Mar 30, 2023Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemBrakesFire
The car caught fire last night and burned up while parked.
NHTSA ODI 11514559
Home · 2014 Kia Optima · Complaints
What 578 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Optima
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 · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
Jun 22, 2021Transmission & drivetrainCrash
The engine under recall they switch it then the trains mission goes bad
NHTSA ODI 11421906
Feb 17, 2015Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel systemCrash1 injury
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
NHTSA ODI 10683947
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 verdict →