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What 110 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Cadenza

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (110)Crash / fire / injury (10)Engine (28)Brakes (23)Visibility & wipers (16)Electrical system (13)Steering (12)Body & structure (8)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Fuel system (5)Wheels (4)Airbags (3)

2 of 110 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 23, 2024Electrical systemEngineFire

I was driving my 2014 Kia Cadenza and then I noticed the vehicle has lost power and all the electrical components shut off (Odometer , dash lights and radio ) , as I was cruising down the road waiting for vehicle to slow down I noticed vehicle steering was very heavy and didn't have any breaking power , I pull into a place away from road when i noticed that there was smoke coming from the car and the car was catching fire , in that moment I opened the hood and I did have a fire extinguisher . I was pushing the vehicle back while spraying it and was able to turn off the fire before spreading . The car will require a new engine . I reached out to multiple kia Dealerships but they will not accept repairs on the car and will redirect me to kia customer support . It's been a hassle for the past couple of months and I can't seem to get to a resolution

NHTSA ODI 11567239

Apr 1, 2019Electrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 KIA CADENZA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY A KIA INVESTIGATOR TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT *TR

NHTSA ODI 11193194

Working with the data? Download all 110 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Kia Cadenza verdict →