Kia Forte Complaints

2,563 consumer complaints on file.

#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
#11517052April 14, 2023
FIRERELATED
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while it was parked outside her residence. The origin of the fire was unknown. The fire started from the rear of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire, and the report was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 196,781.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517149April 14, 2023
ENGINE
My car started making a loud knocking and whining sound. It started around August of 2022. I called about an email I received saying there was a recall for my vehicle. I took my vehicle to Barnes Crossing Kia in Tupelo, MS I think on August 31 2022. They told me there was nothing wrong with my engine. My engine light is on. Ok fine, as my car gets worse, I'm starting to smell strong fumes inside the car when my air is on especially. So I took it to a shop called Coles Auto Repair and a mechanic told me my motor is going out on April 14 2023. I called Kia recall customer service and they told me that my vin number was not under a recall. I'm reading that my particular vehicle engine was recalled. So basically I'm told there's nothing they can do. The warranty only covers road bearing damages. I've only had my car since June 2021. Please help!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516734April 12, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Vehicle stalls and shuts while driving in the midst of traffic
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516037April 7, 2023
ENGINE
Sudden rod bearing failure on a well maintained Engine. Other 2013 Kia Koups have recalls for the engine, but this specific vin does not and experiences the same problem with the THETA II engine. Engine is destroyed at 190,000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515709April 6, 2023
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES
Engine failed due to rod knock at 127,000 miles, this is a known defect with the car. Kia is refusing to replace the engine even though they know they are designed poorly and fail. Knock sensor and flashing engine light came on, had all the qualifications for the replacement but Kia is making excuses and denying it. I have all the paperwork and maintences done on time and they still won’t cover it. My corroded brake lines were supposed to be fixed under the recall and they have had them on back order since September of 2022. Dealership has no loaner cars to provide.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515767April 6, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car caught on fire out of nowhere when i pulled into my grandmother's driveway. I had smelt smoke maybe 10 minutes before I arrived but assumed it was from someone starting a fire while I was driving. No smoke had started forming while I was driving. The smoke rolled out from the dash board area and kept spreading once I had arrived and got out to get my grandma from inside. My entire car was engulfed in flames within minutes. The firefighters informed me that they had put out another kia that same day and that there was active recalls for fires on kias. I kept my car at a tow lot for almost 3 months waiting on kia to inspect it. They claimed it was an outside source but I have video proof of us trying to put out the fire and the moment i pulled into the driveway. Kia is a terrible company and deserves no money for their cars. All of my stuff I was moving with was in the vehicle with me and Kia took no blame. They are lucky her house didnt catch fire too because it was almost close enough
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515440April 4, 2023
SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE:TORQUE ARM
The contact owns a 2015 Charmac Outlaw Trailer hauled by a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V838000 (Suspension). The contact stated that while towing the trailer at an unknown speed, the splines on the axle fractured and the two wheels separated from the axle. Additionally, the contact stated that the trailer was towed to the residence. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure but was advised to contact the axle manufacturer. The trailer had not been repaired. The contact stated that the axle manufacturer denied fault of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514984April 2, 2023
STEERING
Steering Coupler in Steering motor defect. Known issue in many models and see a recall on some vehicles: this issue was corrected on my 2016 Sorento but not on my 2014 Kia Forte. My son’s friend also has his Kia Optima denied repair for the same issue. An acknowledged problem that somehow Kia has been forced to correct on ALL their models. A major flaw over poor design using a $5-7 part that Kia Dealers charge $500 to repair. Unethical.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514713March 31, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
My wife's 2014 Kia Forte brakes went on me without warning, they went all the way to the floor and I immediately knew it was a hydraulic problem. the vehicle has just over 2500 actual miles on it. It was towed to a dealership were they determined it was a hydraulic issue and there was a recall on brake lines corrosion prematurely, I saw no leaks but the service manager told us that there was a manufacturer recall for that issue. Our vehicle has been at that dealership for 30 days already awaiting replacement parts with no progress, it will be months April 14, 2023. I need to know if the recall is valid.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514417March 29, 2023
ENGINE, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, POWER TRAIN
I was driving down expressway and my car started to make rattling noise and Clanking noise from the engine and then my car wouldn’t start it kept stuttering. My 2019 Kia forte was stalling it was not accelerating past 3k rpm’s and then the engine would completely shut off. Now my car has been out of commission for a few weeks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514131March 28, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for service, the local mechanic informed the contact that the engine sounded rough. After performing a diagnostic test on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact that the engine was faulty. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed that engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514319March 28, 2023
ENGINE
So I bought my car used at a Kia Dealership. When I got my car I noticed that my cars engine was ticking. So I took it in. They said that I needed to replace the fan because it was worn down and that my extended warranty covers it. but went on to say well those Kia's make and model and year just make noise like that. So why say my fan needs replacing implying the cause of the noise and then go on to say that. I've googled and done a ton of research it feels like and asked ,many mechanics who might think what it is. and they all say its coming from the engine. and the amount of people complaining about the same problem. and some bought there car brand new so.... there is something going on that they dont want us to know.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513599March 24, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the RPMs started to fall, and the vehicle began to stall. The vehicle failed to shift to the intended gear. The RPMs dropped to 0. The contact was able to get the vehicle to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer denied the engine replacement despite the remedy stated that the engine would be replaced if deemed necessary. The dealer stated that the ECU update was needed prior to the engine failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the engine should be replaced and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The dealer declined to replace the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the issues regarding the dealer. The manufacturer confirmed that the ECU needed to be updated first. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513370March 23, 2023
ENGINE
Engine burns oil quickly. No leaks reported after each oil change. I have to add a quart of oil every week and sometimes I have to add 2 quarts. Mechanic states he has had multiple Kia Forte's have complete engine failure because engine will burn all of the oil until there is no oil at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513520March 23, 2023
STEERING
Steering wheel started feeling loose then progressed to jerking back and forth. Jerks from side to side simply driving easy down the road. Making ticking, clicking, grinding noises too. I do not feel safe and can no longer drive my car. I’m taking it to the dealer tomorrow (a long wait) and suspect it is the same mdps coupler kia and Hyundai have issued an extended warranty on - for all vehicles except the Kia forte. What gives with that? Ridiculous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513216March 22, 2023
ENGINE
ENGINE LITE CAME ON CAR RUNNING ROUGH... GOING TO KIA DEALER TO CHECK FOR THE KSDS MODULE ...SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED IN 11/2021
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
#11513121March 21, 2023
ENGINE
My car would idle and shake at stop signs. My car would turn off entirely while stopped at stop signs/lights on occasion. It turned off while driving on the freeway. The engine light and battery notification light would turn on. - I had several error codes related to my engine and exhaust system. After getting it “fixed” at Kia and Firestone, I am still having the same issues. My engine is burning oil quickly but I do not have a leak. I will have no fuel within a month after filling it/getting an oil change. I also possibly have a coolant leak. yes it is available for inspection. - yes, my safety as well as other’s safety have been at risk due to my car turning off while driving on the freeway without warning. My steering wheel and brakes would lock up. - yes the problem has been confirmed by Kia and Firestone. - yes the problem has been looked at by Kia service members. - my car began shaking and idling prior to any notification. It was approximately 3 weeks later that my check engine light turned on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11512956March 21, 2023
ENGINE
Engine blew twice on the vehicle, Kia replaced the first blown engine. Then that engine blew again at 160k miles. First engine blew at a 105k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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