2014 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 586 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 20 involved a crash and 42 involved a fire. 22 people were injured and 2 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideSep 25, 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Campaign 23V652000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsFeb 17, 2022
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Optima vehicles that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 20V-100. The low pressure fuel hose may be damaged, or missing heat-protective tape, which can result in a fuel leak.
A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 2, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-33-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC228.
Campaign 22V093000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideMay 10, 2021
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20V-519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.
Campaign 21V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideAug 27, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
Campaign 20V519000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsFeb 21, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Optima vehicles equipped with 2.4L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) or 2.0L GDI Turbo engines. The low pressure fuel hose may deteriorate and crack over time due to heat generated within the engine compartment.
If the fuel hose cracks, a fuel leak can occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
Kia will notify Owners, and Dealers will inspect the low pressure fuel hose for damage or leaking, replacing it as necessary. If no damage or leaking is found, a heat-protective tape will be installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began June 12, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC187.
Campaign 20V100000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
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.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 31, 2017
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Campaign 17V224000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
88 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 1, 2024
starter smoking cut off on me have to have it towd gas leak smell of gas
Other or unspecified, Dec 15, 2023
KIA OPTIMA “WHITE PEARL” PAINT DELAMINATION
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Oct 6, 2023
Vehicle is making a humming noise while the car is off. Both the brake light and ABS lights are on. Based on year, make and model, vehicle is one of the cars included in: nhtsa ID-23V-652000, however VIN does not show an active recall. Repairs will have to come out of pocket since there is not a recall by VIN, even though vehicle is having the same symptoms as recall aforementioned.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 9, 2023
My engine went out, the car went from 75mph to- 50mph on freeway so fast, i had just got an oil change, my car is at shop now but wont be ready for a couple weeks, it gave me no warnings at all, the check engine light went on right when it pulled back on freeway. Super dangerous and just glad nothing happened !
Steering, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 5, 2023
This will be my Second Review about this dealer's service department. I'm not reviewing the service technicians but I'm reviewing the customer service, porters and advisors. I had my vehicle towed there on the 23rd of August after waiting a full month for my appointment. I have called to check on any updates to see have my 2014 Kia has been looked at. 1st time they didn't even know my vehicle was there even after confirming with a service representative. 2nd time I was told when my vehicle was assigned to an advisor someone would contact me. Today I called and spoke with [XXX] and he put me on hold to speak with an advisor. After 15min Of silence. I thought maybe I was forgotten about by mistake. I called back and [XXX] who stated this was him name when I called back was very RUDE. He stated I put you on hold to someone who would speak to you and hung up on me. This is when I called back to speak directly to a supervisor in the service department. I been on hold over 16min as I write this review. No hold music just silence. My 1st encounter here for a recall I was told to pull in lane and leave keys in car. I waited as porters took other vehicles and mine sat blocking lanes. To my amazement I listened to them saying what assholes people where for leaving their cars, when an advisor took the keys. This is an great establishment with a lot of History to have its name tarnished by bad apples. 22min on hold and one has cared to even speak to me. Please pay attention to hold times at to of screen. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Structure, Other or unspecified, Jul 7, 2023
Paint is peeling off in substantial amounts. The door pillars/roof rails are almost completely bare metal. There is a large paint bubble on the trunk that will come off soon. The roof, hood, doors all have paint delaminating and coming off. Its all getting worse by the day. I've discovered that this is a common issue with Kias in my year range (2014), model (Optima) and color (white) particularly. The paint started to delaminate about maybe a year ago and I let my local Kia dealership know and they said there was nothing they could do. It got so bad I went to a body shop in my area about 4 months ago, JJ paint and body shop in Bakersfield, CA, and he told me it should be covered by Kia, so I went through Kias customer care program with them intaking my information, getting photos, quotes and service records, only for them to take 10 weeks to deny rectifying this paint issue citing that the paint was out of warranty (3 years 36, 000 miles). I appealed to the BBB Auto Line and they took several weeks as well to come to the same result citing the warranty. This widely known paint defect is Kias fault, I know Toyota has had paint issues of the same type and they warranty it for 10 years. I wash my cars regularly and keep them up to date on service. It is unfathomable to me that I should bear the financial responsibility to repaint my vehicle. There's more damage than I could show, being limited to only 10 pictures. I'm hoping that this organization can give me recourse.
Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2023
Paint is white peeling on my 2014 Kia, after googling looks like a lot of others are having the same problem with the white color paint peeling
Structure, Other or unspecified, May 18, 2023
Vehicle paint is chipping / peeling off in large parts . Mainly roof and area surrounding windshield
Structure, Other or unspecified, May 18, 2023
I have a snow white pearl painted Kia optima that has peeling paint on the pillars by the windshield. It started out really small but now it’s almost down the entire pillar.
Structure, Other or unspecified, May 10, 2023, fire
The contact's sister owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, it spontaneously caught fire. The ABS warning indicator light had previously been turned on and off. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. A police report was filed. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, crashes, or air bag deployments. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V100000 ( Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Other or unspecified, Apr 21, 2023
My car was nearly stolen. My neighbor interrupted the thieves before they could steal my car. They broke my rear driver side window by smashing the window frame 4 times, climbed inside, opened the driver door from the inside and broke my steering wheel column cover.
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 5, 2023, fire
March 15, 2023 I Ania Covington as well as my mother Ramona Allen went to the Kia dealership in Southern Pines, NC at 10am to get a recall fixed on my car (fuel line), an oil change, air filters changed, as well as a valve gasket replacement (recall was free, everything else paid out of pocket). I received my car back at 4pm the same day, when I pulled off the lot not even a mile away my car was smoking from the exhaust pipes. I went back to ask them was it going to continue to do that, the mechanic as well as the advisor told me it’s just the old oil burning off. As I was driving home I began seeing smoke come from my engine as and still from the pipes I was still thinking it was the old oil burning off hence that’s what I was told. I decided to go to the gas station to get gas for the remaining of the week, and my car burst into flames while I was pumping gas. The fire had originated from my engine. I went back to the dealership the following day to show them pictures, the service manager(Thomas) told us to reach out to Kia corporate. It’s almost one month later, no one has been answering calls from me nor my mother. We went back to the dealership 3/31 the service manager took our information again and told us he’d reach out and still haven’t been informed on anything.
Other or unspecified, Mar 13, 2023
The Pearl White paint has begun to peel and flake off. This vehicle has been well cared for and has 96k miles. It appears a defect in the paint has resulted in a lot of paint issues for Kia and Hyundai vehicles. This needs to be investigated and a resolution is warranted.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Mar 1, 2023
The paint is bubbling and peeling from the hood, pillars, and the roof. So. Enough that will start to settle in. Kia refuses to acknowledge it is a manufacturer defect.
Other or unspecified, Feb 3, 2023
The paint is bubbling and peeling after i wash the car and it rust after a while
Other or unspecified, Jan 13, 2023
Paint started peeling/flaking on passenger and driver pillars. Trunk paint is now peeling and sure the rest will peel over time
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Sep 19, 2022
While driving around hand 35 miles per hour, I felt like the vehicles emergency brake came on. I had warning lights for AUTO HOLD, CHECK BRAKES, STABILITY CONTROL, E- BRALE, vehicle self diagshows electronic brake system Check ABS/ESC condition. Breaks feel tighter and car doesn't brake as before plus you could feel the stability system not working. This has occurred 6 times in the last 2 weeks
Other or unspecified, Aug 11, 2022
I have paint issues my paint. It’s actually peeling off my car it has been for a few years already, Kia refuses to do anything about it
Structure, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, May 1, 2022
The paint is defective/chipping. Now, rusting has occurred.
Engine, Other or unspecified, Apr 8, 2022
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.
Other or unspecified, Feb 13, 2022
I’ve been smelling smoke inside the vehicle coming from the engine compartment while driving the vehicle this is a Kia Optima lx. I don’t know what causing it but worries me a whole lot. What should I do in this case
Steering, Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 1, 2021
Vehicle check engine light came on at 164000mi. Diagnostics confirmed trouble codes P2562 (Power train system) and C2130, C1611, C1612 (Anti-lock brake sytem). The begins to shake at 40mph and the turbo fails to run properly causing the car to accelerate poorly and make steering an issue.
Other or unspecified, Sep 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the electric power steering (EPS) warning light was illuminated, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,750.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 23, 2021
Car cut off whilst driving without warning
Other or unspecified, Aug 6, 2021
The engine seized up at 83,000 miles with all regular maintenance done. There is no specific cause of what caused that, as dismantling the engine would cost me more $. I have already spent $200 on the dealership and independents mechanic. I was merging on to the interstate and I lost all power, it was a narrow one lane, no shoulder section of the road, as it was also an interchange for a state hwy and the interstate. I had to limp over to the shoulder as traffic behind me began blaring horns. The shoulder I did find was a narrow gore, and I was very uncomfortable while getting a tow and ride setup. I was terrified I was going to be sideswiped at any moment. I was told by my trusted mechanic it was the Hybrid battery. The Dealership said the engine seized up, which also damaged the battery. In either case, my car does not travel forward under its own power. I had no warning until the event happened, I just lost power.