Kia Cadenza fire or smoke problems

Filed Jul 3, 2026 · Engine · AL · fire

my car caught on fire while driving, i was never notified of the recall

Filed Apr 22, 2026 · Engine · TX

Engine oil light is on and there is a burning smell when I drive. Fear of a fire breaking out in the engine when driving or parked. Had it looked at by a technician and they expressed those concerns to me and that brings me great worry. The service technician believed it was just the oil cap being loose but there was no evidence of that.

Filed Mar 25, 2026 · Electrical · PA

Vehicle: 2015 Kia Cadenza Issue: Open HECU Safety Recall — Fire Risk I am the owner of a 2015 Kia Cadenza with an open HECU recall related to a known fire risk. I have been experiencing a burning smell inside the cabin of the vehicle, consistent with the recall defect. Upon contacting Kia Consumer Assistance, I was advised not to drive the vehicle due to the fire risk and to have it towed to a dealer. However, after calling multiple Kia dealers in the Pittsburgh, PA area, the earliest available appointment is over one week away. Kia Consumer Assistance called dealers on my behalf and was unable to secure an earlier appointment. They said they could "Look into a potential reimbursement of $55/day for a rental vehicle." but could not confirm a loaner. I am concerned that Kia is not treating this recall with the urgency a fire risk warrants. I WAS NOT PROACTIVELY CONTACTED ABOUT THIS RECALL DESPITE MY VIN BEING AFFECTED. I am now without transportation, my vehicle cannot be safely driven or stored in an enclosed space, and I am waiting over a week for a repair on a vehicle that could combust. I am requesting the federal safety agency review whether Kia is adequately addressing this recall with appropriate urgency and dealer capacity.

Filed Nov 16, 2025 · Engine · WA

No prior issues/light on dashboard as the car was just serviced for coolant hose replacement. On my way home from work, the car stalled and loss power at the light. The signs were giving engine failure due to losing power then a clicking/ticking noise. After pulling over and giving the car a break I tried to restart it, at that point the noise had change from the clicking to a weird knocking noise. I had the car towed to my trusted mechanic shop. He advised me that the engine indeed did fail and that it would need to be replaced. Verbatim he said: “The diagnosis is that the noise is an internal engine failure, rod bearing and connecting rods.” This was a major safety concern because the engine could have caught fire during that short drive I had home risking my life and surrounding vehicles. Aware of the Kia engine recalls already, I called Kia just for them to tell me it’s not on their recall list so it’s going to be an out of pocket repair. I asked if there was a way for it to be included in the engine recall as an exception due to low mileage (technically early engine failure) and the customer service rep was rude and condescending about how it’s not Kia’s problem.

Filed Apr 16, 2025 · Engine · MO

The engine started smoking and knocking really bad. Took it to the kia dealership and was told a piston o ring and gasket went bad because of heavy oil consumption that caused antifreeze to leak inside the motor while sitting still and this was causing the burning smell because the cylinder had gone bad because of this. The dealership states this was a known issue with all kias from this year and should be under recall. So I called kia because the car only has 80k miles and they informed me it's not apart of the open recall because it's a cadenza. What if I hadn't went back outside and seen the smoke and the car caught fire and burned my home down. It seems like kia knows all of these motors are bad and trying to keep it secret

Filed Jun 2, 2024 · Engine · IL

A little history, my Cadenza was placed at KIA of Bradley [XXX] 2024, I complained of oil burning, the oil sending unit light staying on and the engine dying. The Kia rep found “THE OIL PRESSURE SENDER INTERNALLY FAULTED, LEAKING OIL INTERNALLY – OIL LEAKING DOWN TO PIGTAIL HARNESS”. The Oil pressure switch and wiring harness lead were replaced. Here lies the problem. During my visit in Feb, I told Kia about the burning oil smell, I provided a video of the smoke coming from the engine and the oil light staying on. I was relying on Kia’s expertise because it’s their product. The complaints I had were about the same issues the KIA Sorento 3.3 L had, considering my Cadenaza has a 3.3 GDI engine also. The Sorento’s engine was recalled. Move forward to [XXX], 2024, I brought my Cadenaza to Kia of Bradley to have my windshield fluid motor checked because only the passenger’s side was spraying fluid, after Kia telling me the car would probably be held for a couple of days I decided to come back later. Here lies the problem, during the visit a Vehicle inspection was supposedly done on my car. Mind you, I have always had oil checks done and regular maintenance done (I have receipts to prove it). [XXX], stated the things that need to be done I had done by another dealer and there was no mention of oil being low for the car nor problem with the Oil sensor unit that was replaced in Feb 2024. Mind you, I never had any low oil engine light come oil or any OIL LEAKS OR COOLANT LEAKS ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. I figured my OIL AND COOLENT LEVEL WERE FINE, I never gotten any warning lights from the newly replaced Oil sender unit. I took my KIA Cadenza to Firestone in Mokena, IL to service my windshield motor on [XXX]. Firestone performed a basic check of my car that Kia of Bradley performed [XXX], 2024. Firestone found there was no oil in the engine because the engine burned it all and my coolant was burned inside of my engine also. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Mar 7, 2024 · CT

Nothing Happened yet ! I own a 2014 Kia Cadenza and there’s a open recall for engine compartment fire which makes me cautious as it states can catch on fire in park or in motion and to leave it not close to my house or other vehicles which also makes me cautious. I’ve been waiting long enough for them to come out with a part to fix the HECU but every dealership tells me there is no part yet, it’s very frustrating because my family rides In there including my 3 year old son and I don’t wanna take a chance on the vehicle catching on fire can you please tell me what do this is very frustrating.

Filed Feb 13, 2024 · Brakes · FL

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Cadenza. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. The contact stated this still does not resolve or fix the problem and does not want her or anybody else vehicle to catch on fire.

Filed Jan 23, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · TX · fire

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

Filed Jan 22, 2024 · Engine · 35,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage, she noticed that the engine oil had leaked onto the ground. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then drove to a nearby dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil gasket and the valve cover needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that upon picking up the vehicle from the dealer, she noticed that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The dealer was informed of the failure and determined that the oil pressure safety switch needed to be replaced; however, the part was not available. The dealer ordered the part and informed the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.