10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 24
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
53,898 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2014 Kia Optima engine problems

engine problem

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2014 Kia Optima Owner Comments (Page 3 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #198

Jul 012022

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine is making like a rattling noise and I am going through an excessive amount of oil in between oil changes that are done regularly ask about any oil leaks and was told I do not have any oil leaks that my car is just burning that much oil at my last oil change service

- Sanford, NC, USA

problem #197

Aug 302022

Optima

  • miles
My engine locked up while I was driving. I turned onto my street, luckily close to my home and the car stopped accelerating. I pulled over and turned the car off and it would not turn back on. My car is now undriveable, and it only has 105,000 miles on it. This could have put my safety at risk, imagine if I were going 50mph rather than 10-15mph. I had a mechanic take a look at it and he could not get the crank shaft to turn. Through his assessment, he said I will need a replaced or repaired engine. He offered me get another opinion, but he was pretty certain on the issue. Prior to this, the check engine light came on for less than a day back in June. I contacted my dealership and since it went off, nothing progressed.

- Camden, NJ, USA

problem #196

Aug 192022

Optima

  • miles
Almost wrecked when the engine bearings seized prematurely in there expected life span. I would like to submit for my car to be fixed. Please help me with this process. Thank you.

- West Valley City, UT, USA

problem #195

Aug 192022

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine knocking bottom end.yes it-??s available for inspection.Engine could have locked up on freeway and caused an accident.Machanic checked out an said rod bearing failure.Yes vehicle has been inspected.No warning lights or symptoms just got off the interstate and vehicle was doing fine then all of a sudden motor started knocking with no warning. Towed vehicle a hour and a half back home.

- Vidalia , GA, USA

problem #194

Oct 162021

Optima

  • miles
I was driving down the interstate for my work commute apx 70 mph when HEV warning light engaged and vehicle went into limp mode. Had vehicle towed to dealership after running several tests determined the engine was knocking and needed replaced. After 2 months reman engine placed in vehicle. Vehicle function apx 6 months when the exact same problem occured on the highway traveling apx 60 mph. Vehicle is still in dealership. Thankfully, both times I was able to coast to the shoulder and avoid a collision. There is something wrong with these vehicles that need to be fixed.

- Lawton, OK, USA

problem #193

Aug 022022

Optima

  • 146,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while stopped at a light, she saw smoke coming from the front of the vehicle when the vehicle started to spark and then caught fire. No warning lights illuminated. The origin of the fire was unknown. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it had not yet been diagnosed. A police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 146,000

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #192

Feb 012022

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My vehicles check oil light never fully came on. It came on when I turned on a highway ramp for a second. When I got into my car and turned it on it made a horrible sound. It was sputtering. I took it to my mechanic and he said my engine was done. I needed to rebuild my engine. I had to pay $4000 to fix my engine. The infuriating part is that I went to the KIA dealership to see what my options were and they tried to sell me a new car. I've had the car repaired for less than six months now. I made sure to change the oil earlier than I was supposed to. It hasn't even been a month since changing the oil and I noticed the oil light came on again when turning. I just checked my oil level and there is absolutely NO OIL. I don't understand how this is possible. I am calling KIA tomorrow to complain. If I hadn't noticed the flicker then I would've damaged my engine again after just replacing it.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

problem #191

Jul 022022

Optima

  • miles
This vehicle only has 112000 miles on it and has had all maintenance as required yet the rod bearings have failed resulting in a knocking rod. There is a product improvement going on at the moment leading to repairs of these issues and a lifetime warranty on the rod bearings that I was not notified of resulting in a rod knock and a car that cannot be driven. Kia has refused to look further into the issue or repair it. Thankfully I was not on the highway when my car broke down as it couldn-??t even make it up a small hill and I came very close to a collision because of it.

- Monticello, KY, USA

problem #190

Jul 232022

Optima

  • miles
While driving on Highway 77 N in North Carolina (Marker 22) and in the middle lane my Kia shut off. I almost was hit by a semi-truck behind me. Traffic had slowed due to an accent so I was doing 50 mph. The engine fluttered and instantly the car was off!!! I coasted off to the side and was unable to restart the car. 911 was called. When the car was towed on my own dollar the mechanics were unable to get the engine to turn. The engine in the Kia "locked itself" and the mechanic said it was on the manufacturer. I called Kia as per the mechanics request. The Kia rep wanted ME to pay to tow it to a local dealership. I don't the funds to do so. I'm not from this state and now stranded. I referred the Kia rep to the mechanic that has the vehicle. I was the rep would reach out to the mechanic. Kia did not reach out to the mechanic who I followed up with before they closed. I'm stranded in another state with little money, no car, and children. It's been 24 hours with no word from Kia. I saw recalls for my vin number NONE mention engine locking while driving! This could have killed my entire family.

- Peachtree City, GA, USA

problem #189

Jun 282022

Optima

  • miles
As I was driving my 2014 Kia Optima the engine light turned on and started flashing. Within seconds of that the oil light and battery light turned on and my car started slowing down and thankfully I was able to put pull over. As soon as I pulled over my car turned off and I was unable to turn it back on. I have keep my vehicle up to date with all the recalls and maintenance. My vehicle was inspected by a local mechanic and stated that the engine was seized and engine needed replacement. My vehicle hasn-??t reached the 100,000 miles yet.

- Wasco, CA, USA

problem #188

Jun 212022

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car has been using a lot of oil lately and it is due partly to the turbocharger. I have had the oil leak fixed once already and now the dealership wants to charge me over $7,000 to fix it again. I would also like to know if the current recall for the engine fuel hose has anything to do with the oil leak.

- Humble, TX, USA

problem #187

May 162022

Optima

  • 147,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, the vehicle started to shake. The contact pulled over, turned the vehicle off, and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that after 5 minutes the vehicle was restarted and drove with no issues. However, when driving at 30 MPH the vehicle lost motive and electrical power without warning. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the failure as a seized engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the engine was replaced twice before and provided the VIN on the engine that needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #186

Jun 042022

Optima

  • miles
While driving on the freeway, my 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid LX suddenly loses all power. My dashboard flashed a red rectangle warning stating something was wrong with the HEV, pull over, and turn off car. My engine light was also flashing. Towed vehicle to dealership where they said engine seized, they can hear engine knocking, but the rod bearing passed the clearance test. According to 17V224000, my vehicle year and engine is involved but because my engine is MPI and not GDI, KIA Consumer Affairs claims my issue is not covered. All of my maintenance are timely and I have records of it as 99% of my maintenance were with the KIA dealership I purchased my vehicle from. How can my car just seize on the highway if my vehicle is well-maintained?

- Edmonds, WA, USA

problem #185

Jun 072022

Optima

  • 117,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the roadway. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

- Apollo Beach, FL, USA

problem #184

May 182022

Optima

  • miles
The panel lit up and it car died in the middle of rush hour traffic on the highway, was almost run over by other cars. There is apparently a recall on Kia Optima's engines and that they misfire while driving.

- Plant City, FL, USA

problem #183

Apr 182022

Optima

  • 144,000 miles
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the husband was driving the vehicle a ticking noise was present coming from the engine compartment before suddenly smoke began to come from under the hood of the vehicle. The husband exited the vehicle and moments later flames were seen coming from under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. A police and fire report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact indicated that prior to the incident occurring the vehicle had been serviced for a recall related to an engine failure and fire but the failure still occurred. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 144,000.

- North Augusta, SC, USA

problem #182

Apr 282022

Optima

  • miles
Low pressure fuel line start leaking, creating a fire hazard for me and my family. You can smell the fuel inside the cabin while you're driving. I did take the car to the dealership and they told me is not a recall on my car at this moment. No warning lights came on.

- Camby, IN, USA

problem #181

Apr 222022

Optima

  • 102,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

- White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA

problem #180

Apr 062022

Optima

  • miles
My partner was driving my car and the engine seized. We never miss an oil change and use full synthetic since I got it. We did notice little changes in the engine over time that were concerning. Out of nowhere my check engine and oil light came on at the same time and the engine seized. That-??s the first time I ever seen my oil light come on. He was on the express driving, lucky he is still here.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #179

Mar 252022

Optima

  • miles
So I have a 2014 Kia optima got out the dealer at 70,000 miles was the second owner next thing u know I got a recall letter, Stating that I need to inspect after I took it, my Kia start to go down hill, I was stranded on limp mode pay off 4500 then couple moths later did the same thing now is at 190000 I tried fixing being honest but I just gave up so hope u guys could help install a new one

- Upland, CA, USA

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