2016 Kia Optima fuel system problems
62 of the 760 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Optima name the fuel system (NHTSA’s “Fuel/Propulsion System” heading — fuel tanks, lines, pumps and injection — and on an EV, the propulsion battery and motors). Filed under the same heading: 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the fuel system
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 62 reports a crash · 6 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 5
Half of the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the fuel system problem between 58,000 and 110,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
760 complaints in all about the 2016 Kia Optima, 5 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Fuel/Propulsion System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Optima fuel system problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the fuel system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
After purchasing the car, the first time I went to fill up the car with fuel I set the fuel nozzle to auto stop. When it clicked off, I pulled the handle out and quite a bit fuel gurgled back out of the fuel tank, like it was over full. I took the car back to the dealership and they checked lines and said it was fine.
5/9/23 appointment for 4 recalls -completed 2 and ask if we could bring back next day to finish and we said no because granddaughter in school so service manager said important to get it back in and finish and sent granddaughter home with car 5 days later while driving car caught on fire and lost brakes and transmission and swerved into…
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated upon activating the heater while driving, she smelled an abnormally strong gasoline odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to Kia Independent Recall Campaign Number SC172 (High Pressure Fuel Pump Outlet Inspection).
On July 27, 2022 the oil light on my 2016 KIA Optima came on intermittently. I called the dealership and they told me to have it towed in. So I had it towed to the KIA dealer. The car had only 37,075 miles on it that day. It was not due for an oil change until 39,647! After they had it for a week they told me that it was burning oil.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally overheated while the coolant level was full.
What is on file about the fuel system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 18V907000 HighDec 19, 2018 · 71,653 vehicles
- 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.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Kia Optima names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Kia Optima
Source: the same files- engine problems 451 complaints
- electrical problems 105 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 75 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre fuel system problems common on the 2016 Kia Optima?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 62 owner complaints naming the fuel system on this model year (8% of everything owners filed about it), and 1 recall is filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the fuel system on the 2016 Kia Optima?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 18V907000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do fuel system problems show up on the 2016 Kia Optima?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 75,000 miles; half of them between 58,000 and 110,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Fuel/Propulsion System" heading cover?
Fuel tanks, lines, pumps and injection — and on an EV, the propulsion battery and motors. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.