Kia Optima 2016–2020
4th generation · JF
NHTSA data through 12 August 20262,274 complaints, 717 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 22,450 and 94,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 2 complaints (0.3%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 5,000
- 25%
- 22,450
- Median
- 57,000
- 75%
- 94,000
- 90%
- 120,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 99 | 13.8% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 62 | 8.6% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 43 | 6.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 62 | 8.6% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 53 | 7.4% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 52 | 7.3% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 53 | 7.4% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 60 | 8.4% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 29 | 4.0% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 50 | 7.0% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 49 | 6.8% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 33 | 4.6% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 25 | 3.5% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 18 | 2.5% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 10 | 1.4% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 6 | 0.8% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 7 | 1.0% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 4 | 0.6% |
| 200,000+ | 2 | 0.3% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 2,274 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016–2020 Kia Optima, and 717 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 22,450 and 94,000 miles. The median is 57,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine (39.3% of complaints, typically around 77,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (10.9% of complaints, typically around 26,000 miles), the electrical system (8.4% of complaints, typically around 45,000 miles).
7 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Engine77,000median 77,200 miles, middle half 45,000 to 104,000
- Problems owners could not categorise26,000median 26,450 miles, middle half 11,000 to 51,000
- Electrical system45,000median 45,325 miles, middle half 20,000 to 88,000
- Transmission and driveline35,000median 35,250 miles, middle half 13,000 to 67,000
- Fuel and propulsion system73,000median 72,708 miles, middle half 58,000 to 101,000
- Exterior lighting56,000median 55,650 miles, middle half 35,000 to 70,000
- Brakes21,000median 20,526 miles, middle half 9,000 to 42,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 893 | 39.3% | 77,000 | 45,000–104,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 247 | 10.9% | 26,000 | 11,000–51,000 |
| Electrical system | 192 | 8.4% | 45,000 | 20,000–88,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 151 | 6.6% | 35,000 | 13,000–67,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 111 | 4.9% | 73,000 | 58,000–101,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 79 | 3.5% | 56,000 | 35,000–70,000 |
| Brakes | 69 | 3.0% | 21,000 | 9,000–42,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 68 | 3.0% | 22,000 | 1,000–58,000 |
| Body structure | 67 | 2.9% | 21,000 | 8,000–52,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 66 | 2.9% | 20,000 | 7,500–54,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 57,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 39.3% of complaints (893 reports, 233 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 77,200 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 104,000 miles.
A single system taking 39.3% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 10.9% of complaints (247 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 26,450 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 11,000 and 51,346 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 8.4% of complaints (192 reports, 61 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 45,325 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,540 and 88,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 6.6% of complaints (151 reports, 46 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 35,250 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,000 and 67,000 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 4.9% of complaints (111 reports, 16 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 72,708 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 57,529 and 101,000 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 3.5% of complaints (79 reports, 32 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 55,650 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 70,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2016 model year drew the most — 1,071 complaints — while 2020 drew the fewest at 202. The median year sits at 332.
That makes 2016 an outlier: roughly 3.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 7 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (2), latches and locks (1), forward collision avoidance (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 2,274 complaints filed against this generation, 105 reported a crash; 82 reported a fire; 90 reported an injury; 2 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 4.6% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 22,450 and 94,000 miles, with a median of 57,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 26,450, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine 2016–2019
Theta II 2.4L and 2.0T connecting-rod bearing failure continues into this generation; recall and extended-warranty coverage runs through the 2018-2019 model years depending on engine and build plant.
Transmission 2016–2020
7-speed dual-clutch transmission (1.6T) shudder, hesitation from a stop, and clutch actuator failure.
Engine/Fire 2016–2018
Non-collision engine compartment fires, subject of NHTSA investigation PE18-019 covering Kia Optima and Sorento and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe of this era.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1,071 | 393 |
| 2017 | 352 | 112 |
| 2018 | 332 | 106 |
| 2019 | 317 | 73 |
| 2020 | 202 | 33 |
Recalls (7)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 23V594000 | 2023-10-19 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:trunk Lid:latch |
| 19V539000 | 2019-08-27 | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| 18V907000 | 2019-01-17 | Engine |
| 18V161000 | 2018-05-03 | Hybrid Propulsion System |
| 17V007000 | 2017-01-10 | Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module |
| 16V705000 | 2016-11-30 | Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft |
| 16V231000 | 2016-05-06 | Air Bags:frontal |
What owners reported
Since i had the car in aug2016 brand new when i give it gas the valves ping and peak extremely bad not matter what fuel i use also the ac keeps loosing power it will blow fine then it almost goes off while still driving the same speed. Also sometimes when this happens i have a miss or hesitation in the engine. There…
2016 · 6 miles · Engine
When the car encounters a hill and needs to downshift, either to climb or to hold back the speed when it descends, the cruise control remembers the downshift and will not return to high gear until a) it is manually overridden, but will still downshift up to 2 gears, when the lever is placed back to automatic or…
2016 · 7 miles · Transmission and driveline
Built from 717 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page