Home · 2011 Kia Forte Koup · Complaints

What 160 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Forte Koup

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (160)Crash / fire / injury (39)Engine (48)Airbags (36)Brakes (27)Transmission & drivetrain (19)Electrical system (16)Speed control (12)Body & structure (8)Lights (8)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (6)Seat belts (6)

8 of 160 complaints match · Lights · clear filters

Dec 9, 2025Electrical systemLights

The centered high mounted brake light overheated during normal vehicle operation. The plastic bulb socket and housing melted, causing the bulb to dislodge and fall into the interior of the vehicle. The bulb was extremely hot and burned holes through an interior fabric item that was stored in the rear cargo area for less than 15 minutes. There was no collision or modification involved. This created a potential fire hazard inside the vehicle. No warning lights or dashboard messages appeared prior to the incident. The cause of overheating is unknown. The damaged bulb, socket, and surrounding components were available for inspection at the time of the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11703885

Oct 2, 2023LightsFire

Light in trunk exploded and melted. This was the original light that came with the car. Thankfully the trunk was empty and it did not catch fire.

NHTSA ODI 11547751

Sep 18, 2019Lights

REAR PASSENGER LIGHT CONSISTENTLY GOING OUT REGARDLESS OF LIGHT REPLACEMENT. REPLACED LIGHT BULB NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAD HARNESS REPLACED, PROBLEM STILL REMAINED.NOW ALL REAR LIGHTING HAVE STOPPED WORKING WHILE CAR IS ON.

NHTSA ODI 11256490

May 21, 2019LightsBrakes

BRAKE LIGHT STAY ON ALL THE TIME EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS SHUT OFF

NHTSA ODI 11209149

Jan 24, 2019Electrical systemLights

THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS ARE BURNING OUR VERY 3 WEEKS WITH THE PLASTIC BULB CONNECTOR GETTING VERY , VERY HOT.

NHTSA ODI 11171813

Mar 17, 2018LightsAirbagsBody & structureCrash1 injury

TRAVELING 45 TO 55 MPH RAN INTO FOUR LARGE DEERS AND RAN OFF ROAD. DAMAGE FRONT OF CAR. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON BUT DID NOT FLATE. I SUBSTAIN SEVERE SHOULDER INJURY.

NHTSA ODI 11079973

Feb 27, 2018Lights

I KEEP HAVING TO REPLACE FOG LAMPS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND HEADLAMPS. THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED FREQUENTLY. THE COMPONENT YOU PLUG THE BULB INTO KEEPS GETTING HOT AND MELTING SOMETIMES CAUSING THE BULB TO BREAK. I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHTS 8 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS AND THE FOG LAMPS 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS.

NHTSA ODI 11075198

Jan 22, 2018Electrical systemLightsElectronic Stability Control (esc)

I KEEP REPLACING LIGHT BULBS AND THE PART WHERE U INTRODUCE THE LIGHT BULBS IS MELTING. I WAS TOLD TO CHECK FOR RECALL ON THESE. THANKS. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED FROM A DEALER 1 YR AGO AND HAD REPLACED LIKE 4 BULBS WITHIN A YEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11064298

Working with the data? Download all 160 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Kia Forte Koup verdict →