What's Wrong with the 4th Generation (2016–2020) Optima?

Optima owners have made 36 complaints about the 2016–2020 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 14th out of 42 Kia generations in overall reliability, with some windows and engine concerns.

Compare With Other Optima Generations

Common 2016-2020 Kia Optima Problems

Some of the worst issues 4th generation Optima owners have to deal with.

  3. Rodents Chew Kia's Soy Wiring

    Rodents just can't resist the soy-derived wire coatings used in Kia vehicles. The chewed up wires are costing owners hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars in repairs. However, this isn't a Kia-only problem.

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Kia's Soy Wiring"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

4th Generation (2016–2020) Optima Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 36 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 14th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 42 eligible generations.

Recent 4th Generation (2016–2020) Optima News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. What are the odds that your car will set itself on fire without ever being involved in a collision?

    Much higher than you’d think, especially if you’re one of these 3 million Hyundai and Kia owners. The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) has put together a list of vehicles that they say should be taken off the road until a pending government investigation ends with a comprehensive recall.…

    keep reading article "Are 3 Million Hyundai and Kia Cars Too Dangerous to Drive?"

  2. One Kia owner has had enough of gnawed wires leading to dashboard warning lights and multiple calls to the insurance company.

    Tsvetelin Tsonev filed a class-action lawsuit because his 2015 Soul is being used like a chew toy. The plaintiff says he leased a 2015 Kia Soul in April 2015 that has allegedly been damaged three times because the automaker keeps replacing soy-based wiring with more soy wiring, inviting more critters to snacktime.

    OK, so it turns out rodents don’t really snack on the coating, but they do love chewing on it and making nests out of it.

    And if you’re wondering just how much damage a rodent could do, brace yourself.…

    keep reading article "Soy Wires are Still Being Chewed Up. Maybe Kia Should Stop Advertising with Rodents."

  3. Kia is facing another lawsuit for metal shavings causing catastrophic failure in its Theta II engine.

    The engines can allegedly fail at any time while driving any speed, leaving owners in dangerous driving conditions once the engines stall. According to the plaintiffs, damage to the connecting rod bearings causes metal shavings to appear in the oil.

    A few months ago, Kia recalled 618,000 vehicles with Theta II engines that shipped with metal shavings due to a faulty manufacturing process. The recall only covered certain vehicles up to the 2014 model year.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Connecting Rod Bearing Create Even More Metal Shavings for the Theta II Engine"

  5. Another day, another manufacturer getting sued for using soy-based wire coating.

    Plaintiff Campbell claims her 2014 Kia Optima was damaged in December 2016 when rodents chewed the wire harness and wiring. Campbell asked Kia to cover the repairs under warranty but after allegedly making her wait almost a month with the Kia Optima sitting at the dealership, Kia denied her claim for coverage.

    This is not a Kia-only problem. Other automakers have made the switch to a soy-based wire coatings and are facing similar lawsuits including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Subaru.

    The lawsuit covers owners or lessees in California, Texas, and NJ with most of the 2012-2017 Kia lineup.

    keep reading article "Kia Sued for Using A Soy-Based Wire Coating"