8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
27,300 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (1 reports)
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Kia Forte:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #1

Jan 012018

Forte EX 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 27,256 miles

click to see larger images

catalytic converter went out catalytic converter went out catalytic converter went out catalytic converter went out

My problem is with the O2 sensor and now the catalytic converter. The problem began when the O2 sensor was still under warranty; however, the Check Engine light would randomly turn on and off, and because of that, I am now stuck with very high costly repairs. When I had taken my Forte to the Kia dealership for service and to get the Check Engine light looked at, the Check Engine light had turned off on my way to the dealership, and then the service department couldn't run diagnostics. I also had emissions due so the dealership ran an emissions check. Well, surprise, surprise, I passed emissions, and then the guys in the service department told me not to really worry about the Check Engine light randomly turning on and off. The guys at the service department told me that if there were something serious going on, then I would not have passed emissions. Therefore, they weren't all that concerned. Well, that Check Engine light randomly turning on and off went on for well over a year, and now I'm looking at over $2,000 in repairs. Neither Kia nor the dealership are taking responsibility for that defective O2 sensor, and now I'm on the hook for it.

If a part is working sporadically as the service department claims, then in my opinion, the part is defective. And, that explains why the Check Engine light was randomly turning on and off. And, that part started acting up while it was under warranty.

To summarize this: the problem began while it was under warranty, but it couldn't be diagnosed at the time, and then when the problem could finally be diagnosed it's past the warranty. I'm between a rock and a hard place. The service department told me they can only run diagnostics on a Check Engine light when the Check Engine light is on, and that I was only to bring my Forte in when the light is on. Well, that's hard to do when the light turns off halfway to the dealership.

Who's actually liable here, me, Kia, or the dealership?

- Margaret R., Milwaukee, WI, US