What breaks most · 2014 to 2019 model years
Kia Cadenza problems by year
Owners have filed 216 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Cadenza across model years 2014 to 2019. One year stands out: 2014 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2017 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2017, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 2162014 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2014110 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 86 fires · 12 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 41kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 11Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 3 | 3 | Engine (28) | |
| 48 | 1 | 2 | Engine (13) | |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | Visibility (6) | |
| 32 | 4 | 2 | Engine (11) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Engine (5) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Engine (2) |
What fails on the 2014 Kia Cadenza
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 25% |
28 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2014 Kia Cadenza |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 15% |
16 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2014 Kia Cadenza |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 13% |
14 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2014 Kia Cadenza |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 12% |
13 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2014 Kia Cadenza |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
13 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 11% |
12 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2014 Kia Cadenza |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
8 | 1 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
8 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2014 Kia Cadenza |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
There is carbon building up on the intake. Which causes the engine to lose power. Even at 70 mph engine will cut out causing the car to decelerate in traffic.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Cadenza years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2014 carries the most filings on the Kia Cadenza. The 2014 alone has 110 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Kia Cadenza problem?
On the 2014 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 28 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Cadenza problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Cadenza complaints that include mileage is about 41,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.