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 including recall 17V224 SC147 engine bearing failure / premature wear from machining defect. Kia corporate denied engine replacement under 15 year 150k extended warranty because product improvement PI1803 knock sensor update was not done. I never received PI1803 notification. I moved throughout [XXX] cities [[XXX] area] until moving to [XXX]. Kia mailed to old [XXX] addresses, forwarding expired, I never received at current address. All service since purchase was [XXX] not Kia dealer, so update never caught during service. I did not refuse update, I never knew about it. Vehicle is inside 15 year 150k miles and years, known manufacturing defect, not maintenance neglect. [XXX] maintenance on Carfax, DIY oil changes with receipts. Requested goodwill exception due to missed notification from moves — corporate denied via email, case on file. Request the federal safety agency review — safety defect, known recall, denied warranty due to missed notification from moves. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2014 Kia Optima: engine knocking or ticking
64 of the 591 complaints about the 2014 Kia Optima describe engine knocking or ticking.
- owner complaints
- 64
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 2
Engine knocking or ticking by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact used a scanner and retrieved a code for failure with the knock sensor detection system and glow plug relay. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. There was a question about the ownership of the vehicle. The warranty was denied because the vehicle was not being purchased from the dealer. The contact provided the title to show ownership. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
My vehicle was leaking oil an oil change. My vehicle started having a knocking sound. I am a single parent of a [XXX] child. The car would suddenly stop while I was driving which put me and my daughter's safety at risk. I took if to Southern Kia Greenbriar dealership to have a diagnostic test on Jan 17, 2026. [XXX] from the dealership confirmed my vehicle needs a new engine. It could be covered under the recall, however I would need to show receipts of every oil change from 2017 to 2026. The dealership has had my vehicle for over 2 1/2 months. My vehicle or component has been inspected by the Kia dealership, but not inspected by the police, insurance representatives or others. I noticed my oil on my drive way Jan 10th and put additional oil in my vehicle. Shortly after I began to noticed the car suddenly stopping for no reason, then heard a knocking sound when driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated after the vehicle was started and warmed up, the engine made an abnormal loud knocking sound. The vehicle was towed to Chavez Automotive, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. Additionally, the dealer was contacted for the recall repair of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed due to the vehicle having a Salvage Title. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
I was driving my 2014 Kia Ex and I heard a knocking noise, as I was driving my car stopped accelerating and went into limp mode. I took it to Kearny mesa kia and they told me it was the Knock sensor code P1326 I have looked and seen that there are plenty of recalls pertaining to this specific issue. Why are they telling me I have to pay for this when it is clearly something that is wrong with this on many vehicles across the board? I need my car fixed and back. Please help me.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle suddenly went into LIMP mode. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact then drove to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that an unknown software update regarding the engine knocking was previously performed on the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered due to the rebuilt title. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, a ticking sound and smoke was coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH several hours after an oil change was performed on the vehicle, the engine seized. The battery, the check engine, and the low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road close to a swamp. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, and an engineer was sent to diagnose the vehicle. The engineer determined that the repair could not be covered because Kia Campaign Number: PI1803 (Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement) had not been performed on the vehicle; however, the contact had not received the Service Campaign notification in the mail. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact followed up with the manufacturer, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 127,718.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and restarted. The check engine warning light was blinking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to DTC Code: P0326 Knock Sensor (1 Circuit Range Performance Bank 1). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who informed the contact that there was no recall coverage for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 217,581.
Engine died after knocking and shutting off in the middle of tragic. Engine will not even make a sound now. Spoke to the dealership ans they refused to repair my car bc 1) I stopped going to the dealership for maintenance back in 2016 and 2) I have not completed any of the recalls.
My son and his pregnant fiancé were traveling on [XXX] West bound Thursday [XXX]. They just got out of a construction zone near Rolla MO. At mile marker [XXX] the engine shut down with no warning at 60 mph and all the lights on the dash came on. He had a hard time controlling the car due to the steering being very tight and the brakes were manual. They got a tow to a safe place. I drove 5 hours to meet them and used a scanner to see what codes the car had. Zero codes showed up on my scanner. The engine immobilizer was engaged. We could not get the car started so I rented a U-Haul and car dolly and brought the car back to Indiana to the Avon IN Andy Mohr Kia dealer where we bought it. It was scheduled to be seen Tues [XXX] at [XXX]. I did not hear from them, so I called at 2:30. They informed me an engine was ordered for the vehicle. The Knock sensor detected a bearing knock and shut the car down at high speed on an interstate. The car has no outstanding recalls. I asked about the Knock sensor recall for Kia and ask why the car did not go into limp mod so they could make it safely off the interstate. No response from the dealer. This is a terrible design to have the car shut down at high speeds on an interstate. This could be deadly. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service bulletins that may apply
- Excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta/kappa engines
- Product improvement campaign: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1803Y/z)
- Bearing clearance tester (bct) procedures
- Pitstop: injector harness routing for PI1802Y/z and PI1803Y/z engine replacements
- Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/z)
- Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1803Y/z)
- Excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta engines
- Partial repair of c-mdps motor, ECU, worm gear and/or steering column housing
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- 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 number 18V907000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
Recall number 17V224000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2014 Kia Optima knocking
Is engine knocking or ticking a common problem on the 2014 Kia Optima?
64 of 591 owner complaints about the 2014 Kia Optima (11%) mention engine knocking or ticking. The model year with the most reports is 2015.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2014 Kia Optima?
There are 2 recalls and 88 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 71Stalling 61Fire or smoke 41Loss 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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