Kia Forte Complaints (2012)

292 consumer complaints on file.

#11547451September 30, 2023
STEERING
The steering wheel makes a clunking sound and can be felt when turning the wheel. There appears to be a recall/extended warranty for this part for other years of this car but not sure why mine was not included.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547250September 29, 2023
AIR BAGS
The air bag light came on. I brought it to the dealer and was told it was the clock spring. I was charged over $700.00 for this repair. It appears that other years of the same make and model had problems with the clock spring as well and received an extended warranty. I want to know since my car had the same issue why my car 's clock spring is not covered in this class action suit for the extended warranty.. Thank you for any assistance . I contacted Kia USA and they would not refund the cost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547044September 28, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
I don't see anywhere else on this site to give feedback on the recalls 23V652000 and 23V651000 issued on 09/25/2023, so I will give it here. Hyundai/Kia's "fix" for this recall isn't a fix at all, but a band-aid meant to save them money, so they don't have to fix the vehicles. A fuse isn't going to stop the o-ring in the HECU from leaking and disabling the HECU (and the ABS) - it's just going to stop the vehicles from burning to the ground. The HECU and the ABS will still be non-functional, decreasing owners' safety, and increasing the likelihood of loss of control of the vehicles and the likelihood of a crash. The HECU (the part alone) can cost $2000, and the owners will be responsible for that repair. Hyundai/Kia should be forced to repair or replace the HECUs in the affected vehicles, instead of implementing a band-aid fix. This just proves that Hyundai/Kia is more interested in saving money than taking care of their customers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544404September 13, 2023
ENGINE
I was driving and out of nowhere my engine stalled on me, and now when I drive it it engine fails on the road without warning
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11534580July 26, 2023
AIR BAGS
Recall #SC165,for the airbag frontal deploy module failure was fixed but now the same problem along with the airbag malfunction indicator light is illuminating on my dash. Kia won't call me back or email me back when I asked them if this is something they will fix again since the first fix failed for this same issue? And randomly while driving I smell a electrical burn smell but no smoke? When I was leaving for work that morning and I stared my car the indicator light came on and never has gone off since that day?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11531826July 12, 2023
ENGINE
While driving on the highway I had the Check Engine light come on. After approximately 5 minutes, while accelerating, all the system lights flashed, and then turned off. The engine stalled and the vehicle was coasting. I pulled the vehicle to the side of the road, and though the vehicle had power, the engine would not start. I towed the vehicle to a mechanic who told me the engine could not be salvaged or repaired. As a replacement engine would cost as much as the vehicle is worth, I am now seeking to sell the car to a junkyard or other interested party. I believe this vehicle's Theta II engine's design is what led to its failure. However, Kia's SC200 recall campaign only covers 2012 Kia Forte's with a 2.4-liter MPI engine, and my vehicle has a 2.0-liter MPI engine. After spending 2 hours with Kia on the phone, they told me I had no recourse with them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11530573July 6, 2023
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Is the car still available: UNKNOWN. The Police report saids the Engine caught fire, it was while parked and was not driven since around 7pm that night, it was inspected by Geico insurance company and by the Police Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, Case Number: 2020-00014944 Reporting Officer: 151 - Sheppard. The vehicle would have put me and my girlfriend in danger if we drove again or further that night or had it been parked in a garage. The vehicle was parked in front of my apartment and was fully engulfed in flames, my girlfriend heard an explosion and saw the car in flames on our surveillance camera. The time of total loss was around 2am that night. The Fire department extinguished the vehicle and said it was a Total loss. It was 20ft from my apartment. Other residents live and park their vehicles near mine. Other residents moved their vehicles before police arrived. The problem wasn't confirmed with Kia Motors nor the Kia Dealership: Dutchess Kia in Poughkeepsie, NY. My VIN number and car model doesn't qualify for the current engine HECU recall, Other models have been recalled except the 2012 Kia Forte EX Automatic. There were no warning lights, no signs, no messages, no other symptoms of a problem prior. Also, no phone call, voicemail, no letters, no emails was sent to me regarding this issue nor about other related models with the HECU engine or similar. Some websites say the 2012 Kia Forte EX has the HECU Engine but I'm unsure. I initially thought this was a problem with just my car but the manufacturer has since made many faulty vehicles under other models and possibly even the same model as mine that have gone unreported. I was made aware of this by videos of current and prior Kia owners, the news and car related websites. I paid off my car in Full with no compensation for the faulty engine or total loss of my vehicle. These are the videos and pictures, I can't upload them because it reaches Max file size: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cT3XrBS3R1WNYuqg9
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11527650June 19, 2023
ENGINE
I saw that 2012-2015 kia fortes had a recall for engines but mine was not a part of it. My car had a ticking/knocking sound and I took it to the mechanic and he said that I needed a new engine, he said the knocking could have started because of low oil which is impossible because I have kept up on my oil changes. So now I don’t have a car, it’s almost $5000 to fix my engine. I would like kia to fix my car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526156June 9, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving at various speeds a knocking noise was present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Recall Campaign number: 20V750000(Engine). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was The failure mileage was 104,000. The contact has made several attempts to contact KIA America customer Service in regards to faulty engine failures with no response beyond we have received your email.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525169June 3, 2023
ENGINE
I have owned my 2012 Kia Forte EX since 2013 when I purchased used from a car dealership (not a kia dealer). I have kept all oil changes, filters up to date since purchase, plus in Pennsylvania we have annual car inspections, which my car has always passed. In early Jan 2023, I noticed a 'ticking sound' and was not related to low oil, leak, etc. The sound became increasingly loud and took to my mechanic. After he took off the engine cover and was able to put a camera down into the motor, the cylinders are bad. So, here I am with a 2012 Kia, mileage 83,836 and the motor is shot! I want Kia to replace my motor at no cost as I have read that Kia has agreed that all Kia's produced between 2011 through 2015 have engine failure. How do I have my engine replaced by Kia? I currently am without transportation,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524287May 29, 2023
ENGINE
UNKNOWN: 04/11/23 I purchased (as second owner) a 2012 Kia Forte (less than 2 months ago) only had 107,799 miles. Purchased as a Senior Citizen for doctor appointmenta & food shopping....after a short while I noticed a tap/knock from the engine that has gotten louder with every ride....Took the vehicle to Dealer Matt Blatt Kia in Egg Harbor Township for diagnostics. Couldn't believe I was charged $190.82 to receive a paper telling me it has a "knock" which I knew & took it there for & that it NEEDS A NEW ENGINE! The car fax a Kia lady printed out for me, shows vehicle was maintained wonderfully....from the info I've located those engines are bad so the KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK that's grown louder would be engine replaced? Can you assist me I purchased a vehicle that now can BLOW UP! Thank You for your time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519522April 28, 2023
ENGINE
Engine described as making a knocking sound and having total engine failure. The car is not covered under the current 2020 Kia engine recall as it is a 2.0 litre engine. It has been inspected by Kia and an independent auto shop. It was not eligible to receive the software upgrade which would register the knock engine failure. No warning signs appeared beforehand besides a knocking sound which started a week or so before I took it in. This engine could have failed while I was driving and caused an accident. This is a common problem across Kia’s that Kia knows about and this should have been covered by them since they manufactured a faulty engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517692April 18, 2023
ENGINE
This past winter (December 2022 ish), my car started ticking whenever I turned it on and the ticking never went away as the car warmed up. I took the vehicle to my mechanic who told me it was piston slap and that the issue was caused by a manufacturing defect in the piston and engine block sizing. I confirmed the issue myself with a borescope camera in April, and anyone who is able can view the damage as well. Since the issue is damaging a vital part of the engine, any time the car is driven puts all individuals in the car at risk. It has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, but has not been inspected by anyone outside of myself. The closest warning light I had came up over 2 years ago, but no warning lights or other symptoms appeared before the sound was audible around December 2022.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517178April 15, 2023
ENGINE
2012 kia forte Long story short I was sitting at a red light foot on brake once light turned green went to accelerate car did not move at all I was stuck holding up traffic turned the car off turned it on still nothing after some time i was able to crank the car and go 2nd time same issue but I took a brief stop engine shook car shut down as if i turned it off without it being in park I had to put the car in park cut it off and crank back up I also recently had an issue when fueling once Ive fueled the car Does not respond when trying to crank it will turn over engine shake power back off like it would as mentioned while at stops it just stops responding cuts off , AND wont move ENGINE PROBLEMS ARE KIA BIGGEST ISSUE BUT THEY FAIL TO RECALL
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513092March 21, 2023
TIRES, TIRES:BEAD, TIRES:SIDEWALL
We are having to replace tires every two years and we don’t put a lot of mileage on car maybe 10000 a year this car does something to tire and no one can explain it I have aligned my vehicle do rotate them and still it’s like they eat any type of tire
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510690March 7, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle fire that started from the engine compartment.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11506968February 13, 2023
ENGINE
i have a 2012 kia forte with 129,000 miles it started an engine knocking noise about 6 months ago im a mechanic and do regular oil changes i work at a dealership that sells kias and had them look at it they said i have the same problem as other kias being recalled to replace engine but my model doesnt fall under the recall. i looked up online and other people with same car and engine have the same issue. i think they need to be looked into. the 2.0 nu engine as being one that needs recalled also. its getting progressively worse and will cost me more to replace the engine than the car is worth. called kia usa and was told they wont do anything because car is above 100k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11506982February 13, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11505128February 2, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact's son restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle shuddered while driving and was pushed to the residence. The contact replaced the battery, but the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the timing chain and drive belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504491January 30, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
The contact called on behalf of his wife who owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under Kia Campaign Number: SC165; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear brake lights failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the brake light bulbs needed to be replaced. The contact stated that he replaced the rear brake lights bulbs twice himself. Additionally, the contact stated that he had replaced the brake light switch. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was it was diagnosed that engine oil was leaking and the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The part was replaced, however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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