Home · 2014 Kia Forte Koup · Complaints

What 439 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 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 (439)Crash / fire / injury (68)Engine (214)Airbags (62)Steering (62)Electrical system (57)Brakes (28)Fuel system (26)Lights (22)Body & structure (18)Transmission & drivetrain (17)Seat belts (14)

57 of 439 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 3 of 3

Mar 21, 2016SuspensionElectrical system

FIRST, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INTERMITTENTLY FAILS AND SHOW INCORRECT RANGE AND FUEL LEVELS. SPEEDOMETER SHOWS CAR IS GOING 0 MPH EVEN WHEN CAR IS MOVING. TACHOMETER SHOWS 0 RPM EVEN WHEN CAR IS IDLING OR MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES SINCE 3/8/16. SECOND, BRAKE PADS PROVIDED ON CAR ARE CHEAP AND DO NOT HAVE RANGE I CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT 10K MILES. THIRD, VENTILATION SYSTEM DOESN'T OPERATE PROPERLY AND I CAN INTERMITTENTLY SMELL BURNING PLASTIC COMING FROM VENTS, FAN DOESN'T OPERATE OVER THE 3 SETTING AND A/C DOESN'T BLOW COLD. FINALLY, SHOCKS AND STRUTS ARE SUB PAR HAD TO REPLACE AT 10K MILES DUE TO TIRE CUPPING.

NHTSA ODI 10850671

Jun 22, 2015SteeringElectrical systemEngine

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, AND OFTEN TIMES WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN STARTING TO ACCELERATE AGAIN, THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND TURNS OFF. AT THIS POINT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT, OIL LIGHT AND OTHERS COME ON. THE VEHICLE THEN NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PARK, AND TURNED OFF, AND RESTARTS WITH NO ISSUE. THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT HAS FAILED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. FUCILLO KIA IS ALSO REFUSING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY AND CONTINUE WORKING ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED. A FLIGHT RECORDER BOX WAS PUT IN THE VEHICLE TO RECORD THE ISSUE IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN ON ONE OF THE OCCASIONS THEY GAVE ME BACK THE VEHICLE STATING THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE ISSUE DID OCCUR AGAIN WITH FLIGHT RECORDER BOX IN PLACE BUT THEY SAID IT DID NOT SEND ANY SIGNAL STATING THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THEM 6 TIMES AND AT THIS POINT THEY WILL NO LONGER WORK ON THE VEHICLE DESPITE IT BEING WELL WITHIN THE 100,000 MILE/10 YEAR WARRANTY. THE ISSUE STARTED AT 15085 MILES AND NOW AT 19,000 MILES THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.

NHTSA ODI 10726592

Apr 23, 2015Electrical system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA FORTE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V015000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND STATED THAT THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL AND THE CONTACT HAD TO CALL ANOTHER DEALER TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER DID NOT CHECK WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND DID NOT ADDRESS THE RECALL CONCERN. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 6/3/15CN UPDATED 10/11/2017*CN

NHTSA ODI 10712412

Jan 6, 2015Electrical systemFire

2014 KIA FORTE. VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED INTO FLAMES, AS THE CONSUMER WAS WARMING THE VEHICLE UP.*TA THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED A COMPONENT SHORTED OUT THE ENGINE. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10662832

Sep 26, 2014Electrical systemFire1 injury

ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2014, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING OUR 2014 KIA FORTE WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE. AS SOON AS I PULLED THE CAR OVER TO THE SHOULDER, FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE HOOD. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. KIA CORPORATE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT HOWEVER, THEY DO NOT WANT TO INVESTIGATE. I NEED HELP! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10639468

Apr 13, 2014SteeringElectrical systemBrakesCrash

TURNED ONTO A FAIRLY NARROW STREET WITH CARS PARKED ON BOTH SIDES; I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF STREET UNTIL I PASSED ALL PARKED CARS; ATTEMPTED TO MOVE BACK INTO MY LANE AND STEERING WHEEL FROZE AND STARTED JERKING; I WAS HEADED TOWARD A STOP SIGN POLE; I JUMPED THE CURB AND SCRAPPED RIGHT FROM BUMPER AND TIRE RIM; IGNITION SHUT OFF. TOOK CAR TO DEALER; THEY KEPT IT FOR TESTING AND INSPECTION FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND FOUND NOTHING; WE WANTED TO EXCHANGE IT BUT THEY REFUSED SINCE THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH IT; WE TOOK CAR BACK AND IT HAS BEEN DRIVING WELL SO FAR BUT INCIDENT IS STILL IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE IT. *TR UPDATED 10/1/2014 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10579471

Mar 31, 2014Electrical systemBody & structure

SCRATCHES UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR ON CAR PURCHASED AS NEW MAY INDICATE PRIOR USE AND ODOMETER TAMPER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10575916

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Working with the data? Download all 439 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 2014 Kia Forte Koup verdict →