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

On October 4, 2026, at approximately 27,870 miles, my 2024 kia Forte gt-line unexpectedly shut off while I was driving and making a right-hand turn into a parking lot. The vehicle was in drive when the engine shut off. The instrument cluster continued to indicate “d” and displayed the message: “engine off! shift to p or n, then start engine. ” the tachometer indicated 0 rpm, and the gas pedal was unresponsive. I photographed the instrument cluster immediately following the event. This was not the first occurrence of an abnormal shutdown. On two previous occasions, while backing up in a parking lot, the vehicle displayed a similar instruction requiring me to place the vehicle in park and turn off/restart the vehicle. During those events, the vehicle would not operate normally until the ignition was completely cycled off and restarted. The October 4 occurrence is particularly concerning because the engine shut off while the vehicle was actively moving rather than while parking. Loss of engine power while turning, crossing an intersection, entering traffic, or traveling at higher speed could create a significant collision risk. The cause is currently unknown. I am reporting the condition because the vehicle has now experienced multiple intermittent events and has demonstrated an unexpected engine shutdown while being driven.

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During a day trip on 9/19/26 my 2020 kia Forte (purchased new and well maintained) lost power and several of the dash board lights came on including check engine, traction/stability control, and collision alerts. The car entered what I was told is "limp mode". I had the car towed home and after one shop misdiagnosed the problem I had it towed to the kia dealership where purchased. I was told the engine had code p0017. I was sent a document that the "phaser sheared off p0017 exhaust cam and cvvd gear timing off-recommend long block-cvvd replacement may still have engine damaged after replacement" with a price of $9053. 39 attached. Kia service manager is supposed to be seeing about assistance for repair as it is cost prohibitive and I have proof of proper maintenance however I am not receiving info on process unless I reach out. Car has been in kia possession since 9/24/26.

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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.

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.

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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.

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Recommended engine replacement at 111,000 miles.

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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.

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My engine is failing due to excessive oil consumption despite having proof of regular oil changes and maintenance. My car has been inspected, and the dealer has stated this is due to a known manufacture defect. My safety and others are at risk because my car stalls when I decrease speed and I cannot accelerate fast enough to get up to the speed limit creating a risk anytime the speed limit changes or when I am using an on ramp to get onto an interstate or highway. Kia dealer has confirmed the issue and is currently working on an estimate for a new engine. The kia dealer is the manufacturer of my vehicle. The warning sign before this happened was my car stalled a couple times, then the check engine light came on within 10 miles. I then took it in to get looked at where the kia dealer diagnosed the issue as the known manufacturer defect with the engine burning oil too quickly. These issues first appeared on August 12, 2026. I have attempted to get kia corporate to assist with repairs through a goodwill request due to the safety issues with driving my vehicle in its current condition, to no fault of my own. Kia denied my goodwill request. That case number is 26467063.

I experienced a check engine light and had the vehicle diagnosed with codes p0017 and p0014. The vehicle was taken to a kia dealership, where the technician found that the exhaust camshaft was free-spinning without the phaser and that the pin connecting the two had sheared. The dealership replaced the exhaust camshaft and phaser and released the vehicle as repaired and operating normally. Less than 24 hours after pickup, the check engine light returned during normal driving. While returning the vehicle to the dealership as instructed, the engine lost oil pressure and stalled three times. One stall occurred after exiting the highway and left the vehicle disabled in a high-traffic intersection, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle was returned to the kia dealership and remains available for inspection. Subsequent examination reportedly found metal debris in the engine/oil pan and a possible restriction of engine oil flow. The exact cause of the sudden oil-pressure loss has not yet been definitively explained. The failure occurred immediately following a dealership repair involving a physically sheared internal engine component.

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.

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My 2016 kia Forte had a recall that was never performed and I was never told anything about the car fax or any recalls from where I got the car from, it needs a engine repair.

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.

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Recently had oil change . Right after b oil change engine light came on, a solid yellow light car is driving rough it’s a 2015 kia Forte. Have an appointment Monday 7/13/2026 to have dealer to do a b diagnostic. The same place I had oil change.

Respectfully submit this correspondence to request formal assistance regarding my 2015 kia Forte ex, a vehicle covered under the class settlement. The vehicle is exhibiting severe symptoms consistent with ksds?related engine failure, yet the required diagnostic protocol has not been completed by the servicing dealership. The ksds software update was performed in may 2022, and the vehicle currently has only 92,000 miles on the odometer, placing it well within the settlement’s mileage parameters. Despite this, the dealership has failed to follow ksds procedures and has not produced any written documentation of its findings. All communication with the dealership has occurred exclusively by telephone. Despite repeated attempts to obtain information, I have not received a diagnostic sheet, video recording, code report, ksds documentation, or any written summary of the vehicle’s condition. All statements provided to me have been verbal and inconsistent. My **primary symptoms** include: - persistent and worsening **engine ticking** - **burning excessive amounts of oil** - activation of **limp mode** - a **flashing check engine light** these symptoms align with known indicators of ksds?related engine failure and warrant immediate and proper diagnostic evaluation under the settlement terms. The dealership has verbally stated that the issue may be related to **spark plugs and ignition coils**. However, plugs and coils are a **well?documented secondary symptom** of rod bearing failure, caused by oil contamination and misfires resulting from internal engine damage. This further supports the likelihood of ksds?related engine failure. Kia corporate has not referenced documentation of any kind. They have not requested it, indicated they are awaiting it, or provided guidance regarding its submission. Instead, corporate has repeatedly stated that they “must defer to the dealership,” despite the dealership’s failure to perform or submit the required ksds diagnostic materials.

2020 kia Forte, 2. 0l 14f engine, 109,000 miles: on July 3. 2026 "check engine" light came on. Drove to local auto parts store to have code downloaded, p0017 cam position sensor. Car was performing fine, except for engine light. Drove car to kia dealership. While driving, warning light for "front collision system came on and car began performing erratically. Left car at dealership for diagnostics. Yesterday received call from dealer, stating that engine needed total replacement due to "lack of oil". Quoted repair cost estimated at approximately $8,000. Car has been regularly serviced, including oil and filter changes per handbook. I have all records for the services. The were no indications of low oil pressure or engine overheating, no warning lights, all gauge readings displayed normal ranges. This same car had a failed transmission replaced approximately 2 years ago, which was covered by an extended warranty related to a recall. There have been 2 engine failure recalls as a result of 2 class action lawsuits for kia cars with this same engine failure up through the 2019 model years, providing new engines and/or extended warrantees, however, this does not applicable to 2020 and newer models, even though it's the same exact same engine model with the exact issue causing the failure. Engine failure in traffic condions can obviously lead to immediate safety issues. I currently have a call into the kia customer service/complaint department, but no resolution offerred to date.

Unknown it makes a ticking noise check engine light came on and oil isn't low. Recently bought it.

Coolant is burning and going into the oil in the engine. Occupancy indicator is malfunctioning causing a drastic amount of liability for death.

The contact owns a 2023 kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal knocking sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle later lost motive power while driving with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a week prior to the failure, the vehicle was taken to another dealer to determine the trade-in value, and no failures were found at the time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

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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?.

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

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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.

Power loss, engine failure. Will not start.

See attached document for complaint.

Engine smoking when started up engine has oil in it scared to move vehicle because I have no idea if it’s going to catch fire or anything.

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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.

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.

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.

Car runs fine at lower speeds. When traveling over 50 mph for ten minutes or more, then decelerating or stopping in traffic or at a stop light it stalls. It cranks right back up after you put it neutral and turn the key. We’ve almost been rear ended twice since this started. The car has only been driven about 3000 miles a year over the past 7 years and only about 45 mph. It has been to two shops and hasn’t been driven since may 15th.

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.

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.

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.

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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.