Kia Forte Complaints

2,563 consumer complaints on file.

#11768141September 30, 2026
ENGINE
Vehicle has developed a severe knocking during acceleration, that stops during deceleration, and returns when in idle. I'm sure it is poison slap. I know there is an extension warranty, but the dealer says my car doesn't qualify. Then NHTSA has the SC200 safety recall. I need help with this car. My engine is failing. Can you help me?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767544September 28, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
While car was rolling in reverse, breaks got stiff and driver had to use excessive force to get car to stop. Battery warning came on when pushing hard on the breaks. Then got the car in park, reved the gas to make sure the car was on which it was. Drove it to a parking spot and the car was giving me signal shift to P. No accident occurred. Turned the car off. Car was driven home and all was fine. Vehicle was towed to Kia dealer and they kept it 5 days and could not find any codes in the system and said all was fine and released it back to us today. Told us to let them know if it happens again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766604September 24, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We were told it was the fuel pump. This car has put my son in danger twice. The car stalls out while driving, completely shuts down. He is traumatized due to this occurring in during traffic hour. The car dies and you can’t put it in neutral nor have the hazard light turn on. Complete shut down of car. It has been at Kia of Cerritos for 2 months. The first incident, they stated they corrected the issue after being there for a month and while driving home the day the car was picked up it shut down, and the car was towed the very next day. They say it’s fuel pump but these cars have an electric oil pump overheating problem which causes the car to stall while driving. The second incident was so severe my son refuses to ever drive his car again. The issue the entire electrical system to fail nothing turns on even getting it in neutral is a problem. The car can’t be repair and for it to be a lemon it need to be repaired a few more times I am not going to have my son risk his life and drive that car for us to have to wait for a potential car failure again that can put my sons life at risk. Car towed Aug 1 to dealership, returned Sept 3 and towed again sept 4 and still in dealership as of Sept 24, 2026. That is why you only see one invoice.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766772September 24, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to operate. The contact stated that the steering wheel would knock from left to right and would unexpectedly seize. Due to the failure, the steering became difficult to control. The vehicle was taken to a service center, where the failure was confirmed to be related to the steering system. The contact was advised not to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel flex coupling had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure via telephone, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 53,280.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766285September 23, 2026
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
It keeps getting broken into by the KIA boys in attempt of theft. It's a group that targets KIAs because they're easy. I now have to make sure my steering wheel is locked up. I was recently hit by another driver, i had to go to the hospital but for some reason the airbag did not deploy. I need some assistance
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11766256September 22, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Airbag warning light has came on had a mechanic run codes and it says all air bags unresponsive. Now my car is refusing to start. If continue to try it eventually starts. Major oil leak and consumption along with knocking. Along with my break lights not working occasionally along with my head lights and brights not working at all
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765827September 21, 2026
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while a friend was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was pulling to the right. Suddenly, the vehicle bounced up and down, pulled over and crashed into a railing, and the driver was forced to stop the vehicle using the parking brake. The driver was unable to maintain steering control due to the severe pulling to the right. After exiting the vehicle, the driver became aware that the frame and engine were sitting on the ground on the right side. Due to the crash, the driver sustained a black eye, a bruise behind the jaw, a bruised thigh, and a bruised left foot; however, no medical attention was sought. The vehicle was towed to a Jeep Chrysler Dodge dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the structural and steering failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V244000 (Suspension); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11765834September 21, 2026
ENGINE
The engine has failed in this vehicle just like it has in other 2.0L kia vehicles 2020-2026. The piston rings have failed and the pistons have all pitted or developed holes in them just like in the recall 25V-099/kia safety recall SC336
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765968September 21, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Four times, my 2023 Kia forte has went into limp mode. Three times accelerating onto the freeway, the blindspot/anticollision (BCA) system reset. This put the vehicle in limp mode and it deaccelerated to 3 mph. I had to pull over and restart the car. The other time, I was turning right at an intersection. After the light turned green, the system reset again. I had the AGM battery replaced after the second time, but the BCA system continued to reset and the car went into limp mode. This is dangerous during driving, especially if there is no where to pull over. The car won't go more than three mph.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765978September 21, 2026
ENGINE
There was a rod failure in the engine. The vehicle is currently at the repair facility. This rod failure caused the vehicle to die while traveling down the road, so it was a safety risk. The rod failure was diagnosed by a certified mechanic. There were no warning lamps, messages, etc. This failure is the same issue that many Kia Forte's of the same year have been diagnosed with, and a recall was issued. This vehicle is not covered under the recall, but should be. The engine recall should be extended to all 2017 Kia Forte models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765165September 18, 2026
ENGINE
VEHICLE & INCIDENT DETAILS * Vehicle: 2012 Kia Forte Hatchback * VIN: KNAFU5A26C5641380 * Incident Date: August 21, 2026 * Relevant Recalls: NHTSA Campaign 23V652000 (Recall SC284) & NHTSA Campaign 20V750000 (Recall SC200) * Kia Corporate Case Number: 26367714 * Dealership: AllStar Kia San Bernardino, CA COMPLAINT DESCRIPTION I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a severe vehicle fire incident involving a vehicle subject to active fire safety recalls, and subsequent corporate misconduct that threatens the integrity of the federal safety recall evidence. On August 21, 2026, my 2012 Kia Forte Hatchback suffered an engine compartment fire while parked. The fire originated in the center engine area, which directly aligns with the failure footprints outlined in federal fire safety recalls SC200 (20V-750) and SC284 (23V-652). I personally extinguished the fire, and the vehicle is a total loss. Following the incident, Kia America opened corporate product liability case #26367714, and the vehicle was towed to AllStar Kia San Bernardino for formal review. Kia America and its local dealership are now engaging in coercive tactics that actively obstruct a proper safety investigation. The dealership is pressuring me to sign a standard mechanical "repair order". I have explicitly refused to sign this order because it authorizes local mechanics to dismantle, alter, or touch the vehicle, which would compromise or permanently destroy critical fire evidence before a qualified corporate product liability review takes place. I have formally provided Kia Corporate with a conditional authorization allowing ONLY a certified Kia Corporate Fire Investigator to inspect the vehicle on-site. In response, Kia Corporate sent an email explicitly threatening that if I do not provide an unconditional signature on the dealership's repair order, they will refuse to proceed with the safety investigation and will force a flatbed to tow the fire-damaged vehicle back to my pri
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763301September 10, 2026
ENGINE
While driving my 2015 Kia Forte5 at approximately 80 mph on GA-400, I was traveling in the far-left lane when the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly lost acceleration and engine power. Pressing the accelerator produced little to no response. There was no gradual reduction in speed or sufficient warning that the vehicle was about to lose propulsion. Because I was in the far-left lane, I had to maneuver across approximately four lanes of highway traffic to reach the shoulder. Fortunately, this occurred at night when traffic was relatively light, allowing me to get the vehicle to safety. GA-400 normally carries very heavy traffic during the daytime, and I believe the same sudden loss of propulsion under those conditions could have resulted in a serious collision because the driver may have no safe way to cross multiple lanes while rapidly losing speed. After the initial incident, I was able to drive approximately five minutes to my brother’s house. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle, and the following day we brought it to an authorized Kia dealership and explained the loss-of-power condition. At that time, the engine had not yet completely failed. The dealership did not proceed with an engine repair/replacement and indicated that the engine/check-engine-light condition needed to be present. After leaving Kia, the problem became substantially worse. While the vehicle was being driven back, the engine completely lost power and the vehicle became disabled. We had to physically push the vehicle to a safe location. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. Kia later informed us that the vehicle had been reported as a total loss in 2017 and therefore they consider it ineligible for warranty coverage. Regardless of warranty eligibility, my reason for filing this complaint is the serious safety risk created by the sudden loss of propulsion at highway speed. I am requesting that NHTSA document and review this incident as a potential vehicle safety defect
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763097September 9, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment screen is de-laminating.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762477September 6, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION, POWER TRAIN
Unknown. During a basic collision Avoidance maneuver performed by myself on the highway at speed of aprox 60MPH the steering suddenly became non-responsive, resulting in my inability to maintain directional control and cause a collision. The vehicle continued traveling before coming to its final resting position. During this sequence, the driver-side front suspension assembly sustained a catastrophic separation before the impact The steering knuckle was no longer attached to the vehicle, the strut was broken, and the driver-side wheel/tire ultimately ended up underneath the vehicle when the vehicle finally come to a stop . During the event The driver-side axle shaft completely detached and somehow come out of the transaxle housing and was found a significant distance back along the roadway, a great distance back before the initial impact . indicating that it separated before the vehicle reached its final resting position. It is in my strongest opinion the maneuver itself could have potentially been cause of the catastrophic event. And is potentially why I could not maintain complete complete control of vehicle the whole time.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761532September 2, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There is an issue with the fuel pump where it would stall or shut off while driving or at a stoplight
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761015August 31, 2026
STEERING
There is a bad flexible steering coupler. Caused steering wheel to click and lose responsiveness, shakes going over bumps. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by the dealer Vehicle was inspected by dealer There were no warning signs other than the wheel click and losing responsiveness.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761101August 31, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's son owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with the oil pressure warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but there was white smoke coming from the engine. The contact raised the hood and inspected the engine, and the smoke had ceased. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized due to a lack of engine oil, even though the engine oil had been changed in June. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V260000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 100,300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760909August 31, 2026
ENGINE
Im getting denied dued to engine failure but whoever had the vehicle before didn't follow up with the ksds update, I just purchased the vehicle on June 30th,2026, I need this fixed ASAP because I still owe on this car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760319August 28, 2026
AIR BAGS
Airbag light came on August 21, 2026. I tried several steps to troubleshoot with no resolution. I took it to the local Kia dealership for further inspection. I was terrified to drive the vehicle because of the airbag failure. I explained to the technician that I had read that there was an warranty extension for the exact clock spring failure. I met the qualification (2011-2016 /unlimited mileage) but I was required to pay $493.05 for this repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759750August 26, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed an abnormal sound for approximately five minutes, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then became aware of a fire underneath the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and extinguished the fire using water and dirt. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact stated that the vehicle had just been parked, and the engine was off prior to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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