8.1
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $120
- Average Mileage:
- 73,700 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 19 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (17 reports)
- head gaskets , oil pan seal , solenoid in the engine gets cl (1 reports)
- oil runs out in 3-4 weeks and gets on (1 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Kia dealer.
It's a pain in the ass to have to add oil every two days, why have a fairly new car if the low oil indicator doesn't tell me the oil is low, getting a oil change every 3,000 miles and still having a add oil every 2-3 days, is bullshit and expensive. Not to mention engine is knocking
- Angela R., Moreno Valley, US
I love my KIA but it is burning oil all the time. I need to add oil at least a couple of times in between all 5000 mile oil changes. I believe the piston rings need to be replaced and this is an issue with many 2016 Kia Optima's. There are no oil leaks anywhere, yet the exhaust pipe shows black soot indicating the oil is being burned by the engine.
- beeck, Sergeant Bluff, US
Excessive oil consumption usually head gasket oil pan gasket 1 gear jumps in acceleration engine light comes on cause there is a some kind of sensor or solenoid where the oil runs threw causing clogged up dirt or gunk east fix also kia doesn't mention the car needs throw a certain code in order for them to replace the life time engine warranty can't remember what it is now . What's annoying is the gdi builds carbon so keep using seafood clean out the engine don't waste you're money on engine flush . The transmission has standard eco and sport . Standard shifts to low and stats in high gear keeping the engine under to much load Eco isn't any better and sport keeps the revs over 2k What i do I use manual option shift it myself around 2k in city To bad the car is fully loaded and nice to drive just need iron out the small bugs and you'll probably get away with decent car .every car has problems just got Google the defects first. Over all kia optima rates 6/10 for me .
- Newf88 M., Woodstock, ON, Canada
Had the car for less than 2 months and checked the oil when I refueled one day. There was NO OIL on the dipstick. The next day I called the dealer who sold it to me and he was adamant that he had the oil changed the day before I picked up the car. I added oil and noticed that I was smelling oil burning when I drove the car. I kept checking the oil and it was definitely using oil, but the car wasn't smoking out the tailpipe, had no oil leak, and I couldn't figure out what was happening. After several trips to a couple of mechanics AND the Kia dealership in Abilene, TX, I was finally told that these cars have an oil consumption problem. Oil is leaking into the block through the pistons and is burning up internally in the engine.
The dealership applied the fix -- which is to drain all the oil, clean out the system, let it sit for 24 hours, then add a solution that Kia came up with that is supposed to seal the pistons properly, let that sit for 48 hours, drain it out and refill the engine with oil. Let it sit for another 24 hours and then warranty the engine for the life of the vehicle. The warranty will replace the engine if it fails due to the oil consumption problem. It still uses oil, but not nearly as badly as it did. The hell of it is, that if I had been near the dealership when the engine sputtered and died on me and the check engine light came on after I got it restarted, I would've had a new engine that day... But, as is typical, if it's not doing it when you take it in, they can't find it. Have to have the code after all...... on to the next issue.
- Rhonda W., McKinney, TX, US
My 2016 Kia Optima is a beautiful car, however that is all it is. Putting oil in it every 300/400 miles. filing out plugs and coil packs. major pain in the butt. I need a reliable car as I have to go to doctor several times a month due to metastatic breast cancer. I still owe 14,000 on this car that sits here because dealership is 30 plus miles away.
- Cheryle G., Braxton, US
I hate I ever brought this car. This piece of junk uses too much oil. I'm putting oil in this car ever 5 to 7 days. I think it should be a recall for this engine. I complain to the service department at Kia. They said it's nothing they can do unless the engine blows. The only other option is to pay almost 500.00 for some type of over night treatment to my car🤬🤬🤬😤😫
- Keshia P., Salem, US
I can't accelerate, burn smell, consumes a lot of oil and vibrates.
- Evis X., Largo, US
Just love the car overall and I've had a lot, both US and foreign. Nicely outfitted with driver conveniences etc. Since they had an issue with the engine blowing up and extended my engine warrantee, I'm good with that, BUT the issue of having to add oil every 1000 miles or so should not be happening. After all, this is a high tech industry (car engines, trans. etc.) What happened to the testing of their engines? Adding oil ever so often isn't the worse thing in the world but, Please KIA, lets get this high tech issues in line with the rest of the world.
Many thanks, for Carcomplaints.com.
Capt. Rich Warren
- Richard W., Silver Spring, US
Kia Optima 2016 LX consumes around a quart of oil per 1000 miles. Kia seems to think this is okay. Manual recommends oil change every 7500 miles but Kia dealership recommending oil changes every 3000 miles. Constantly having to check oil levels and a few months ago had to get the valve cover gasket replaced. Also owned a 2017 Kia with under 20,000 miles on it and the same issue was happening although to a lesser amount due to low mileage.
- T J., Pompano Beach, FL, US
Talks to dealer where we purchased the problem and was told that there was not a recall for this problem. Soot in tailpipe and on floor of garage indicates considerable oil consumption. One quart every 1000 miles or so.
- Ocie H., Mansfield, GA, US
My 2016 Kia Optima is burning oil like crazy. At least a quart every 500 or 600 miles. I drive 112 miles a day for work. Seems that this is a common problem that is not being addressed by Kia.
- danacavalier, Pierre Part, US
had gone to Jenkins Mazda of Ocala over a month ago to trade in my 2012 Mazda3 car and got a 2016 Kia Optima EX. About 2 weeks after I got the vehicle, my oil light came on. Turned out, there was NO oil in the Kia when I checked it so I had to put a quart in and drive to the Mazda dealership. Come to find out, the neglected to tell me the the oil consumption is common in the Kia's and they said that my warranty on my engine had expired and my new extended warranty didn't start until December 5, 2021. Well, it's been over a month and they still haven't done anything to fix the problem and still haven't returned any of my phone calls and my first payment is tomorrow December 20, 2021.
- Jennifer P., Ocala, FL, US
My 2016 Kia Optima burns oil like crazy, costing me money. I brought this car brand new. I won't buy another new car ever.
- Willie L., Rochester, US
I have been having to take my car back in roughly every 2000 miles for oil changes because after I get over 1500 miles out of an oil change the oil light comes on. Each time I am being told that I am 4 quarts low. The second time, in May I took the car back less than a week and was already 4 quarts low. This has been going on since at least November.
I have already had 3 oil changes this year.. of course nobody wants to tell me how to stop this from happening but... they keep charging me for oil changes... I think its time to get rid of my Kia once and for all.... I am done with them at this point.
- Kristina F., Hagerstown, MD, US
BOUGHT TWO CARS USED FROM SMITHHAVEN USED CARS IN MEDFORD, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. I DROVE IT FOR 5000 MILES AND TOOK IT IN TO HAVE OIL CHANGED AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS 4 QUARTS LOW. I HAD HIM CHANGE IT WITH SYNTHETIC OIL AND LEFT. THE SAME THING HAPPENED EVERY TIME I HAD THE OIL CHANGED. I WENT TO A KIA DEALER WHO TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING HE CAN DO. NOW I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR
- Raymond P., Nesconset, NY, US
Bought this car used because Kia has a 60k mile drive train warranty, and since the car only had 16k miles on it, sounded like a safe bet. Shortly after we bought it, we noticed wiff's of black smoke out of the exhaust, and that the car used oil - slightly under a qt per 1000 miles. I couldn't believe it, a car with this few miles burning oil. Figured it wouldn't be a problem since it has plenty of warranty left. Well, boy was I wrong.
Took it to the Kia dealership (who wants to help, but are required to follow Kia's guidelines), and they did the oil consumption test. Kia's decision was that it uses less than a qt per 1000 miles, and that there's no "engine knocking", that it's perfectly acceptable. This car will not pass an emissions test if taken in the morning, because of the smoke that it emits, but Kia finds this to be ok? This car is hypothetically always low on oil, but that's not a warranty issue according to Kia.
This car obviously has ring problems, or valve seal issues, but Kia won't repair it. I can't believe it. I also own a Nissan with about 200k miles on it, and it doesn't burn a drop of oil. On a scheduled oil change, I will have burned and replaced about 3 of the 5 quarts. This is total insanity that Kia thinks there's nothing wrong with this car. I'm furious with Kia about how, in my opinion, they are NOT honoring their warranty.
- Thomas S., Daphne, AL, US
The car stutters and acceleration is awful, mainly on highway. Car has stalled a few times and completely shut off randomly. Had the recall for drive shift and it seems like it didn't work. Car feels like it shifts gears on its own and not at the correct times. Then a month ago, the car completely shut down with no warning. Every light came on and it took a few times to turn car over. Went to the garage and there was not a drop of oil in car. Since, the car has been burning oil rapidly and is back in the shop today. I am leasing the car and I am beyond annoyed with this. My 3rd Optima but this year model is not good.
- Erin F., Warwick, RI, US
Hi got this 2016 kia optima 2.4 auto trans new iv always been a vw person because I worked on European cars but there warranty was sad and I got a good deal on this and more options so I thought well ill try a kia boy I'm mad. Car has 2881 miles on it now everything has been fine but at 26xx miles the car was half a qt low on oil figured ok brake in what not. Now I'm at 2881 and it's another half qt low. Kia says to change the oil every 3700 miles. I have not even mead it to the first oil change and already used 1 qt of oil not ok my 2002 jetta with 200k doesn't even use any oil between oil changes. Iv checked the kia over top to bottom there is no loss of oil on the outside of engine. I called kia where I got the car from trying to figure out what the dealer says it can use talked to some guy that had no clue what was going on kept telling me 5.1 qt had to keep telling him that I didn't need to know how much oil it holds. Anyways long story short got to talk to someone and they told me 1 qt per 1000 miles. What are you kidding me so up to 3 qts per 3000 miles I'm sorry but if your car uses that much oil there is a leak or something is not right inside the engine. If it keeps it up I'll be dropping it off at the vw dealer. I mean what about people that don't know about cars you get a new car you shouldn't even have to open the hood but to put washer fluid in
- Dan A., Osceola, US
There is a constant problems with oil in this car for the past year. I get oil changes every 3 months on time.
Within 30 days I have to put more oil in the car. It's leaking somewhere because I've had to replace about 6 spark plugs. My car starts shaking and the engine was knocking the other day. I have to recently replace 3 spark plugs, and get 4 quarts of oil. This engine is not good.
- Tracey H., Philadelphia, PA, US