2014 Kia Optima Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, AND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT NOTICED THICK BLACK SMOKE FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE CHECK ENGINE AND OIL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN KIA DEALER, LOCATED IN BATON ROUGE, LA WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE CONTACT INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT NO LONGER OWNED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
AS I WAS DRIVING OUT OF NOWHERE MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE OUT OF THE FEW YEARS I HAD THIS CAR BUT NOW IT JUST CAME ON I'M UPDATED WITH OIL CHANGES AND ALL I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THIS IS HAPPENING I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *TR
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND OFF AND WHEN I WENT TO GO GET IT CHECKED, IT CAME UP AND TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR CIRCUIT (PNRDL) INPUT. WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK, I CAN'T TAKE IT OUT UNTIL I TURN MY CAR OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON. MY CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 87,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TRANSMISSION/ENGINE ISSUES.
I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR APPROXIMATELY AT 67 MPH ON FREEWAY 99 NORTH FROM LA TO BAKERSFIELD CA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR STALLED. I WAS ON THE FAST LANE AND REACTED IMMEDIATELY TURNED MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON BUT CARS BEHIND ME WERE SO SHORT INTO REAR ENDING ME I CRIED BECAUSE I WAS JUST SHOCKED AND SCARED FOR MY SON. LUCKILY MY AUNT WAS TWO CARS BEHIND ME SINCE WE HAD TOOK A SHORT FAMILY TRIP AND THEY HELPED ME OUT. I HAD JUST TOOK MY CAR FOR AN OIL CHANGE TO KIA HADDAD OF BAKERSFIELD WHERE THEY ALSO FIXED A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME ENGINE FAILURE HAPPENS TO THIS CAR. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN JUNE OF 2017 THAT'S WHAT KIA TOLD ME THAT'S WHY THEY COULDN'T REPLACE THE BECAUSE THEY HAD ALREADY REPLACED IT AND WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THE SECOND WHEN IT HAPPENED TO ME IN 2018. SAME THING HAPPENED CAR STALLED WITH MY SON WITH ME. MECHANIC SAID I NEEDED A ENGINE WHICH HE ENDED UP REPLACING I PAYED FOR THAT. NOW THIS HAPPENS AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME ? I'M JUST SO OVERWHELMED I'VE BEEN SO LUCKY I HAVEN'T CAUSED NO ACCIDENT. NOW I'M SCARED TO EVEN FIX THIS CAR AGAIN AND DRIVE IT.
CLICKING OF THE ENGINE , CAR WON'T GO FASTER THEN 35 MILES AN HOUR
I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE FROM LAS VEGAS TO CALIFORNIA ON THE I15 SOUTH, WHEN OUT OF NOWHERE IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE STAULED OUT AND STARTED HICCUPING AND STARTED LOOSING POWER VERY QUICKLY SO I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF ROAD AND THE CAR DIED. I SAT THERE IN DISBELIEF, LIKE WHAT JUST HAPPENED...THEN I STARTED IT BACK UP AND IT STARTED NO PROBLEM BUT WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE IT STARTED HICCUPING AGAIN AND WHAT FELT LIKE MY ENGINE WAS BEING CHOKED OUT AND IT WASNT ACCELERATING AND THERE WASN'T ANY POWER. IM JUST GLAD THAT I DIDNT LOOSE CONTROL OR HAVE AN ACCIDENT FROM THIS MYSTERIOUS INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THIS INCIDENT HAS ALREADY LOST ME A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF MY WORK. THE 2 JOBS I WORK ARE BOTH TRANSPORTATION ORIENTATED.
MY VEHICLE JUST CUT OFF IN DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE WILL NOT START THIS IS THE SECOND ENGINE I HAVE PURCHASED FROM KIA BEING THAT THEY INSISTED ON MY ENGINE WASN'T FALLING UNDER RECALL UNDER MY VIN NUMBER SO I HAD TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR THE ENGINE AND LABOR . I'VE CONTACTED 1-800 KIA BUT THEY INSIST THAT I HAVE HAD A LIFE TIME WARRANTY ON MY ENGINE THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE COME OUT OF POCKET FOR A NEW ONE THE FIRST TIME DUE TO DEFECTS I STILL HAVE YET HEARD BACK FROM KIA CONSULTANTS I AM COMING OUT OF POCKET FOR A RENTAL CAR AND AS WELL AS TOWING AND THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TIME MY ENGINE HAS FAILED WITH LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON IT. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER AND I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR ANOTHER ENGINE WHEN THE CAR HAS A DEFECT I'M JUST SO READY TO BE DONE WITH KIA I'M ALMOST DONE PAYING ON MY VEHICLE AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND EVE TONE IS PRACTICALLY PLAYING HOT POTATO WITH ME
TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC BECAUSE ENGINE WAS SMOKING AND SPUTTERING. HE SAID THERES A RECALL AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYJNG THE ENGINE ISSUES ARE FROM SLUDGE AND CHANGED MY OIL. I BELIEVE THEY DIDNT DO THIS RECALL CORRECTLY SC147
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN WHEN TRYING TO EXCELLERATE ON THE GAS TO ENTER ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE STARTED BOGGING DOWN AND NOT PICKING UP SPEED. TOOK IT TO O'REILLY AUTOPARTS TO GET THE ENGINE CODE AND IT CAME BACK AS A FAULTY BOOST CONTROL POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 KIA OPTIMA LX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE FROM GOING OVER AN EMBANKMENT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING COMPANY AND THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER (KIA ATLANTA SOUTH; 7310 JONESBORO RD, MORROW, GA 30260) WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BLACK BOX DID NOT CAPTURE THE INCIDENT DETAILS. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE BUT 3 DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE BEING RETURNED, SHE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DETERMINED ON ANY INSPECTIONS PERFORMED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER RIGHT SHOULDER AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO CAPITAL ONE BANK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. *TR
80,000 MILES ON VEHICLE AND ENGINE FAILED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. LIGHTS IN THE DASHBOARD APPEARED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY AAA AND DETERMINED ENGINE FAILED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THE IGNITION FAILED TO START. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT CALLED JEFF WYLER FAIRFIELD CADILLAC KIA NISSAN (LOCATED AT 5815 DIXIE HWY, FAIRFIELD, OH 45014, (513) 682-2500) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,871.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH THE DEALER, BUT HAD COMMUNICATION ISSUES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
OUR CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH. IT RESTARTED BUT NOW FAST FORWARD TO A FEW DAYS AND IT HAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AGAIN AND REQUIRES A TOW TO A DEALER. WE TRIED TO EXPLAIN LAST YEAR THAT THIS CAR WAS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLE THAT INCLUDED REVVING WITHOUT BEING ON GAS AND BOGGING DOWN. DEALER KEPT TELLING US THERE IS N O RELATION TO THE RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED. STRANGELY ENOUGH THE CAR JUST PASSED OUT OF WARRANTY BY 6000 MILES AND HERE WE ARE WITH NO CAR. KIA SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL EVERY 2014 OPTIMA. WE VERY NEARLY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND THE DEALER IS NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. COLLUSION?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONTACT ALSO HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING UP THE HILL ON A HIGHWAY MY 2014 KIA OPTIMA COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, I WAS GOING 70 MPH. CAR WOULDN'T START I HAD TO GET A TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY SAID IT MIGHT NEED A NEW ENGINE
THE CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT, AS I WAS PULLING TO THE SIDE THE WARNING SIGN TO CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM CAME OB. SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS GOING UP A HILL. I HAD TO TOW TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THAT'S WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH UP A HILL, THE VEHICLE SEIZED AND THE IGNITION TURNED OFF. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.
DRIVING TO FROM AUSTIN TO HOUSTON ON 290 EAST ON 9/15/2019 AT AROUND 12:00 NOON. I WAS GOING AROUND 70 MILES PER HOUR AND I HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE ENGINE AND I SAW WHITE SMOKING COMING FROM THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND OPEN THE FRONT HOOD. THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE AT THE BOTTOM, I ACTUALLY SAW FLAMES. THE ENGINE WAS TURN OFF AND I GOT AWAY FROM THE CARE AND IT DID STOP SMOKING. HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO AUSTIN AND IT WAS TOWED TO DEALER WERE CARE WAS PURCHASED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, WHITE SMOKE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PEAK KIA NORTH (1111 S. GATE DR, WINDSOR, CO) WHERE THE ENGINE WAS FLUSHED, BUT THE FAILURE REMAINED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT NO SERVICE CODES WERE PRESENT. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE REQUEST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND COOLING). THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL PRIOR TO FILING A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND REMAINED AT THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE I REALIZED MY CAR (IT HAD BEEN SET ON CRUISE CONTROL) WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE NOTHING HAPPENED REALIZED IT HAD COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. PULLED TO SHOULDER. FIRST TIME RESTARTING FAILED SECOND TIME I STARTED AND HIT THE GAS IT STARTED UP BUT HAD A TERRIBLE KNOCKING SOUND AND CAN BARELY ACCELERATE. DROPPED OFF AT KIA DEALERSHIP. IT'S SUNDAY SO WAITING TO HERE BACK TOMORROW.
MY CAR SHUT OFF COMING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THEY'RE SAYING MY CAR ISN'T UNDER RECALL THIS I'VE HAD MY CAR FOR ABOUT 2.5 YEARS AND MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN KEPT UP ALWAYS THIS IS COSTING ME MORE THAN MY CAR IS WORTH
TL* THE CONTACT LEASED A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AS IF IT WOULD STALL. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO PICK UP SPEED. IN ADDITION, THE OIL AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS FLASHED. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I PURCHASED MY KIA OPTIMA 2014 BRAND NEW OFF OF A DEALERSHIP LOT. A FEW YEARS LATER I WAS DRIVING TO CALIFORNIA AND MY ENGINE COMPLETELY WENT OUT, I CALLED THE 800 NUMBER FOR KIA THEY TOWED MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. KIA HAD FAILED TO INFORM ME THAT THERE WAS A CAMPAIGN FOR A RECALL FOR MY ENGINE HOWEVER THEY DID REPLACE THE ENGINE AT THE EXACT SAME DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM. AS SOON AS THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED OUR STARTED TO SMELLING GASOLINE AROMA ALONG WITH LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH MY CAR. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THAT THAT WAS NORMAL AND THOSE THINGS WOULD SOON SUBSIDE. A FEW MONTHS LATER AS I WAS BACKING INTO MY GARAGE MY NEIGHBOR FRANTICALLY WAVE ME DOWN STATING THAT THERE WAS SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE CAR I LOOKED OVER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND I DID SEE SMOKE AND I LOOKED OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND I SAW A RED FIRE AND SMOKE I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SOON CAME WITHIN 6 MINUTES MY CAR WAS HALFWAY IGNITED INTO FLAMES. HE HAS STATED THEY WOULD SEND OUT A FORENSIC FIRE INVESTIGATOR AND I SHOULD HIRE MY OWN FIRE INVESTIGATOR. I DID SO HE HAS YET TO DISCLOSE THEIR FINDING ON CAUSE OF FIRE. HOWEVER SHORTLY THEREAFTER MY FORENSIC FIRE INVESTIGATORS HIT ME OVER INFORMATION STATING THAT KIA FAILED TO REPLACE THE CLIP THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY FROM THE GAS TANK TO THE ENGINE. THIS POSES A BIG ISSUE FOR CONSUMERS CAN POTENTIALLY PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER. UNFORTUNATELY I'M A VICTIM OF THIS AND I FEEL KIA SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO WRITE THEY'RE WRONG.
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Quick Summary
The 2014 Kia Optima has 197 Engine complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.