Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–111 of 111

2014 Kia Cadenza complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2014 record →

Engine2 injured
Filed Sep 30, 201524,000 milesNV

ENGINE WAS MAKING A NOISE AND FOWL ODOR FROM VENTS TOOK TO KIA DEALER AFTER A WK THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE PROBLEM SAID IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BACK TO LAS VEGAS FROM CALIF ONCE WE ARRIVED WE CALLED LOCAL DEALER THEY REPLACED ENGINE SO THEY SAID. THEN 2 WKS LATER WE GET IT BACK I BEGAN HAVING SITE THROAT COUGH AND SEVERE HEADACHES AND LATER TOLD MY HUSBAND I THOUGHT IT WAS GAS I WAS SMELLING IN THE CAR WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT WAS FINE SO WE LEAVE TO CALIF AND THE FOLLOWING DAY I WENT TO START THE CAR AND WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND GAS HAD GONE EVERY WHERE THE FIRE DEPT HAD TO COME ASSIST AND GIVE CLEARANCE TO TOW THE CAR DUE TO THE FUEL HAZARD.

Structure › Body
Filed Jun 18, 20159,000 milesTX

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HWY AND MY SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED. I DO NOT THINK A ROCK HIT IT BUT IF IT DID IT SHOULD NOT HAVE SHATTERED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE BUT WHEN I ARRIVED TO THE DEALERSHIP HE THEN LOOKED AND THE SUNROOF AND SAID THAT IT LOOKED AS IF IT HAD BEEN STRUCK BY A ROCK AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO AN INVESTIGATION. I THEN TOLD HIM THAT IF A ROCK HIT IT, IT STILL SHOULD NOT HAVE BUSTED AND SHATTERED THE WAY IT DID. HE SAID IT HAS SOMETHING TO SO WITH CABIN PRESSURE. SO THEN IF THAT IS THE CASE EVERY TIME A ROCK HITS IT THEN IT WILL BUST AND SHATTER?

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Apr 3, 20154,862 milesID

CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK, DEALERSHIP SAID KIA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT FIXED IT. *TR

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Mar 27, 201513,534 milesMD

WHILE DRIVING DOWN 95 S FROM COLUMBIA I HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN THE SUN ROOF COVER SLID BACK (IT HAD BEEN CLOSED) AND THE SUNROOF GLASS SHATTERED DOWN ON MY PASSENGER AND MY HEAD AND INTO THE CAR. WE LOOKED UP AND WE COULD SEE THE SKY. THE GLASS WAS POINTING UPWARD. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS HAPPENING WE BOTH DUCKED, I CLOSED THE SUNROOF PANEL COVER AND KEPT DRIVING SINCE WE WERE NOT FAR FROM THE CAR DEALER (SEVERAL EXITS DOWN THE HIGHWAY). *TR

Air BagsCrash
Filed Feb 11, 20154,100 milesCA

I PURCHASED A KIA CADENZA IN SEPT. 2014. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I SELECTED THIS VEHICLE WAS THE SAFETY RECORD OF THE VEHICLE. THIS KIA CADENZA CAME WITH DUAL FRONT AND REAR SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE AIRBAGS. ON JAN. 19TH, 2015 I WAS BROAD SIDED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. MY KIA WAS HIT WITH GREAT FORCE AT THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR. THE IMPACT SENT MY CAR INTO A CIRCULAR SPIN. MY KIA HAD A HOLE IN THE PASSENGER REAR DOOR WHERE THE REAR SEAT WAS EXPOSED. THE IMPACT WAS TREMENDOUS AND NO AIR BAG DEPLOYED. NO FRONT, REAR OR SIDE CURTAIN. THE CAR HAS BEEN DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. I TALKED TO THE KIA CORPORATION ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND ASKED WHY NO AIR BAG WENT OFF. THAT WAS A WEEK AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND I AM STILL WAITING ON THAT PHONE CALL. THESE INCIDENTS SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED. THE SENSOR SYSTEM DETECTING IMPACT AND FORCE OF IMPACT TOTALLY FAILED...UPDATED 02/24/15*BF *TR UPDATED 9/21/2017*CN

Engine
Filed Jan 14, 20155,000 milesPA

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, IF DONE IN A START, STOP, RESTART FASHION, IT DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY RE-ACCELERATE. THIS CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHEN STOPPING PRIOR TO PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. *TR

Steering
Filed Dec 9, 2014CA

ON SATURDAY - NOVEMBER 22, 2014 AROUND 6:30 PM THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED AND CAR ROLLED FOR FEW FEET AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. ALSO STEERING JAMMED AND DIDN'T MOVE. IT WAS STOPPED AND DIDN'T START BACK ON AND STEERING BECAME VERY HARD TO CRANK IT. THE BATTERY WAS RUNNING FINE. DUE TO ELECTRICAL AND/OR MECHANICAL FAILURE WE WERE EXPOSED TO THE UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ON THE BUSY STREET/FREEWAY OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE BEEN ENDED UP IN MAJOR SAFETY INCIDENT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WE COULDN'T MANEUVER THE STEERING RESULTING IN SITUATION TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Oct 21, 2014FL

THE 2014 CADENZA DOES NOT OFFERS A HEIGHT SEAT ADJUSTMENT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SO IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY WIFE TO GET IT AND OUT. I CALLED KIA AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS I GET THE 2015 MODEL. SO I BOUGHT A SEAT CUSHION TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT . THE PROBLEM NOW IS THAT THE " OFF WARNING LIGHT" FOR THE AIR BAGS DOES NOT ACTIVATE TO ON WHEN YOU SEAT, WHICH MEANS THAT IF THERE'S IS AN ACCIDENT, THOSE BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY AND COULD LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC INJURIES. KIA STATES THAT PROBLEM WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE FIXED.MANY CADENZA OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 21, 2014CA

I HAPPEN TO BE DRIVING FROM WORK,AND LOUD NOISE CAUSED ME TO HIT WALL,AS I WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL. *TR

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed May 30, 20143,300 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA CADENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AS IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IPS FILTER FUEL PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,300, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Electrical System
Filed Jan 18, 20148,613 milesSC

THE "SMART KEY" FOR THIS VEHICLE IS A NEW DESIGN, RELEASED FOR THE 2013 KDM KIA K7, AND HAS A RELEASE BUTTON WHERE THE PLASTIC KEY/REMOTE PART MAY BE REMOVED TO EXPOSE A METAL CENTER-CUT KEY THAT CAN BE USED ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR, TRUNK, OR GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THE RELEASE WILL DETACH THE KEY WELL BEFORE THE BUTTON IS FLUSH WITH THE PLASTIC BODY, ALLOWING MANY DIFFERENT NORMAL MOTIONS TO RELEASE THE KEY. ON MANY OCCASIONS, JUST REGULAR MOVEMENT HAS RELEASED THE KEY AND IT HAS FALLEN OFF IN MY POCKET. ON ONE OCCASION, THE SMART KEY CAME OFF AS I REMOVED MY KEYS FROM MY POCKET AT MY HOUSE AND THE KEY BOUNCED UP UNDER THE CAR. HAD I NOT HAD THE OTHER KEY INSIDE THE HOUSE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED BECAUSE IT BOUNCED OUT OF REACH. NOW IT HAS COME OFF AND FALLEN OUT OF MY POCKET AND IS LOST. ALL OF THESE INCIDENCES OCCURRED WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE KEY IS PLASTIC AND LIGHT ENOUGH THAT IT COULD FALL OFF WITHOUT BEING HEARD. IN SUCH A SITUATION, IT COULD BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY, SUCH AS IF IT WERE NEAR A FIRE OR BLOCKING ACCESS FOR A FIRE TRUCK OR AMBULANCE. IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE IT COULD COME OFF UNNOTICED IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT AND THEN ANYONE COULD FIND THE KEY, USE THE "ANSWER-BACK" OR PANIC FUNCTIONS TO LOCATE THE CAR THE KEY WENT TO, AND THEN STEAL THE CAR. A RUNNING CRIMINAL OR JUVENILE ON A JOY-RIDE COULD THEN CRASH AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. THE KEY SHOULD BE REDESIGNED AND THE CURRENT ONE RECALLED. *TR

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2014 Kia Cadenza → · Every Cadenza year → · How the figures are calculated →