NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Kia Forte. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
I was driving 65 mph and all of sudden the speed got lowered to 45 mph even I was pushing accelerator. Also I heard the engine knocking noise when I pushed accelerator hard. I had to stop and parked nearby church parking lot. I called a mechanic to diagnose, and he said the engine was broken and needed to be replaced with a new engine.
Engine clicking noticed . Then light came on. Mechanic fixed. Engine light came on coil needed to be replaced a week later. Clicking got louder took to dealer said Engine wasn't getting enough oil that there was none on dipstick (took photo as proof it had oil). No other explanations no other solutions other than replacing Engine. Engine seized up un able to upload estimate bc of website issues
I took my car to Kia Healy in Newburgh New York for a recall on knock sensor update and ever since my car is not working had to park it.
Car died in reverse. Check engine light came on and turned off. Took to mechanic replaced spark plugs. Then 6 days later had another misfire replaced coils. At that a clicking noise was heard. Brought to kia dealership who said knocking come from engine but did not say what. Upon parking car completely died in drive. Engine failed.
Driving down the highway and check engine light came on and dropped the cars speed down to 30 mph and was stuck on the highway and I called the KIA dealership that I got the car from and they cleared the code on the car and claimed they fixed it just for the car to go back into limp mode and now I’m stuck without a car and the dealership doesn’t want to fix it
Just crunk it up and out the blue started knocking no warning no nothing
There is an unknown smell (kind of smells like Carbon Monoxide) when cranking up my car. There is this knocking noise that I continue to hear as if something is loose under my car, but when inspected, nothing was loose. It happens when I hit a bump or go over a hump in the road. The unknown smell scares me as this could be potentially hazardous to me and drivers around me. The knocking noise is terrifying making me feel as though my car is going to break down on me at any moment because of something that can’t be detected.
Electrical problems from the start when purchaed November 2016. Ghost electrical problems, affecting radio, gas guage, lights, and traction, Also tail lights leaked water in.
Oil burn off prior to recommended oil change interval. Oil level was extremely low. Oil burn off has been increasing at progressive rates.
My Kia Forte is from Puerto Rico, and I am currently having engine issues. The codes for the engine issues (and light) are P0014 and P0300. It can be inspected upon request. Kia America refuses to honor or attempt to look up the possible recalls for the engine, which is currently burning oil, and I've been advised that it's a safety hazard. I've been told that the engine is at risk of catching on fire, or exploding. This problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. I have not had to get my car inspected as I am originally from Texas, living in New York, and can update my registration via online as long as the car is inspected as soon as I return to Texas. I have spoken to Kia Puerto Rico and have been told that it's the job of Kia America to transfer the VIN number over so that it may be looked up in the warranty and recall system. The warning lamps first appeared in August. I'm the third owner of the vehicle, and was not made aware of the Puerto Rican VIN number prior to purchase, but Kia Puerto Rico insists that it IS Kia America's job to fix recall items.
My vehicle was leaking fluid, so I took it in and discovered that my vehicle’s ABS module failed in what was described to me as an “unusual way” at both the initial garage where I took it and, later, to the dealership, which was the only place that could do the actual repair. Some research showed that the failure matched the way this component failed in Kia and Hyundais that were recalled for this issue, which the dealership acknowledged. But my specific car wasn’t included in the recall, so I had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to repair it. Since then, I’ve been waiting for the recall to expand to include my vehicle so I could be reimbursed, because it seems very unlikely my vehicle didn’t get the same flawed system that was recalled in the other Kias and Hyundais. I’m told submitting this could help.
I took my 2014 Kia Forte Ex for a warranty job for Fex steering coupler. The service advisor(Nick Lum)at DCH of Temecula said it only cover 5 years, 60,000 miles. I understand Kia extending the warranty to 10 years, unlimited Miles. The Service advisor told me they won't fix it because it's not on the computer information. I would like to get this fixed as my 10 years end on [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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,200.
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.
Steering wheels coupler problem
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
My car has a knocking on the engine. I was told that I needed an engine replacement. However the car is just under 90k. Kia had a class action lawsuit with Kia forte 2014 models with engines 2.0 and 2.4 for complete engine failure and or engine fires. I have the exact same issue as the recalled cars in the lawsuit. I shouldn't have to do a full engine replacement at just under 90k. I am scared my car might catch fire. That's my transportation for me and my son. I can't even drive it anymore and the Kia dealership in Boise idaho has ignored me and I asked them specific questions and they told me nothing I learned all this on the internet. I have an engine 1.8 and they say it's not on the list but it should be. I need help getting my car on that list. I the knocking sound and the Kia dealership just told me I needed a new engine but never advised what could happen to me and my family if I keep driving it. That car is parked. I will never drive it again. I need help. Please.
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!
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.
Break line, have to continue to fill break fluid, the smell of something burning when stopping or stopped , passenger right light keeps going out , continues need to be replaced
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with dark, heavy scoring on the cylinder walls and the engine was replaced under warranty. Recently, the check engine warning light flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle shifted into LIMP Mode. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The check engine warning light was cleared. The failure returned soon after leaving the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 48,374.
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.
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.
My car was in for a recall repair on another item and the repair of the steering coupler part was noted to be needed. The parts personnel stated they informed me that the steering coupler was in need of repair and that I had declined this service. My vehicle did not have 100,000 miles on it yet. They in fact said nothing to me about this repair needed to be be done. It affect the steering of the vehicle and causes a lot of play in the car’s steering.
The vehicle lost braking ability while being operated on the roadway. The brake pedal went to the floor, and the brake warning light came on. The operator was able to push hard on the brake pedal enough to eventually bring the vehicle to a safe stop. Upon inspection it was determined that the brake system had lost all brake fluid due to corrosion of one of the rear brake lines at the site of the retainer clip. There is also advanced corrosion on the other rear brake line at the site of the retainer clips. KIA already initiated a voluntary recall for this issue on KIA Forte’s 2010-2013, but the problem obviously exists for later model KIA Forte vehicles. This vehicle was only operated in NY during winter months for two years, in 2018 and 2019, so this level of corrosion on the brake lines should not have occurred. This brake failure could have easily caused a serious accident and injury.
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.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while starting the vehicle the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) and referred the contact to the local dealer. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 150,000.
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.
Tha car is burning engine oil, around 1/4 gallon each week and the motor don't have any oil leak and no black or blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe
Clunk and clicking in steering. There is extra play in steering. All research points to a steering coupler.
While driving on the interstate vehicle's engine warning light turned on and suddenly the vehicle rapidly lost power. This created a VERY dangerous situation on a busy highway, putting my safety at risk and those of fellow drivers. Luckily there were no accidents and I managed to get to a repair facility. The mechanic said the engine codes were for the replacement of the engine. The engine was also low on oil again. Refilled oil to proper levels. The same issue occurred the next day, with more missing oil - no power, barely drivable and smells like gasoline inside the car a 2014 KIA FORTE.
This morning I needed to move my son's 2014 KIA Forte. There was very notable clicking noise in the steering wheel with even the slightest turn. I googled "clicking noise in steering wheel" and found thousands of listings (all KIA and Hyundai) for failures of a coupler in vehicles along with numerous videos with the same symptoms that I experienced. I also found that for 2012/2013 Soul and 2014 Cadenza that KIA had done an extended warranty for 10 years unlimited miles that was posted on the NHTSA website. I could not find anything similar for the KIA Forte even though I found many on-line consumer complaints for the same issue in the KIA. I contacted both the nearest service dealer (no appointments until April) and KIA Consumer and they said they had a significant back-log for any service. I would like to know if there have been enough complaints from KIA Forte owners that the warranty extension would apply. If not, I would like to add this complaint for the KIA Forte so that the NHTSA knows that the issue is more widespread than just for the models listed in the original extension. Thanks so much.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light was blinking, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing, and the mechanic stated that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer updated the software, and the knock sensor was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 67,068.
Flex coupler went bad - $500 replacement. The Optima was already recalled for this same part. Please recall the Forte lines so that we can be reimbursed for this obvious Kia issue.
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.
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
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the engine was misfiring and there was dark smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The used car dealer was notified of the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
UNKNOWN. The clear coat paint is peeling on the roof, trunk, door handles, and A-Frame of the vehicle.
Failure of the flexible coupling in the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS). This is a known issue and Kia has extended the warranty on the Optima, Soul, and Cadenza that use the exact same defective part. For some unexplained reason the forte has been excluded from coverage. It should also be noted that Hyundai has included the Elantra (which is the sister model to the Forte) as well as the Sonata. As mentioned all of these vehicles were assembled with the same, admittedly defective part. The warranty has been extended on every model with the exception of the Forte. The current TSB (CHA 074) acknowledges the problem without offering a comparable remedy as provided for all other affected models.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the engine made loud rattling and knocking sounds. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine and catalytic converter were faulty. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the dealer declined the engine replacement due to the mileage exceeding 150,000. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that they were unable to assist because the dealer was privately owned. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.
Cars brake lights remain on and engine will turn on with out pressing the brake peddle. Consistent with recall on same model produced during the previous two years and up to 2 months prior to current vehicle.
I have 3 major recalls on this vehicle. I received recall from Kia but dealership will not fix the problem
I was driving on the highway going 50 mph where the vehicle suddenly shut off and started smoking. I exited the vehicle to take a look and the entire engine compartment was on fire. I only had the car for 2 months and was never made aware of any recalls on the car
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.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and was blinking. The contact pulled off the road, placed the vehicle in park(P), turned the vehicle off and waited for 20 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling roughly and vibrating. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate above 25 MPH. The vehicle was driven to a service station and then towed to the residence. The contact later drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
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 $1650.00 in repairs and now must pay a $1000.00 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.
The Air Bag light stays on consistently, with the exception of flashing off for a brief moment periodically, only to return on immediately. Steering wheel mounted audio controls have mixed up controls, volume operating channel skip, while channel skip up, skips down, etc... I don't know that it is possible for the air bag to deploy unexpectedly, without impact, but the obvious concern is that it may not go off in the event of an impact, leading to excessive injuries. I had an independent service center advise me that the likely cause is a faulty Clock Spring, as this would cause issues with the steering wheel controls as well.
It is just airbag sign
The MDPS power steering coupler became worn out causing erratic steering issues.the coupler part its self is not even listed on the vehicle so the dealership would only recommend replacing the entire MDPS. i replaced the coupler myself due to lack of affordability for entire motor. steering is now fixed. additional ongoing issue with left turn signal bulbs have burned out repeatedly within days of being changed cuurently the bulb is working but the system doesnt register that signals are working causing hyper flashing. researching these issues i have found multiple online sources claiming similar issues with both turn signals and power steering couplers.
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that his VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on the street in front of his residence, the vehicle caught fire. The fire burned the nearby curbside and lawn as well. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The vehicle remained parked in front of the contact's residence and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.