Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Kia Motor Forte - part 1

My car wasnt getting enough power and it just died while driving it on the interstate to go home.

See all problems of the 2010 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving on a major highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the failure was not covered under an unknown recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

The car is jerking while driving. It's caused the car to overheat. It's hard to start up and usually stalls out. It has stalled out while driving almost causing a accident. The engine light came on. I took it for a diagnostic and it was code p0172 for high pressure fuel pump. Before the incident date it was already hard to start prior to the engine light coming on. It sometimes causes smoke to come out of the exhaust. There was also smoke from under the hood in the engine compartment and as soon as I put gas in the car it runs out very quickly. This issue could have caused and accident or even a fire. It's unsafe to drive and from other reviews I've seen several other kia drivers have experienced issues with this same faulty part, which is expensive to fix.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

Why is kia still legally allowed to sell defective, death traps? why is it ok for the service department and kia themselves to tell me…. Its ok to drive unless the engine light is blinking, smoking in a car know to catch fire…. . Ok? why is it ok to let them continue to sell cars under active engine fire campaigns, only to “replace it with the same junk engine” an ok remedy. Quit letting these companies take advantage of people because they created a multi billion dollar defective product, they should bite the cost and be bankrupt, I mean it’s 2025 and they are still making combustible cars, the right thing to do? 2020 kia Forte gt t1. 6.

The vehicle exhibits a chronic, systemic electrical failure characterized by the intermittent loss of critical lighting systems, including turn signals and brake lights. This failur5e has persisted over several years and thousands of miles, independent of battery replacements or specific usage patterns. The issue has been confirmed via multiple independent service interventions. Most notably, in February 2024, a third-party professional repair - which included the replacement of the power distribution unit (central fuse box) was performed to address these electrical faults. Despite this professional intervention, the defect recurred in may 2026. The failure of the turn signals and brake lights while in traffic resulted in a law enforcement stop and the issuance of a citation. Prior to total failure, the vehicle often displays erratic engine performance, including sputtering and hesitation. These symptoms were identified early in the vehicle's history, but inquiries regarding recall campaigns for similar makes and models were denied by authorized dealerships, who cited recall registry despite exhibiting identical mechanical and electrical failure modes. The failure of the brake lights and turn signals poses a severe and immediate safety risk to myself, my passengers, other motorists and those on the road. . . As it creates an unpredictable environment were emergency stopping and lane changes cannot be communicated to the surrounding traffic. The electrical architecture of this vehicle is fundamentally flawed, as evidenced by the recurring nature of the defect despite multiple repair attempts, including the replacement of the primary fuse distribution center. The vehicle, all service records. Third-party repair receipt, and relevant law enforcement citation are available for inspection upon request to support this report. The recurring loss of safety-critical signaling systems represents a systemic design defect rather than isolated wear & tear.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

Bought the car 8 months ago from a kia dealer. It is now pulling the same engine codes, of the infamous recalled kia engines. After having diagnostics done at a different kia then I had bought and had oil changed. They told me the engine and turbo was full of metal shavings and the rods were bad. I pad $10,900 for the car $15,000 to fix, they knowingly sold me a totaled car. I’m sure records reflect they took that car as a trade I knowing the engine was bad (they never checked the oil?). There were 90,000 Forte sold in the us, best estimate I could find on the gt line was 4-5 thousand. All gt models do not have the turbo engine. So safe to assume that number is way lower. They know this is a manufacturing defect, and this model engine wasn’t recalled because the numbers aren’t not there. I’m sure these 2,500 or less turbo engines were manufactured in the same facility, same workers and process as the other 2020 Forte recalls. The car is smoking and I’m being told “it’s ok to drive unless the engine light is flashing” which I’ll assume is before it catches fire, so I have to worry about that while not being under recall? this is a kid, who could catch on fire, would like to not go there.

This Forte was not neglected and it was not abused. Nearly 90% of its miles came from highway commuting and interstate travel. It was completely stock, never modified, never driven hard. More importantly, it received fully synthetic oil changes every 3k-4k miles since new, well ahead of what kia or the oil manufacturer even recommends, because I intended to keep this car long term. All of that is verifiable through carfax. The engine failure came without meaningful warning. While driving, I noticed an unusual noise and pulled over as quickly as safely possible. I checked the dash expecting some kind of indicator and found nothing. No check engine light, no oil pressure warning. A nearby mechanic found the engine more than 2. 5 quarts low on oil despite the vehicle being only about 3,300 miles into a fresh synthetic oil change. There were no external leaks. No oil spots at home, none at work. Nothing to explain where that oil went. After topping it off, the noise briefly stopped. With no warning lights on and the noise stopped, I thought we had caught it in time. I even felt confident enough to also have the mechanic change the transmission fluid as it was about due again. However, a few miles later, the engine suffered complete failure. Violent shaking, severe knock, then the check engine light came on. I shut it down immediately and pushed it home. Once home, I checked the oil again and found it had unusually darkened in an extremely short period of time. The vehicle has not been driven since and is currently inoperable. What troubles me most, beyond the financial loss, is that this vehicle gave me no real opportunity to save it. The oil pressure warning light never illuminated. More than two quarts of oil vanished within a single service interval with no external source and no indication whatsoever, even with checking the level periodically. I went above and beyond in maintaining this vehicle and still lost the engine. This could have been a catastrophe on the road.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 mph, the contact had exited when the oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle rolled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and, upon inspection, noticed that an excessive amount of oil had leaked onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the drain plug had failed and the engine was damaged. The independent mechanic replaced the drain plug. However, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The contact had not experienced a failure in the past. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that while exiting the contact's residence and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that seconds later, the contact noticed fire coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact attempted to extinguish the fire with two residential fire extinguishers. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The fire inspector informed the contact that the fire was caused by an unknown fluid. The vehicle was not inspected by the insurance company. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred moments after the vehicle was parked. The contact referenced a recall NHTSA campaign number: 20v750000 (engine); however, the contact stated that the recall notification was not received. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. In addition, the contact was informed that the recall had been open for a long period of time. The contact was informed that there was no mailing address on file for the mailing of recall notifications. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

Driving under normal conditions April 20,2026, on the way to school. Got off the freeway and the vehicle immediately shut-off and the check engine light came on. Vehicle was stuck partially in the roadway and would not move. Vehicle was towed to kia dealership and they found that there was no oil in the engine and that the oil drain plug was completely missing. This problem caused catastrophic engine failure resulting in the need for a full engine replacement. A routine oil change had been conducted approx. 2,000 miles prior to this on January 12, 2026. The vehicle had been driven daily since that oil change with no noticeable oil leak or problems preceding this event. Had this event occurred at freeway speeds, it could have caused serious injury to the driver and other motorists on the roadway at that time. It appears that the drain plug fell out since there was no other additional or noticeable damage to the oil pan or surrounding the drain plug itself. This information was confirmed by a photograph taken by the dealership conducting the repairs.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

See attachment.

While driving, the vehicle suddenly began knocking severely, smoking, leaking oil, and then shut off unexpectedly without adequate warning. This created a serious safety hazard and near fire risk. The engine assembly failed catastrophically. Dealership inspection documented: connecting rod punctured engine block bearing material found in oil pan broken piston components in oil pan oil leakage underneath engine complete engine seizure/failure the dealership confirmed and documented the failure and replaced the engine assembly. Repair records and failed components should still be available for inspection through the dealership. My safety and the safety of others were placed at risk because the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving. Oil leaked from the damaged engine and the engine compartment began smoking. The engine could have caught fire or caused an accident due to sudden loss of power. There were no adequate warning indicators before failure. No meaningful oil-pressure or low-oil warning appeared until the vehicle was already smoking and severely damaged. This failure closely mirrors known kia engine defect investigations and recall campaign sc209 / NHTSA recall 21v259000 involving: connecting rod bearing damage piston oil ring defects excessive oil consumption engine seizure engine stall fire risk although my VIN is not currently included in the recall population, the documented failure symptoms are substantially similar. I also report that another kia vehicle in my household, a 2017 kia sorento, experienced a separate rod-bearing-related engine seizure despite proper maintenance and documented oil changes. The connecting rod blew a hole through the engine block, causing oil leakage and heavy smoke while driving. The vehicle could have caught fire or exploded, placing my life and others at serious risk due to sudden engine failure without adequate warning. Engine replaced under warranty; concerned for safety after 2 similar kia failures.

The contact owns a 2010 kia Forte with a five-speed transmission. The contact received notifications for NHTSA campaign number: 18v363000(air bags) and NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000(service brakes, hydraulics), as well as other manufacturer recalls. The contact made an appointment at a dealer and had the vehicle serviced for the recalls. The contact had to make a second appointment as not all parts were available for the initial appointment. After the contact's second appointment, all recall services were performed, and she was informed that a five-point inspection was also performed on the vehicle. Upon leaving the dealer, the contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle's clutch failed without warning. Due to the failure, the contact was unable to downshift the vehicle and was forced to use her emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The contact sustained severe emotional distress as a result of the failure, as it nearly resulted in an accident. With the assistance of a fellow motorist, the vehicle was towed to her home since the dealer was closed. The contact later called the dealer and had the vehicle towed back to the dealer. Once the vehicle was inspected, the contact was informed that the cabin filter and two front tires needed to be replaced; the contact was also informed that she would need a wheel alignment. The contact declined the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Forte. The contact stated while operating the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was misfiring, severely shaking and was losing motive power suddenly while operating on multiple constantly for about 3 weeks, and state she noticed a check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to be a timing chain failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,922.

My car would not go when I gave it gas on a major highway with mu 3 children in the back seat. We almost got into a wreck.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! it could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not! it gave me no warning either. This should be a recall. I could have been hit all 3 times! family came to help and tried to jump it and it wouldn't start so I had to get it towed. Dates happened March 28, 31st and April 6, all 2026. Also the key fog lock is defective! it works when it wants too.

Engine backfiring.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into limp mode. The contact stated the vehicle was unable to exceed 20 mph. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the knock sensor was replaced as a temporary fix. The failure reoccurred 2 days later. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v750000 (engine); however, an unknown dealer attempted to charge the contact to replace the engine, even though the recall notification stated that the engine would be replaced as needed, free of charge. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but declined the service request. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

My car has cut off on me going down the road and it cut back on I have had where the car is slow at acceleration and trying to stall out on me and causing a car to almost hit me in the bumper cause of it the car only has 112,580 miles and have not been able to drive the car since March 13,2026 due to this issue and not feeling safe to drive it.

February 1st 2026, I done my oil change. My car was running fine. No check engine light was on or anything, my forward collision warning started disabling itself when I always kept it on. When I try to accelerate my vehicle it would take a while to accelerate. March 7th 2026, while I was driving, my car quit while it was still running. It also quit the same day again just in park. March 8th 2026, I went to take my vehicle to get a diagnostics and when leaving my home. My car stalled out and quit while in drive. After taking my vehicle to the mechanic, the mechanic reported to me my car had no oil in my car and my motor was fried. I have had the vehicle less than a year and it’s giving me all of these issues.

Failure of the engine oil pump pertaining to the exact situation covered in NHTSA campaign 21v-260, but vehicle is not covered. The campaign covered vehicles manufactured from June 5, 2017 to July 24, 2017. Vehicle was manufactured in mexico, is equipped with the 2. 0 nu mpi engine. The loss of motive power in the vehicle has increased the risk of crash and driver injury.

2019 kia with approximately 64,000 miles. Engine failed without warning. Prior to failure, vehicle had been experiencing intermittent stalling on multiple prior occasions and had been brought to a mechanic for inspection before the final failure occurred. Vehicle stalled while being driven on a highway at night on [xxx] between mile markers 67-71 in maryland, creating a dangerous situation for the driver and other motorists. The oil warning light appeared immediately prior to engine failure. Vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who inspected it and confirmed the engine had failed. The mechanic noted that the engine was well maintained, ruling out neglect as a contributing factor. Mechanic stated this is a known issue with kia engines from this era. Vehicle is available for inspection. Problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. Engine replacement cost is approximately $6,000. Kia's powertrain warranty does not fully transfer to subsequent owners, leaving this vehicle owner without coverage despite low mileage and what appears to be a manufacturing defect. Owner was advised by mechanic that kia has covered similar failures as goodwill replacements due to the known nature of this defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While driving, the engine suddenly shut off without warning. The vehicle lost power in traffic, creating a safety risk. There were no warning signs before the failure. The oil level was properly maintained and oil changes were performed regularly. The dealership diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the engine needs to be replaced. The exact mechanical cause was not clearly explained to me.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

Oil is burning out quickly causing the car to stop abruptly without any warning and caused damages to the engine.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the piston rings had failed, causing catastrophic engine damages. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 139,000.

While driving on I-95 at 60mph the car began to jump as it attempted to shift gears and the speed stalled to where it slowed down to 20mph and would not go any faster. The car slowed while I was in the fast lanes of the highway and I had to work my way to the right to the slower lanes to avoid abusing traffic congestion or any accidents. It was scary. Separately, my engine light has been on for the last year. I recently had the maps replaced and the light went off for two days and came back. It’s a steady continuous light, no flashing. The analysis check gives some other reason for the light but when checked it doesn’t fix the issue.

Plese can you fex may car.

When turning on the car the check engine light comes on. Then when accelerating there is a clicking noise and smoke coming from the engine.

Engine would run fast and then sound like was going to stop and then it would start shaking and rumbling while driving on highway and in town. Car would stall while at a stop. Gas smells inside the car. Did not feel safe driving. Had the car towed to an independent garage on February 7th and they did an oil change, change 2 sensors, changed all the spark plugs and changed all 4 cylinders and on the way home from starks garage the car was doing the same as before going to the garage with gas smells inside the car, shaking, rumbling and stalling of the engine. And the car wanting to stall while on the highway speed limit of going 60 mph. The next morning my mom and stepdad had the car towed again to another mechanic close to them at hudson import automotive -napa auto care and they emailed a list of problems after inspecting the car. Attaching the list of codes from a diagnostic test from auto zone store # 00791 , and the estimate for service from hudson import automotive - napa auto care. Have no paperwork from starks mechanic shop.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Forte 🔎.

Engine stalled while driving causing the car to turn off in traffic. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This caused loss of power and steering at 45 miles per hour and could have caused a collision. A licensed and accredited auto mechanic has confirmed that the engine is a total loss. The same day and shortly before the engine stalled, a check engine light appeared. The driver was on his way home and had planned to park the car and have it towed to the mechanic the next day.

No warning lights/ indicators at all. Well taken care of vehicle 84,400 miles on the vehicle second owner. Had an oil change and my husband noticed bad blow by, had it diagnosed by a mechanic. They said we need a whole new engine. Dont understand how this would happen unless some manufacturer defect. No recalls apparently for this vehicle. Seems to be a common issue. Really sucks that I dont even have 100000 miles and need a new engine. We got screwed over as first time buyers with a huge loan ended up paying nearly 30000 dollars for this vehicle and the engine is already no good. I hope something comes of this because people are tired of getting screwed around by major corporations. Theres no reason why my engine should be no good with only 84400 miles and well maintained. Luckily my husband noticed when he did because who knows what would have happened if it had gone out while driving with no indicators that anything is wrong whatsoever. Could have been a bad crash for all I know.

Vehicle: 2012 kia Forte recall: NHTSA 23v-652 (kia sc284) – hecu/abs fuse recall my vehicle underwent this safety recall in 2025. The dealership replaced the hecu fuse. Immediately upon leaving the dealership after the recall repair, the same warning lights returned. I contacted the dealership immediately before fully leaving the area to report the issue. I also contacted kia corporate after the warning condition returned. Kia was aware the warning lights returned immediately after recall completion. I was advised if the vehicle later entered limp mode again, to contact kia roadside assistance for towing support per prior guidance. The warning condition was not resolved by the recall repair. The brake warning light remained present, additional warning indicators later appeared, and the vehicle ultimately entered limp mode in January 2026, resulting in loss of reliable transportation and safety concerns. Due to this condition, I was forced to rely on a rental vehicle for an extended period at significant personal cost totaling several thousand dollars. I'm a single parent with a child requiring ongoing medical appointments, making reliable transportation essential. Kia only approved a limited "goodwill payment" of $191. 40 for an earlier rental period, while refusing reimbursement for the substantially larger rental costs incurred after the recall failure and progression to limp mode. When the vehicle entered limp mode, I had to arrange towing because kia assistance was not available as they closed out the recall. Kia is now requiring out-of-pocket diagnostic payment before determining whether the issue is related to recall 23v-652, despite the warning condition returning immediately after recall repair and later progressing to limp mode consistent with the original failure symptoms. I am reporting a potentially ineffective recall remedy and unresolved recurrence of the safety condition addressed under recall 23v-652.

Car caught on fire while driving down the highway. Had engine replaced with a remanufactured engine in January of 2026 and car engine seized again 30 days later.

To whom it may concern, I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a serious safety issue involving my 2021 kia Forte. Approximately one year ago, I purchased this vehicle used with approximately 56,000 miles. I have owned the vehicle for nearly a year without prior incident until a recent and significant failure occurred. While driving on a highway after work, the vehicle suddenly lost engine power. The rpms dropped abruptly, and the vehicle began decelerating rapidly before completely shutting off. This occurred without any prior warning indicators, such as dashboard warning lights or messages. I attempted to restart the engine three times before it successfully turned over. Upon restarting, the engine produced a loud knocking noise that had not been present before. Since this incident, the vehicle has been unable to operate reliably. It will start and run briefly but stalls again after a short distance. The knocking noise persists, suggesting a serious internal engine issue. The vehicle remains in my possession and is available for inspection. Component/system involved: the failure appears to involve the engine and/or internal engine components. The exact cause has not yet been diagnosed by a professional. Safety risk: this failure posed a significant safety hazard, as the sudden loss of power occurred while traveling on a highway. This could have resulted in a serious accident, particularly if surrounding traffic had been heavier or less responsive. Inspection and diagnosis: the issue has not yet been formally diagnosed or confirmed by a dealership or independent repair facility. Additionally, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, law enforcement, insurance representatives, or other entities. Warning indicators: there were no warning lights, messages, or other indicators prior to or during the initial failure. The only symptom sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2014 kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 20v750000 (engine); however, the recall repair was not fully performed. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate at slower speeds, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 mph and unexpectedly entered limp mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a loose rod bearing in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted twice by the independent mechanic and the owner of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,138.