What 437 owners told NHTSA about the 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.

NHTSA ODI 11503757

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.

NHTSA ODI 11502813

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.

NHTSA ODI 11499714

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

NHTSA ODI 11499686

UNKNOWN. The clear coat paint is peeling on the roof, trunk, door handles, and A-Frame of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11497516

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.

NHTSA ODI 11496756

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.

NHTSA ODI 11495676

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.

NHTSA ODI 11491814

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.

NHTSA ODI 11490756

I took my 2014 Kia Forte EX into the Kia dealership when there was a recall issued for the engine and also for a software update. I got the update and then shortly after leaving the dealership, my check engine light came on and started flashing. Soon my car quickly lost acceleration out of no where. My car has been stuck in limp mode ever since. I took the car back to the dealership and I have had my knock sensor replaced twice and every time I get my car back from the dealership it’s in worse condition than it was before I took it in. It studders more often and makes noise. I have been to dealerships from Illinois to Florida trying to get Kia to replace my engine. Before the software update my car was working fine no issues. The mechanics at the dealership said it is a engine/motor problem and I will need my engine to be completely replaced but because my engine isn’t failing the test then they will not do anything to fix my car even though they acknowledge it is a problem. My car is under warranty and based on the class action lawsuits I’m sure there is something that needs to be done to fix my car. I cannot afford to pay out of pocket for a new engine or to have to buy a new car. My car is not safe to drive and I have been out of a car for almost two years now because of this. There has to be some way you could help me get my car fixed. I paid this car off in full and as soon as it was paid off the software update put my car in limp mode and I have been having issues with it.

NHTSA ODI 11490444

My engine burns oil very fast, I am constantly putting oil in it even after oil changes. At one point, I was told by the dealership that I would need a new engine and that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced as a result of the engine problem. I ended up having to come out of pocket for the catalytic repair, 2 times... Thats right... 2 times. Upon returning to the dealership about engine, I was told that there was a recall for another issue in the engine that they would take care of. Upon asking about the engine, I was told the engine was fine. Also the coupler in the steering wheel column has gone bad, it was fine, until my clock springs were replaced by the dealership. The clock springs were under a recall/extended warranty issue.

NHTSA ODI 11483225

It is just airbag sign

NHTSA ODI 11482950

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.

NHTSA ODI 11481918

engine burning oil, engine knocking, entire engine needed replaced

NHTSA ODI 11477509

Engine knocking. Entire engine needs replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11476833

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.

NHTSA ODI 11475921

At approximately 60000 miles my airbag light came on. Then it would go off. Now it just stays on. I went to the dealership and they said I would have to pay for diagnostics and any repairs. I currently have around 64000 miles. I drive it very little. Bought it used in 2017 with 19000 miles. I see that other Kia’s have their airbag light go on as well and are being recalled but not my year. I have not been in any accidents with this vehicle as well. Just seems that this diagnostic should be done for free since it’s a safety concern.

NHTSA ODI 11475525

Vehicle has a engine oil leak.

NHTSA ODI 11473854

Car shuts down while driving. ABS and traction control light comes on, cruise control shuts off, power steering light comes on and no power steering, screens and radio stop working, no a/c or heat, car finally completely shuts down.

NHTSA ODI 11473181

On June 24, 2022 I was driving my vehicle on 435N to work. My steering wheel jerked to the left and started spinning out of control. I was driving at 60mph in the inside lane. When my steering jerked it caused me to turn headfirst into the inside wall. I proceeded to spin out of control across 3 lanes of rush hour traffic, clipping a second vehicle, before smashing into the outside wall and then resting in the outside lane horizontally. I was rushed to the emergency room where I suffered a broken back. Upon looking at the recalls and safety issues with my vehicle there was a recall #17V773000 for the brake pedal stopper; a most recent

NHTSA ODI 11471011

My engine started smoking like crazy while driving. It had oil pouring out of the bottom of my car. I was stranded on the side of the interstate next to a smoking car with my 5 month old baby because they forgot to mention my engine had a recall. They won’t even look at my car until July 27th and won’t give me a loaner.

NHTSA ODI 11469744

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while her grandson was driving approximately 75 MPH, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed that a software update was not completed but no additional assistance was provided. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11469143

All Star Kia of Baton Rouge submitted information to Kia and the recall listed was denied. Cited that the car was put through a bearing test, and even charged me 393 dollars for this test when dealing with this recall directly. My vehicle was up to date with oil changes and verified that it was changed before 6k miles even sometimes before 3k miles. Currently the vehicle has a knock in it. PRIOR to bringing it in All Star Kia of Baton Rouge claimed they had all the parts but the long block suddenly wasn't there when I reached the location. I asked to see the data that they ran and they just showed the word "passed" without any data. All Star Kia then stated that their information connects directly with Kia directly and they don't have that information. They tried to charge me a 8000 for a engine repair. When dealing with the bearing test I told the representative I couldn't afford the 393 I'm just here for the test she said it would be ok and that they were going to use the data to contact Kia about the engine replacement, but needed my verification to run the test via a yes response on a text back to the representative. I was just in fear that my car would catch on fire at some point, and it was turned into a profit and the recall was completely neglected

NHTSA ODI 11467905

Bought a used 2014 Kia Forte from Ourisman Kia in Chantilly, VA in November, 2021. Had 116k miles. 2/20/22, traveling on 55 MPH three lane road, the car suddenly lost all power as I was driving in the left lane. Engine light was flashing. I put on hazards and was able to pull off the highway. On 2/21/22 Ourisman Kia service added oil, cleared error codes, and told us to drive 1000 miles and bring it back. We did not make it to 1000 miles. Car again suddenly went into limp mode and flashing engine light while teenage son was driving on 3/15. Code Po302 was detected. Ourisman Kia service replaced ignition coil and spark plugs 3/17. On 3/23, car again suddenly went into limp mode and engine light started flashing again while on highway. Returned car to Ourisman Kia service 3/24/22 where it still sits. Code P1326 is detected. At any of these three times the car went into limp mode while driving on highway, me or my family could have been in serious accident. Car completely loses power to nothing and then slowly rebuilds to max 2000 RPM / approx 40 MPH.

NHTSA ODI 11464764

Steering coupler needed to be replaced. There have been warranty extensions for this part on several Hyundai cars as well as Kia Optima. Same issue as I experienced. No recall yet on my vehicle. Had to pay $500 to get replaced. Failure around 78,000 miles

NHTSA ODI 11463385