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What 578 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Optima Phev

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 (578)Crash / fire / injury (60)Engine (278)Steering (94)Electrical system (59)Body & structure (48)Fuel system (47)Brakes (41)Speed control (21)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Lights (18)Airbags (15)

3 of 578 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 13, 2020Speed controlFuel systemCrashFire2 injuries1 death

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, AN ABNORMAL ODOR APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE FORWARD, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE WHO WAS MAKING A U-TURN. THE CONTACT TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL AS THE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO CRASH INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACT GOT OUT RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHERE HIS FIANC WAS UNCONSCIOUS. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO CUT THE SEATBELT IN ORDER TO RELEASE AND DRAG HER OUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WENT BACK TO RETRIEVE ITEMS BUT THE VEHICLE THEN ENGULFED IN FLAMES CAUSING AN EXPLOSION. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS MADE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE CONTACT FRACTURED HIS RIGHT WRIST, RIGHT ANKLE AND SUSTAINED SEVERE BURN TO HIS BODY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACTS FIANC WHO WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER LEFT LEGS, WRISTS, RIGHT FOOT AND ANKLE FRACTURED, FIRE BURNED THROUGH OUT HER BODY CAUSING HER TO LOSE HER LOWER INTESTINE. THE CONTACTS FIANC WAS IN A COMA AND IN THE HOSPITAL FOR OVER 90 DAYS. THERE WAS A VEHICLE WHO MADE A U-TURN IN FRONT PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE AND IT WAS INFORMED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE DRIVER OF THAT VEHICLE DIED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE HAD A RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON HIS VEHICLE 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V100000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) APRIL 13, 2020 WHICH THE CONTACT BELIEVES CAUSED THE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000.*DT

NHTSA ODI 11364123

May 22, 2020Speed controlCrash

2014 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *LD THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH DUE TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE STRUCK 2 PARKED CARS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11325813

Aug 24, 2015Speed controlBrakesCrash

I WAS TRYING TO BACK IN BETWEEN2 VEHICLES IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. AND WHILE DOING SO, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE CAR LUNCHED BACKWARDS WITH A JERKING MOTION, LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO DO 2 DIFFERENT THINGS ATONE TIME, AT FULL RATE OF SPEED AND DOING SO, IT BACKED INTO THE VEHICLE TO MY LEFT, THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT AND WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SIGHT, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD SEEN AN ISSUE LIKE THIS HAPPENING ON THE NEWS. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF AND I WENT ONLINE TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT. I WAS NOT HURT AND IF MY COUSIN WASN'T IN THE CAR, I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD'VE BELIEVED ME. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO, I'M REALLY SCARED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10758899

Working with the data? Download all 578 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 Optima Phev verdict →