There are 19 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2014 Kia Optimain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The engine failed after a prior engine replacement performed by the manufacturer. The failure caused the vehicle to become non-operational and created a risk of sudden loss of power and engine stalling while driving. The vehicle required towing and could not be safely driven. This is a repeat engine failure involving the same vehicle.
I was with my family on PA I-476. While traveling home in our 2014 Kia Optima the vehicle’s dash lights such as oil lamp, battery, etc popped on. As soon as I noticed the lights the vehicle had completely lost all drivability. Lights operable and possibly radio and accessories but I had to react so quickly as it was so unexpected. The vehicle completely lost its function and I was unable to operate it but in the capacity of steering and hardly able to break. Lost all power components. We are so thankful I was able to make a split second decision to dodge traffic while vehicle was decelerating, 18 wheelers going by 70+ mph (speed limit) and pulled off to one of the few shoulders. This scenario was so dangerous that if I didn’t believe in a higher being before, I do now! Most the lanes are sandwiched by concrete barriers and there happened to be a coned off area I was able to decisively pull over to. There was no warning this was happening. The vehicle was operating normally. The engine compartment was smoking and all I could think was to get my family away from traffic. The look on my wife and daughters face and the words my daughter asked me was life changing. The vehicle is at Kia dealership since Saturday night. It’s Wednesday and they cannot provide diagnostic yet but are charging me for a starter already? They began to inspect vehicle Monday.
unknown
The car caught fire last night and burned up while parked.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his son was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact’s son was able to pull over safely. The contact attempted to jump start the vehicle however, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,484.
Lost power train while driving on the freeway. I put the computer on the car and I got code PO605.
The engine under recall they switch it then the trains mission goes bad
CRANK SHAFT BEARING WENT BAD CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL IN VEHICLE AND ALMOST GET HIT BY TRAFFIC CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON EVERY MODEL OF MY CAR EXCEPT MINE BECAUSE IT WAS THE GAS HYBRID WHICH STILL HAS THE SAME ENGINE AND PROBLEM AS THE ONES IN RECALL J BOUGHT THE CAR FOR AROUND 13K AND ONLY HAD IT FOR BOUT 3 MONTHS BEFORE THIS HAPPEN DEALER WON'T REPAIR WORK UNDER RECALL BECAUSE IT DOES FALL UNDER THE RECALL FOR MILLIONS OF OTHER BECAUSE IT IS HYBRID AS WELL AS GAS ? DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AND I GOT SCREWED OUTTA 13K AND COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED AS WELL AS MY 2 KIDS THAT WHERE IN THE CAR WITH ME
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR A WEEK. HAD APPT TO GO IN 2/2/21 WITH KIA BUT DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE STARTED HEARING A LIGHT TICKING SOUND. WHEN I ACCELERATED ON THE GAS IT DIDNT DO ANYTHING. IT WAS BOGGED DOWN. IT STAYED AT 60 MPH SO I DID IT AGAIN AND STILL THE SAME THING. MY HUSBAND ASLO SAID THAT IT'S BEEN SUCKING OIL DOWN FOR NO REASON. IT HAS 89,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND HAVE IT TOWED TO KIA. I'M STILL CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THEY ARE GONNA DO.
SHAVINGS FOUND IN OIL CAUSING ENGINE SEIZURE
THIS HAPPENS WHILE I AM DRIVING OR WHEN I COME TO A STOP. THE CAR APPEARS TO STALL AND THEN THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS IN MY CONSOLE AREA GO OUT AND THE LIGHT INDICATOR IN THE DASHBOARD GOES OUT AND THEREFORE YOU CANNOT SEE WHICH GEAR YOU IN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE KIA DEALER THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THAT IT APPEARED TO FIX ITSELF. IT APPEARED TO CLEAR UP BUT SINCE HAS STARTED BACK . *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BILLION AUTO - KIA OF IOWA CITY (2845 MORMON TREK BLVD, IOWA CITY, IA 52246) TO BE REPAIRED UNDER AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE CONTACT NOTICED BY THE SERVICE STICKER PLACED ON THE WINDOW THAT THE WRONG TYPE OF OIL WAS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER CONTACTING THE SAME DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY USED THAT TYPE OF OIL DUE TO THE RECALL UPDATE. AS THE CONTACT STARTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTING TO FLASH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY INITIALLY INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. AS THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK FOR A SECOND TIME AND THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AN ENGINE MISFIRE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT THEN STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND HIT AN UNKNOWN OBJECT ON THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED A BLOWOUT OF THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS LOOSE AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL WAS VERY LOW DESPITE HAVING A RECENT OIL CHANGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE MATTER. AFTER NOT HEARING FROM THE MANUFACTURER, THE CONTACT CALLED BACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN REACHING THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, SAME ROUTE SAME TIME, WHEN MY ENGINE STALLED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY GOING AROUND A CURVE. "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE, PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE" WAS THE ERROR. I WAS ABLE TO COAST AROUND THE CURVE AND TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. HAD TO TOW IT OFF THE HIGHWAY AT FIRST, AND TRIED TO JUMP IT. (I HAD A PROBLEM IN 2017 WITH THE NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH ON MY BATTERY, REPLACED SAFETY SWITCH/BATTERY AT THE COST OF 1K AND A MONTH DUE TO THE SAFETY SWITCH BEING AN ASPECT OF THE RECALL FOR THE NON-HYBRID OPTIMAS). BATTERY WAS PERFECT, CAR WAS ABLE TO TURN ON, RADIO, AC, EVERYTHING BUT THE ENGINE. TOWED IT TO FREDY KIA (GREAT SHOP BY THE WAY!), BY THE TIME IT GOT THERE, THEY STATED THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. THEY REPLACED, THEN TRIED TO TURN THE ENGINE BOTH MECHANICALLY AND BY HAND. ENGINE SEIZED PER DEALERSHIP. (I KNOW IM AN IDIOT FOR SAYING THIS BUT..) THIS IS NOT THE FIRST KIA THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO WITH THE SAME RECALL. I HAD A 2014 KIA SPORTAGE IN JANUARY HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. ALL MAINTENANCE RECORDS (OIL CHANGES EVERY 3500 MILES, ANY BELTS/CHANGES,ETC.) WERE PRESENTED TO KIA OF WHICH THEY RECALLED THE 2014 SPORTAGE ENGINE. WITH MY OPTIMA HYBRID (SAME THETA II ENGINE AS THE RECALL FOR THE NON-HYBRID OPTIMAS PER KIAS OWN "INVESTIGATIONS" SINCE 2017) AFTER CONTACTING KIA HEADQUARTERS, THEY ARE STATING THAT THIS IS NOT THE SAME ISSUE BUT ARE WILLING TO "WORK WITH ME". SINCE THEN KIA HEADQUARTERS HAS TALKED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS WITH 0 RESPONSE, OR UPDATE ON WHATS NEXT. I CURRENTLY BOTH HAVE AND DONT HAVE A CAR. MORAL OF THE STORY, PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THESE CARS! OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE FLAWED (MY "SEIZED" ENGINE IS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED AT ALL DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE BARRINGS, ONLY FIX IS A SHORT BLOCK ENGINE REPLACEMENT FOR MY LONG BLOCK ENGINE THEN FABRICATE THE HEADERS, ETC.)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS HOME AND ANOTHER MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED HIM TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. TRIPLE J AUTO GROUP (470 NORTH, MARINE CORPS DR, TAMUNING, 96913, GUAM) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WHICH HE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.*DT
AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR IT WONT SHIFT AND SOUNDS FORCED. THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A RATTLE SOUND AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED! THE CAR STOPPED IN FULL SPEED AND I WAS SCARED FOR ME LIFE AND MY SONS. HAD A CAR BEEN BEHIND US OR IN THE INTERSECTION IT COULD HAVE BEEN BAD! IT TURNED BACK ON AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN N AND PRESSING THE START BUTTON. BUT THE CAR CONTINUES TO SOUND AND FEEL AS THOUGH ITS BEING FORCED TO RUN.
WHEN I COLD CRANK IT THE ENGINES SOUND VERY VERY LOUD RATTLE AND SETTLES TO A LOUD RATTLE AFTER ABOUT GETTING WARMED UP WITH THE ENGINE VIBRATING WHICH COULD ALSO BE SEEN. I TOOK IT IN WARMED UP & THE TECHNICIAN STATED AFTER A REVIEW, HE DIDN'T HEAR A RATTLE OR A KNOCK (THATS A LIE, I AM GOING BACK AGAIN & REVIEW WITH THE TECH) I ALSO HEAR A RATTLE FROM THE LEFT CV AXLE WHEN THE TRAC CONTROL COMES TO PLAY, TURNING ON A HARD RIGHT & A THUMP WHEN PULLING HARD ON A WET PAVEMENT ON A GREEN LIGHT. THIS COLD CRANK RATTLE CANNOT BE HEARD ON OTHER OPTIMAS WHEN I ASK TO HEAR THEM START THE OTHER CARS UP. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THIS IS A 30000 MILE CAR & SHOULD BE HAVING A VIBRATING ENGINE & A COLD CRANK RATTLE OR ANY RATTLE AT ALL WHEN WARMED UP, IT SHOULD BE SMOOTH.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE BY PRESSING THE START PUSH BUTTON, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY START. OCCASIONALLY, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO JIGGLE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (MATHEWS KIA, 595 EAST MAIN ST, CARTERSVILLE, GA) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. *DT UPDATED 11/29/18*JB *JB
I WAS IN A PARKING STRUCTURE, STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. I CONTINUED A FEW FEET TO MY DESIGNATED PARKING STALL AND WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL THE CAR ACCELERATED AT WHAT FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE FULL THROTTLE ON IT'S OWN. THE SURGE OF THE VEHICLE FORCED THE CAR TO CRASH INTO A CONCRETE WALL CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND BODILY INJURY TO MYSELF. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD. THIS CAR HAS SOME VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. NOW I AM TERRIFIED TO EVER DRIVE IT AGAIN. *TR
WHEN LEAVING A STOP SIGN .RED LIGHT OR A DRIVE WAY . SOME TIMES THE CAR WON'T GO WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED.HAS A DELAY OF ABOUT 2 SECONDS .HAVE TO FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL TO MAKE IT GO. VERY BAD WHEN OTHER CARS ARE BEHIND ME. BOUGHT CAR MAY 30 2014 . HAD 5 OR 6 INCIDENTS ALREADY. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM CAN'T GET IT FIXED. SUSPECT ECONOMY SYSTEM IS PROBLEM. THE INTERNET HAS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026