10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,105 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #45

Apr 122023

Forte

  • miles
Vehicle states glow relay stuck on (p1326) vehicle has gone into limp mode. Not able to drive over 60mph. All recommendations by Kia has been completed and vehicle still in limp mode.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #44

Jun 222023

Forte

  • miles
My car was parked overnight in front my house on the street, and I remote started it around 4 pm. As I was looking out the window to check if the car started- I saw it moving forward. I ran out of the house and within a few seconds- the car rolled into my neighbor's truck and sustained damage to the hood and frame. This is a safety issue because the car is a push start car- and should not have started and moved. Luckily it hit a parked car and not a person. The remote start came with the car when I bought it from the kia dealership in 2013. I called kia corporate and have an appointment to get the car looked at the closest dealership. I did not have any warning lights- but I did have my car recently serviced (oil change and valve cover repaired). I also am dealing with a clogged catalytic convertor due to a leaky valve cover- and was told by kia corporate this may be covered under a class action lawsuit.

- Stratford, CT, USA

problem #43

Jun 062023

Forte

  • miles
on or about 6-6-2023 store employee Tim Creel was airing up the tire on the passenger side front of the vehicle. Tim used a kia air compressor which comes standard with a lot of today's Kias instead of spare tire. The tire pressure reached 32 psi when Tim unplugged the 12v connector. As he went to walk away he noticed flames coming from under the plug in spot. The vehicle proceeded to keep a fire going for several minutes as the other employee Eddie pulled up and put it out with a fire extinguisher. The owner mark then advised a report be made. The D'Iberville police and fire dept showed up. They issued a case number of 23-01640 by officer IPOCK. Please find attached photos kind regards Timothy Creel

- Diberville, MS, USA

problem #42

Dec 202022

Forte

  • miles
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

- Berea, KY, USA

problem #41

Dec 202022

Forte

  • miles
My car caught on fire out of nowhere when i pulled into my grandma's house. I was unaware of a recall until I was advised by the firman that put my car out that they had also put another kia out the same day and it had a recall. Upon searching I found this recall. I contacted kia and went through their claims process. They inspected my vehicle and are still claiming it didnt come from inside the dash board which is where the fire originated when I tried to put it out before it got out of hand. I have a video that proves i pulled in and it caught fire spontaneously. Kia has but me through trauma with that fire and I am lucky to still have a job with the work I missed without a vehicle.

- Berea, KY, USA

problem #40

Oct 102022

Forte

  • miles
My husband was driving down a street going roughly 45 miles an hour and all of a sudden there was a jerking feeling and the steering wheel locked up on him and he could no manage the direction that the car would go.yes it is available for inspection upon request. The steering and the direction of the car going 45. miles an hour definitely endangered us that was in the car and those that were on the road at the approximate time that we were. There was only 42000 miles on the car and we had only had it 58 days. We had it towed to the dealership Kia Nissan in Monroe La. And was told that it would cost 2000 to fix. So I then had it towed to another mechanic and got a completely different story. that the car had been wrecked before even though it didn-??t show on the Carfax and they were there was ways to tell it and also told that rack and pinion-??s don-??t break usually until 220 300,000 miles. I spent every penny I had saved after losing everything in hurricane Laura to buy this car. Not only do I feel very lied to by the dealership that I bought it from and misinformed and uninformed a certain issues that would-??ve prevented me from buying a car on top of that I-??m paying 24% interest rate and now they want to increase the interest rate because the car is broke down and they had to defer some payments because I can-??t get to work because I don-??t have a vehicle. I-??ve had Kia check out the car and I-??ve had two other mechanics check out the car and both of them told me separate stories different problems different prices and I need some help establishing where is the fault lies. Because I don-??t think I should be responsible for a injury to a car or is it something that broke on its own and almost endangered our lives when the car had only been driven 42,000 miles. There was absolutely no warning signs no flashes of light no nothing to warn of this problem it happened out of nowhere and it was very scary and not rush I wanna keep the car anymore because I was scary.

- Winnsboro, LA, USA

problem #39

Sep 292022

Forte

  • miles
Husband was attempting to back auto out of driveway and when he put it in reverse, car accelerated on its own and hit the corner of our house. He then put it in drive and the car again accelerated on its own hitting the corner of our garage and then went through the garage door. The car is totaled. I called the Kia dealership where we purchased the used car and they said there was nothing they could do about it. They said I would have to call Kia consumer relations which I have tried numerous times and am put on hold each time for 30-45 minutes. I haven-??t been able to reach anyone to talk to. I looked up Kia corporate number and got the same results. I cannot get through to talk to anyone about this matter. The car is a 2014 with 124000 miles on it. We had it at the dealership 1 week prior to this incident to the tune of $1650 in repairs and now must pay a $1000 deductible to get the garage and house repaired. We no longer had collision or comprehensive insurance on the vehicle due to a recent hailstorm and were paid out by our insurance company for what they thought the car was worth.

- Oconomowoc, WI, USA

problem #38

Nov 132021

Forte

  • miles
Brake light failure on both tail lights. The problem started by finding mold in the trunk. This was caused by water pooling in the bottom space where the spare tire would go if it came with one. Water leaks were observed from both tail lights into the trunk. The culprit seems to be bad gaskets for the tail lights. The gaskets have cracks which let rain water through. The poor design of this part has caused both brake lights to stop working. I fear water damage with the wiring / electrical system. The 3rd, center brake light still works. Will KIA pay to fix this important safety feature?

- Mcallen, TX, USA

problem #37

Jun 092021

Forte 4-cyl

  • miles
The issue had not been resolved, and I am reading countless of reports stating that Kia is picking and choosing who they will help, this is absolutely BS., that NHTSA will not even help with getting Kia to honor their recalls.

- Maurepas, LA, USA

problem #36

Aug 262021

Forte

  • miles
I purchased a 2014 Kia Forte on August 24, 2013. On August 26, 2021 I reported an electrical fire in the trunk of my car to the dealership. I was told not to drive the car but to tow it. My car was towed home because the dealership was closed by the time the tow truck arrived. The insurance company totaled the vehicle. I would still have my vehicle if this electrical fire had not occurred. The dealership stands on they sell and maintain the cars only. They performed the regular maintenance on the vehicle. They never noted any electrical issues. After 3 weeks they also said the car was totaled. They referred me to the makers in California. They had not reported the fire to them. After 2 months of going back and forth, Kia corporate determined they can not find what caused the electrical fire. Therefore they are not responsible. It was not declared arson. My car caught fire in the parking lot where I work in southern Louisiana while I was in northern Mississippi on the job. The car was locked and both keys were with me. The wires, the trunk door, the cloth covering over the top of the trunk, and back window burned. Some water bottles, sprite bottles and the empty bag of cat food they were placed on the day before burned. The plastic binders, the bottom of the trunk, and the spare tire space did not burn. It is clear the car had a defect. The fire could have reached the gas tank and caused an explosion. The wires burned causing the fire. The car set itself on fire. Even though the car is under the 10 year, 100,000 mile Waranty. They will not acknowledge the defect, the warranty, or responsibility. I was told by the Kia representative of my claim that they determined the light bulb did not cause the fire so there is nothing they can do. They could not determine what did cause the fire. They said they are not responsible. I believe they knowingly sold vehicles that would catch fire to a clueless public and did nothing to fix the electrical defects.

- Rayne , LA, USA

problem #35

Aug 312021

Forte

  • miles
UNKNOWN My 2014 Kia Forte Ex has been having randon acceleration problems. I just bought it from an O'Brien dealership a couple months ago. It has also caused the breaks to not want to work. I was in an accident due to this and crashed into the car in front of me pretty hard. My infant and boyfriend were in the car. I noticed the cruise control turned itself on right before the crash and I was trying to turn it off. The damage luckily wasnt that bad. But the car keeps driving itself and the brakes not working. This happens almost every time I turn the car on now. The break pads are still brand new, as I and my dad have checked them. I have tried contacting the dealership about it but they haven't got back. This car is unsafe and I will not continue to drive it. There are no warning lights or messages popping up.

- Bloomington, IL, USA

problem #34

Aug 112021

Forte

  • miles
unknown

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #33

Jun 172021

Forte

  • miles
The vehicle has spun a rod bearing of the internal engine. It is available for inspection upon request. Engine damage puts driver, passengers and all bystanders at extreme risk. Dealer has confirmed rod knock. Other automotive shop diagnosed spun rod bearing. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. The check engine light came on immediately before failure.

- Maple Valley, WA, USA

problem #32

Jun 012020

Forte

  • miles
While driving the vehicle in June 2020, the engine started knocking loudly and caused the vehicle to vibrate so I shut off the vehicle. After being towed, the mechanic stated the rod blew through the block and knocked out the starter. The engine needs a full replacement and based on my mechanics review this would not have happened had the 12/2020 recall been conducted more timely. The Kia recall # stated Kia dealership would pick up the vehicle & inspect for free. The dealership has refused to work with me or my mechanic, advised it would not be covered based on being out of warranty and avoids explaining why it isn-??t covered or what the actual recall is (they will only state the name of the recall, not why or the details).

- Somerset, OH, USA

problem #31

May 312021

Forte

  • miles
Hi. The problem that I am having is that a buy a car that was imported from Florida to Puerto Rico. I verified the vin number and I see that it need to have 2 recall fix. I go to the local Kia dealer and they say that because it was used imported vehicle they cant perform the recall. I want to know if it is any way that Kia can authorize or if they are obligated to fix the vehicle.

- Aguada, PR, USA

problem #30

Jun 162019

Forte

  • 87,000 miles
This happened back in June of 2019. I left work normally and not even 2 minutes down the road, my car started struggling to move forward. It was bucking and could not accelerate, but still trying to go forward. Then suddenly it started making a very loud tapping noise, still bucking and then a large pop and the car stopped moving since it died in the middle of the road. This all happened within a matter of seconds. Smoke started seeping out of the hood of my car. I had no lights on in my car on my dashboard. I always had free regular maintenance(oil etc.) done at my Kia dealership. I obviously had to have it towed and got it to the dealership so they could look at it in the morning. They said they didn't know why, but my entire engine had just blown out for no reason. My car was only at 87,000 miles and it was just totalled. I wasn't worried initially because I paid extra for the warranty to fix any major problems like this, however I came to find out the warranty refused to cover the entire cost to replace the price of a new engine in my vehicle and on top of that, when the engine blew it killed the computer in my car, and the dealership also strongly advised I replaced several other things on the vehicle. I'd have to pull out my receipts to give you all an exact amount but we paid at least $5,000 - $10,000 out of pocket for the engine and computer alone. Today is May 8th, 2021, almost 2 years later and I just happened to be on kelley blue book trying to see what I can sell my garbage Kia for. I happened to enter my VIN into the recall checker and I could not believe my eyes, engine recall issued late 2020. I have not been notified by anybody about this and probably would have never been told seeming as they already basically stole my money from me 2 years ago. I am really hoping you can help me resolve this and more than happy to provide anything you need.

- Merriam, KS, USA

problem #29

Mar 102020

Forte

  • 120,000 miles
My car shakes when you hit the brakes//doesnt drive smooth at all. Somehow the oil leaks through the rings in the engine and I cannot keep oil in it. I refill the whole oil container at least once a month now and put oil stabilizer in it. If I get an oil change, it is empty the next week.

- Lebanon, TN, USA

problem #28

Feb 232021

Forte 4-cyl

  • 98,900 miles
The Kia was moving into the city intersection at a slow rate of speed when a Chevy Blazer traveling at approximately 60+ mph hit the Kia, without breaking and ripped the whole front end off. None of the airbags deployed. This resulted in injuries.

- Lago Vista, TX, USA

problem #27

Jul 202019

Forte 4-cyl

  • 131,700 miles
Purchased on June 27 2019. 3 weeks later I stopped by dealership for assistance it's been a nightmare since. Car had been consuming oil and I've spent thousands of dollars for repairs. Just had master mechanic replacing catalytic converter and it's already plugged. Kay on both accounts assured me nothing wrong, nice car has 23 brains it's the echo drive. Engine light blinks and no one can get a code reading, no one but Kia. Both service rep, tyler and Kia Consumer Affairs agent, dean thought I was, and referred to me as wharton whom purchased the car 2014 and had engine problems according to these individual that thought I was there for same reason. Dean from Kia Consumer Affairs specifically told me during a phone conversation Dec 2020, and verifying my VIN number that my vertical was in fact on recall list. I call Jan 20th 2021 and told I was not and case was closed due to I being informed of recall to which I called after seeing arrival on line. I'm advised to go on your website with my VIN number and find out if I'm part of recall. I am not. Why"??". this car obviously is defective if I'm thought to be shannon trying to take Kia for a ride and I'm the 3rd owner with same problem as prior owners. This car is not safe. I've turned to Kia to begin with and paid for compression tests, replaced catalytic converter over $1000 dollars and it needs replacing again due to oil consumption. Fact is I was sold a car with engine problems and have almost been rear end due to power loss, limp mode tyler called it... it's not safe. What can I do now I know I'm out $9000 dollars on this car on my ssdi pay. Much more details documented who what when here and what was said. Times and dates for entire duration of events starting with kira at ron bouchards in fitchburg mass July of 2019 and Oct 2020. Consumer stated she would like the complaint to be removed from public viewing. Consumer stated Kia has no recall on the vehicle even though oil leak is recalled and will not make a recall appointment.

- Fitchburg, MA, USA

problem #26

Oct 122020

Forte

  • 93,000 miles
I need to know about where the emission leak is in my car. I have one and I don't know if it is a recall or where it is at or how much it will cost the repair may cost. I have 93 thousand miles away N it, and I have already had the gas cap change 2 weeks ago on my vehicle. Please help me with this, so I won't be taking advantage of. Thank you.

- Pemberton, NJ, USA

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