2016 Kia Optima Hybrid Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ENGINE
2
1fires
POWER TRAIN
2
1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
1fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
Total complaints6

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“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…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2025-10-05

“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…”

ENGINE · reported 2025-10-05

“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…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2025-10-05

“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…”

EXTERIOR LIGHTING · reported 2019-05-21

“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…”

ENGINE · reported 2019-03-03

“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…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2016-05-15

Defect investigations

Investigation DP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12

Loss of Motive Power

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…

Investigation DP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07

Pedestrian alert sounds

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…

Investigation EA19001 Opened 2019-04-19 · closed 2024-09-19

Electrical overstress

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…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.