I was driving normally on I-76 when suddenly, I couldn’t feel the gas working. Everything was fine with the car until then, but all of a sudden, I saw all the lights on the dashboard. I could slowly smell the smell of flames, and later, it caught fire! I was terrified for my life, and seeing that happen to my first car, which I had only had for three weeks, still haunts me.
2014 Kia Optima: fire, smoke or burning smell
41 of the 591 complaints about the 2014 Kia Optima describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 41
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical mileage
- 89,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 56 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
On 7/13/26 around 0715 my son was driving our 2014 Kia optima when it caught fire and burned from the engine to the back of the car. Fire dept and law enforcement had to respond and the vehicle along with thousands of dollars of property was destroyed by the fire. This vehicle is a total loss and I’m trusting an investigation as to I believe their fire started due to the engjbe and electrical faults of Kia motors.
High pressure fuel This put me at risk because my car could have caught on fire if that gas leaked in a certain spot under the hood. Independent service center No warning signs. This is the second time, I am paying to get this done. There should be some type of recall on this part.
The car is available upon inspection, the car caught on fire after being driven for about 45 mins. Smoke started to come from under the car hood, fire starting dropping from underneath the vehicle and then fire started coming from under the hood of the car. The car started smoking while being inside vehicle and the fire could've spread. The fire was put out by the fire department, the vehicle has not been inspected as of yet. No warning signs.
My 2014 Kia Optima is burning oil heavily and emitting fumes into the cabin. The dealership confirmed an engine issue but said they are waiting on paperwork to replace the engine. I’ve been told to continue driving it even though the burning smell enters the car and causes headaches. I believe this is a safety hazard.
On 3 July 2025, while driving the car suddenly lost power and started smoking under the hood. I pulled over, exited the vehicle, and an engine fire started a minute later. The fire department put out the fire. The safety of myself and my child were at risk. We were driving at 40 miles per hour when the car lost power and caught fire. There were no warning lights. The car was towed to an independent repair shop to be evaluated, but results have not yet been gathered. There are known issues and recalls associated with 2014 Kia optima and with its engine losing power and catching fire, but my VIN was not included in the recalls when it should have been. This could have resulted in injury or the loss of life. At a minimum it has caused a loss of financial stability for my family due to Kia failing to produce and maintain safe vehicles.
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated while parked and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. Smoke and flames were coming from the engine of the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was relating the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) however the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure opened a case and the vehicle was inspected; however, the inspector could not determine the origin of the fire due to the fire damage. The failure mileage was 113,000.
A high pressure fuel pump, the car is at a shop to get worked on. I was told not to drive the vehicle because it can catch on fire. The part that was leaking was connected to the engine which could cause the car to catch fire if it touched the hot engine. I was scared to drive the vehicle because it smelled like straight gas, I was terrified thinking the car was going to blow up. So I parked the car , so nothing bad can happen to me or others. I also Called Kia of Waldorf and the did not have an appointment until the following week of the 20th. Yes this was confirmed by an independent service center. No there was not any warnings on the dash board. But I do know it was a recall one time before on the high pressure fuel for Kia optima’s.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway and observed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine had seized, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started losing motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. However, while replacing the battery and starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Car caught fire, parked in driveway, partially damaged the house.
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the vehicle had begun to burn. The fire department was called and the vehicle fire was controlled using water to extinguish the flames. The contact stated that the fire department filed a report. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot and had not been examined by a dealer or insurance adjuster. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was aware of one recall associated with the VIN, the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), however there were a total of three recalls - the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine), and the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V100000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that she was not aware of the other two recalls. The failure mileage was unknown.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Customer satisfaction: anti-theft s/w logic upgrade & decal installation (CS2303)
- Product improvement campaign: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/z)
- Customer satisfaction: kia genuine remote start control module upgrade for anti-theft logic compatibility...
- Owner re-notification
- Kia genuine remote start control module upgrade for anti-theft logic compatibility (CS2310)
- Owner notification
- Anti-theft s/w logic upgrade & decal installation (CS2303)
- TSB - product improvement campaign - knock sensor detection system - ECU logic improvement (PI1802)
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2014 Kia Optima fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2014 Kia Optima?
41 of 591 owner complaints about the 2014 Kia Optima (7%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2014 Kia Optima?
There are 0 recalls and 56 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2014 Kia Optima
Engine failure 93Check engine light 71Knocking 64Stalling 61Loss of power 31Won't start 23Oil consumption 14Steering noise 13Headlights 12Warning lights 12ABS 10Fuel leak 10Fuel smell 10Pulling 10Won't shift 10Power steering loss 9Harsh shifting 8Jerking 8Airbag light 7Hesitation 7Sunroof shattered 7No deployment 6Brake failure 6Overheating 6Steering lock-up 6Fuel pump 5
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