Kia Engine Problems You Should Know About Before Buying One
Imagine buying an iPhone and it dying on you out of nowhere. It might sound extreme but unfortunately, such mishaps are pretty common in the electronics industry. You’ll notice similar issues with the Kia engines. As reliable as the brand is, the list of Kia engine problems keeps going.
Smoking engines, transmission problems, and complete shutdowns are very common issues for Kia car engines. What’s worse is that the engine issues can be pretty severe. How bad is it, really? Let’s take a look.
Common Engine Problems of Kia Cars
Believe it or not, the usual car complaints website is full of engine problem complaints for Kia and Hyundai cars. And that’s just one site! There are plenty of people who filed a formal complaint and didn’t keep a digital record.
Like that isn’t bad enough, most of these problems start while someone is driving the car.
Anyway, 5 most common engine problems in Kia car engines are:

Let us have a detailed understanding of these problems below.
1. Smoking Engine
Most Kia cars jump straight to faulty parts and other things, but some cars do get the comparatively minor issue of smoking. Don’t be too happy though, because that’s usually the first sign of bigger issues.
This mostly happens when someone is already driving the car. You’ll either notice the smoke coming off the vents before your engine stops working, or your engine will shut down first, and then the smoke will cover everything. The second one was the case of Gunter V.
Smokes indicate bigger problems brewing inside your engine or worse, some kind of engine part failure.
2. Melted Wires
Wires getting melted is another comparatively minor issue that leads to something worse. The issue might be minor but the number of people who experienced this isn’t. This issue also usually pops up when someone is driving the car.
No one knows what causes the wires to melt (especially in a relatively new car) yet. This problem usually starts with a burning smell and the engine stops working soon after that. You’ll only see the wires after you check under the hood (or other places).
Melted wires are one of the major issues the NHTSA used to build their suit against Hyundai and Kia engines. That should give you an idea of how frequently people complained about this issue.
3. Burnt Engine
This is where the bigger issues begin. Burnt or blown engines in Kia cars are so common, they can probably qualify to be in the top three major engine issues in Kia cars. This problem will completely shut your car down but the question is how fast that is going to happen.
For some people, the engine starts dropping speed while they’re driving. Then the engine shuts down completely and refuses to start. For the more unlucky bunch, the engine stops without any signs and you guessed it, doesn’t start at all.
Sometimes people notice some warning signs before their engines blow up. If you hear knocking noises, vibrations (which cause the knocking sound), or clicking noises while you’re driving, you can safely assume you’re about to have a blown engine in your hands.
A blown engine means you’ll have to replace the whole thing. Kia will cover the cost if you’re lucky but in most cases, you can’t count on that.
4. Fire Risk
There aren’t many complaints about the engine catching fire on Kia cars, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. In most cases, fire risk means engine overheating or other problems that can lead to it catching fire and blowing up.
This was the main reason why NHTSA sued Hyundai. There have been three different recalls for Kia car engines from them because they were deemed too risky. That should tell you how bad it is. In most cases, people report their engine overheating or giving off burning smells.
In rare cases, the car engine outright catches on fire like user jamm’s Kia did according to car complaints records. He said,
“I start the car in the morning as usual when a burning smell was noticed. I tried to find the cause of it when a glowing light and flame was located. The lighted “SORENTO” at the base of the door had shorted out.
The engine was turned off and I used snow to stop the fire. Minor damage to the vehicle, about $275us. The Kia dealer where the vehicle was bought and had been maintained advised that it was caused by water without knowing where it happened and how. Water cannot reach the connector and there was no water issue. South Vancouver (BC) Kia were really useless.”
5. Complete Shutdown
This is the worst one on this list and unfortunately, it is the most common engine issue in Kia cars. What’s worse is that this happens without any warning. One moment you’re driving and then suddenly the car is dead.
There are lots of different scenarios here. Sometimes the engine makes a noise and slowly shuts down but in most cases, it comes as a sudden blow. Sometimes people report their oil lights, indicators, and everything else shutting down first before the engine.
Most users face a complete shutdown in the middle of the road like Jima and Ira Gansler did. One moment they’re driving down the road, the next moment their car engine suddenly stopped functioning. They had to get to safety with no brakes on their car which is scary to say the least.
In most cases, mechanics will tell you it is an engine problem right away. But sometimes it can get a little confusing and you might have to replace some smaller parts before getting to the actual problem.
What Models Have the Most Engine Problems?
Engine failures are the most common complaint among car owners when it comes to Kia cars. The brand has some excellent models otherwise. So if you want to avoid the risk, here is a list of Kia cars that usually have engine problems.
This is based on the carcomplaint.com owner discussions, so there might be a slight human bias involved. But otherwise, it isn’t very far off the point.
The Risky Kia Car Models Are-

And if you want to go by years, try to avoid 2011-2014 for the Kia Optima models. The Kia Sportage 2011-2013 models are the most risky ones, so are the 2012-2014 Kia Sorento Models.
That doesn’t mean the other years are completely safe though. There are a few complaints about the 2015 Kia Sportage ending up with blown engines so you get the idea. But generally speaking, the 2011-2014 models are the riskiest ones on this l
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Conclusion
Your car engine will depend a lot on your luck. But when it comes to Kia cars, you have to be cautious too. Kia engine problems were bad enough that they still have multiple recalls on the engines. So make sure to do your research before you buy a Kia.
Meta Description: We have listed down the most commonly faced Kia engine problems so you can be aware of any future mishap before you buy one.
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