem is still there and the fuses all look burnt and half my lights don't work.
Burning oil. Took to a mechanic. Blow by engine
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