Reliable Auto DB

2014 Kia Optima reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2014 Kia Optima holds 585 complaints after 13 years, a rate of 27 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Optima years here — over the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Hoses and fittings, and Engine.

2012 Kia Optima
Photo by Throwawayacc222, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC0
Complaints

585

Per year

27

Recalls

7

Years on the road

13

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (283 of 585), then Steering (94) and Electrical system (60). Those filings include 20 that report a crash, 42 that report a fire, 17 that report an injury, and 2 that report a death.

Next to 2013 and 2015

The 2013 Optima has 1,383 complaints, 46 per year, and the 2015 has 1,008 complaints, 27 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2014 Kia Optima. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (7)

Recall Brake control module 2023-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 23V652000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2022-02-17 · NHTSA campaign 22V093000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Brake control module 2021-05-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V331000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Brake control module 2020-08-27 · NHTSA campaign 20V519000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2020-02-21 · NHTSA campaign 20V100000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2018-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 18V907000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Engine 2017-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 17V224000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (585 total)

Engine
283
Steering
94
Electrical system
60
Structure
48
Fuel and propulsion system
42
Service brakes
25
Speed control
21
Powertrain
20
Exterior lighting
18
Air bags
16
Hydraulic brakes
16
Engine and engine cooling
14
Suspension
10
Visibility
8
Electronic stability control (ESC)
6
Fuel system, gasoline
6
Seats
5
Visibility and wipers
5
Wheels
3
Forward collision avoidance
1
Hybrid propulsion
1
Seat belts
1
Tires
1
Traction control
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

20

Fire-flagged

42

Injury reports

17

Death reports

2

Complaints filed per year

402014152015262016222017472018752019582020592021592022592023472024492025292026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My vehicles Low-Pressure Fuel Feed Tube disconnected from the engine and sprayed fuel over the top. The vehicle was running and the engine was hot but luckily there was no fire and no was injured, but if this had…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-15
  • "The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The contact stated that a quart of oil was added every 600 miles.…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "I owe a lady made a complete stop in front of me and I hit her. I wasn’t traveling close behind her. Her car was not damaged at all, but my Kia was totaled from the front. They had to cut the car off because it was…"
    Electrical system, Air bags, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-30
  • "The component was the engine. The engine has since been replaced. The safety of myself or others was not in immediate danger before the engine seized. Luckily my mechanics employee was test driving for other issues at…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-28
  • "XXX engine seized while driving on freeway — lost power, no crank, dash lights work, coasted to shoulder — safety hazard. Towed to Nayo's Auto [XXX] then to Kearny Mesa Kia [XXX]. Dealer confirmed 6 open recalls…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2014 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2014 Kia Optima Hybrid 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Optima 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 23 33 26 MPG $2500
Optima 2L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 20 30 24 MPG $2700
Optima hybrid 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 35 38 37 MPG $1750
Optima hybrid EX 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 35 38 36 MPG $1800

Specs and fitment

4th generation (JF), 2012–2020
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (2.4L and 2.0L turbo per manual) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17 to 245/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 18V161000. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Optima hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently. If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install two newly designed Battery Management Systems (BMS) that contain Overvoltage Protection Devices (OPDs), free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC162.

Compare

Previous year 2013 Kia Optima Next year 2015 Kia Optima See every Kia Optima model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Kia Optima reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2014 Kia Optima holds 585 complaints after 13 years, a rate of 27 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Optima years here — over the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Hoses and fittings, and Engine.

What are common problems with a 2014 Kia Optima?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (283 of 585), then Steering (94) and Electrical system (60). Those filings include 20 that report a crash, 42 that report a fire, 17 that report an injury, and 2 that report a death.

Is the 2014 Kia Optima more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Optima has 1,383 complaints, 46 per year, and the 2015 has 1,008 complaints, 27 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015.

Has the 2014 Kia Optima been recalled?

The 2014 Kia Optima has 7 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2014 Kia Optima?

Owners have filed 585 complaints about the 2014 Kia Optima with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2014 Kia Optima get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2014 Kia Optima is 30.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Optima take?

5W-20 or 0W-20 (2.4L and 2.0L turbo per manual)

What does NHTSA recall 18V-161 cover on the Kia Optima?

NHTSA campaign 18V161000.

What generation is the 2013 Kia Optima?

4th generation (JF) (2012-2020).