Car has an electrical problem battery keeps draining changed alternator fuel pump starter and battery and still something draining the battery
NHTSA ODI 11490482
Home · 2015 Kia Forte Koup · Complaints
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.
Newest first · 258 complaints · page 4 of 11
Car has an electrical problem battery keeps draining changed alternator fuel pump starter and battery and still something draining the battery
NHTSA ODI 11490482
Engine Oil over pressure caused my oil filter to explode oil in to my engine compartment. Destroyed my engine as well. My car is not listed in the recall list for cars with this exact same problem.
NHTSA ODI 11488655
I received a recall notice from KIa Corporation notifying me of a recall for brake lines rusting on my car and told me to take it to dealer to have issue inspected. If found to be in need of replacement they would be replaced at no charge to me. I took the car into dealership and they took photos of the rusted brake lines and informed me they would be replaced by KIA at no charge. That was on September 14 2022. Dealership told me the parts would come in the week following and they would call me. They never called and I called them weekly and they told me on the last call that KIA did not have the parts and they did not know they would receive them.
NHTSA ODI 11488564
The oil plug in my vehicle came out on it's own after parking. The oil fell out of my vehicle. An oil change was then done and too much oil was put back in. Another oil change was done a few days later to fix the excessive amount of oil the Kia service department put in and when they were prepping for it, they noticed that the oil plug was finger tight and on the verge of falling out again. The engine is ruined according to the Kia dealership. No warning lamps came on during this process until the oil plug actually came out of the vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership and a third party mechanic. Within two weeks, my oil plug came out completely once and almost fell off another time. The dealership is refusing warranty coverage and recommending I do NOT file a complaint on the vehicle malfunction.
NHTSA ODI 11487399
Brake lines failed while driving. All of the brake fluid leaked out while driving making this a dangerous situation. Brake light came on and loss of all brakes came next. Had it towed to a service station where it was confirmed the brake lines had rusted causing the leak. This is a known issue for Kia and they have issued a voluntary recall. This should be made a mandatory recall ASAP.
NHTSA ODI 11485759
While driving the vehicle is completely shuts down without warning and stalls in the middle of traffic. It is a danger to safety do to risk of getting hit. There are no codes and no warnings. It starts back up but stalls again. I had it checked by a mechanic and even he couldn't figure out what is happening.
NHTSA ODI 11483708
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
NHTSA ODI 11483296
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated when she drove across the lanes to get to the emergency lane the vehicle began to lose motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired by the independent mechanic but was instead towed to the local dealer. The dealer serviced the vehicle and completed an oil change and informed the contact that no fault codes had been retrieved. The vehicle was returned to the contact. The contact then stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was sputtering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer, Lion County Kia (1334 Dreibelbis St, State College, PA 16801) and the contact was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed and she needed to pay out-of-pocket. The vehicle failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 136,636.
NHTSA ODI 11483150
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she checked the fluids and noticed that the oil was unexpectedly low. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the battery was recharged; however, a diagnostic test was undetermined. The contact then stated that without warning, the engine started to require an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had consumed 3.5 to 4 quarts of oil per 1,000 miles driven. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. The consumer is reiterating the request for a engine replacement at no cost. Further stating the engine had multiple issues which includes failing to start, white smoke coming from the tailpipe of the vehicle, and extreme oil consumption. The consumer is requesting the dealer perform repairs to the vehicle stated in the recall at no expense to the owner.
NHTSA ODI 11481383
Engine is making a knocking noise, independent mechanic as well as Kia dealer inspected and said engine is about to fail, which could leave driver stranded or impede traffic. No warning lights are on, vehicle has been regularly maintained.
NHTSA ODI 11481152
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that his daughter received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) and the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software was updated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software was reset. However, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Gerald Kia of Naperville (1661 Aurora Ave, Naperville, IL 60540), where it was diagnosed that the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software was operating as designed and the engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, the second dealer informed the contact that the first dealer had misdiagnosed the vehicle during the recall repair as the engine should have been replaced then. The dealer filed a claim with the manufacturer and informed the contact that the manufacturer would partially cover the repair. The contact followed up with the manufacturer, however, the manufacturer did not provide any additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA ODI 11480800
I recently inherited this car from my mother and it appears that the engine may have issues. There is a loud noise that comes from the engine intermittently. It is louder at times then other times. The oil level is fine and recent. I've done a lot of research and it appears this is a common problem for the 2.0 engine. I feel as though this could turn into a bigger scenario if something is not done for the lack of expense a person must put into these engines.
NHTSA ODI 11479147
There is a way to remove a piece of the steering component and start the car with a USB (general - doesn't need to be any specific USB, can be an iPhone charger). There are many Kia's being stolen and damaged, some to the point of unrepair. This needs to be recalled ASAP. Many people are getting hurt. They call themselves the "Kia Boys" and it's now a social media trend to steal Kia's. The government needs to step in and force Kia to recall their vehicles with this capability before more people die because of this stupid trend. I'm answering the following questions with what I know from other reports from news; not to my actual vehicle.
NHTSA ODI 11478395
Since 2019 I have been having an issue with unknown individuals hacking in to my car and verbally harrasing me while I'm driving. The have yelled at me and at times had clise calls due their disturbance. No matter how loud i raise the volume on the radio, they will yell louder at me. Calling me inappropriate names, talking inappropriatly to me, and multiple accusations, even though I don't know them. Help!
NHTSA ODI 11476177
experienced engine knocking noise when driving on freeways, and it got progressively louder as time went on. brought the issue to the local Kia dealership and it was resolved at the time, but wanted to report the incident so NHTSA can document this. thanks.
NHTSA ODI 11474366
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 - 20 mph and making a right turn from being idle when the vehicle started smoking from the exhaust of the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over and turned off the vehicle where the smoke began to dissipate. There were no warning lights. The contact had the vehicle towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that there was a leak occurring that could possibly cause an engine failure, however, the specifics of what needed to be repaired were not known. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
NHTSA ODI 11471218
I maintain the vehicle on a regular basis and have maintenance records. After recent oil change shortly there after the engine light came on then vehicle cut off. The vehicle towed to shop. The service station stated the vehicle engine seized. The vehicle has 120.000 miles
NHTSA ODI 11470611
Engine burning through oil FAST, possible engine fire.
NHTSA ODI 11470639
Was just told about recalls for oil leaks and I’m concerned about my daughter driving the car and the engine catching on fire as it seems this has happened to many of the 2015 Kia Forte’s and I haven’t received a recall, but seem to have all the same problems has the people who have had recalls on the same model car.
NHTSA ODI 11461744
I was driving and the rear wheel broke off rendering the vehicle not able to be driven and at the same time If I had been on the highway, I could have been killed. In addition 2 wheel bearings were also been found to be defective. When I called NISSAN, the agents stated that this was not the concern of NISSAN and would not pay for the defective parts.
NHTSA ODI 11461688
The car started to smoke and caught on fire not even 2 from My house I had called and scheduled a appointment for the recall butt kia set the date to far away I only had the car for maybe 2 weeks not even 150000 miles on it
NHTSA ODI 11455734
I want to preface this by saying my car (2015 Kia Forte5 EX) has been burning or leaking oil for a while now and no one I brought it to could ever figure out where. I brought it in for the recall check up a few months ago and they claimed to not find anything either. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a fairly loud ticking or knocking noise coming from my engine, I thought that maybe my oil was low even though I had just gotten it changed 2 weeks prior but I checked it and it was fine. Fast forward a few days and I get a prompt on my navigation screen to immediately have the car services and my check engine light started blinking. I brought it in to my local Kia dealership and today they told me that the engine is unfixable, and that they determined that it was something that should be covered under the warranty. But when they submitted the claim to Kia, Kia denied it. I am currently waiting on hold with Kia's customer service to file a complaint and hopefully resolve the issue but I thought I'd submit a claim here as well because Kia has been sued a number of times over the last decade for this exact reason.
NHTSA ODI 11454903
My car consistently is running out of and low on oil which is affecting my engine and how it runs. My car did break down and now Kia is performing an engine test over 3000 miles but have not recalled the engine/car even though they've told me this is a common issue with these cars. Prior to the breakdown, there were no warning lamps or messages for me to know this was happening.
NHTSA ODI 11454128
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle then lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with rod bearing failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
NHTSA ODI 11453691
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving approximately 30 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle then stalled without warning. Upon inspection, it was discovered that there was no oil in the engine although oil had recently been added. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 62,000.
NHTSA ODI 11451504
Working with the data? Download all 258 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026