2014 Kia Cadenza: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
110 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 110 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.17
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving through a car wash, there was water entering the vehicle through the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the windshield bonding agent. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V158000 (Visibility); the VIN was inclu…
I was driving down the highway at 65 mph when suddenly the sunroof exploded in an outward fashion causing me to pull over. I believe there is a defect in the sunroofs of 2011 to 2014 models. I've contacted Kia. They refused to cover it. Nothing hit the windshield. It just spontaneously exploded.
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 reca…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V158000 | Visibility:Windshield | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling all 2014-2016 Cadenza vehicles. During manufacturing, the front windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach. |
| 23V652000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. |
| 14V289000 | Wheels | Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Cadenza vehicles manufactured February 1, 2013, through August 27, 2013, and equipped with 19" non-chrome aluminum wheels. The wheels on the affected vehicles may fracture from impacts such as large, deep potholes. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine28 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes24 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Hydraulic16 complaints · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,520
- Visibility14 complaints · typical job: Glass, wiper or defogger repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other13 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System13 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other Kia Cadenza years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Kia Cadenza?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (28 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2014 Kia Cadenza a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 46/100, computed from 110 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2014 Kia Cadenza's most common problem?
28 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2014 Kia Cadenza sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2014 Kia Cadenza cost to run per year?
About $5,404 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,020 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2014 Kia Cadenza have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2014 Kia Cadenza, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 15/03/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2014 Kia Cadenza really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 110 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 110 NHTSA complaints on record (9.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (2.5/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems