What 134 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Forte Koup

The vehicle stalls while driving during inclement weather. It needs to be restarted for it to continue driving. I have taken the car to multiple dealerships and they cannot locate the problem. I have also taken it to general mechanic shops and they cannot locate the issue. There isn't a code that is shown or a recall, there isn't even a warning lamp showing on the dash. This is creating a significant safety concern for anyone that is driving behind me. I haven't been rear ended yet but it's only a matter of time. If multiple dealers cannot fix the issue I believe this is a defective car. I have tried to contact Kia for guidance and they have not been any help. Please help me get through to Kia that they have sold a defective car and it is a safety hazard on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11567808

The car stalled radomly when I was in a drive thru for only 10 mins

NHTSA ODI 11564527

I have 4 recall notices on this vehicle, my trunk latch stopped working 3 days ago, after a trip to the grocery store. now the trunk will not close had to strap it down with bungee cords to the under carriage . The 2 Kia Dealers in my area of Riverside County California have said to me they’re not touching recall work, there’s that excuse, I’ve requested 4 appointments online with both dealers and I’ve never gotten a call-back! They suggest scheduling appointments online because no one answers the phones. If they do answer a ringing phone they simply transfer me to another phone that nobody answers. Frustrating. No voicemail?! I’m getting no support from Kia! It’s illegal in California to drive with your trunk strapped down, it’s also a huge safety issue! Having to strap the trunk down is damaging my car paint job. Trying to do the right thing and getting no support. What do I do now? Allstar Kia in San Bernardino is where I bought my Kia and Riverside Kia in Riverside CA is where I was told they weren’t dealing with recall work. That’s why they don’t answer ringing phones. Help please!

NHTSA ODI 11553492

Car with less than 100K in Miles requires a new camshaft and accuator. Kia will not replace as a warranty defect due to it being a second owner car. The car can stall and cut off due to this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11552138

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the trunk latch failed to unlock the trunk. The contact stated that the trunk latch was previously replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11551601

The car was stolen

NHTSA ODI 11545683

I am the 2nd owner. Mileage currently: 25,562 Mileage when purchased in August, 2020: Approx 15,500 Air Compressor Car was not driven for most of 2020 and stayed in garage (pandemic). Car has only been serviced at Kia. Service in May 2022: Dealer checked off all components, valves, hoses, etc. were fine (option boxes were green, yellow, red, red being needing service soon. They checked "green" for box being discussed. August 2023 Brought car in for 3 recalls. Several weeks prior I noticed that the AC wasn't functioning as well as it used to so I had them check. Coincidentally, warranty expired 2 months earlier in June. Paid for the diagnostics, results are that the air compressor is leaking which will cost $1700 less the $300 that I've paid (estimated). Not sure why this wasn't noticed in May 2022 when warranty may have covered some/all of this repair. The car is barely driven since I am underemployed. Additionally, the compressors should last 8-10 years, not under 5 years or 25,000 miles. Regardless, while AC is always nice on a hot day, have your ever tried to drive your car on a rainy day without a working AC? Try it. I bet your windows fog up really quickly. So yes, it is a safety issue. I've reached out to KIA USA for assistance as a good will gesture to meet me half way (not even asking for free, just to meet me half way). It has been almost 2 weeks and they keep stringing me along. I only have a small window with Kia Ventura to decide if they should finish this work before I lose out on the $300 that I've already paid. It's ridiculous.

NHTSA ODI 11545255

The engine seizes under 100000 miles with no warning lights on and regular maintenance done. We were driving it and pulled up to a light it stopped running and would not come back on. We took it Kia and they confirmed that the engine was seized and that we needed to replace the engine. We were also then told that the warranty would not cover anything because we are the second owner. It was inspected at the kia dealership but not anyone else because we weren’t in an accident so neither our insurance nor our gap insurance will cover anything. There were no warning lights or signs of something wrong at all it litterally was driving great one moment and dead the next.

NHTSA ODI 11544148

2018 kia forte kept stalling out, 3 times in 2minutes. Drove it home, had it towed to Kia Spitzer West, it'd been there since May27, 2023. They will not repair, they will not replace, they won't even call me back. It's a disgrace

NHTSA ODI 11541396

My 2018 Forte LX air conditioner is not cooling properly. Has anyone reporteded the same problem?

NHTSA ODI 11529288

There was a recall for my car for the software update as there is no immobilizer. I had this done on May 30th 23. This was to correct the problem to prevent others from stealing my car by just using the USB cable. Unfortunately the update didn't work and my car was stolen on 6/17/23. It was recovered on 6/21/23. As you can see from the pictures the window was broken and the ignition was torn apart. We are not sure what other damage was done until the insurance looks at it in the next few days. With this recall not fixing the problem, insurance companies are raising our rates as the car is easy to steal again. The dealer said that they will do the same work as the recall but it doesn't fix the issue. This is not safe. A police report was taken when they found the car but we are still waiting for one when the initial report was made.

NHTSA ODI 11528748

Kia Forte 2018 - the engine stopped working while driving (around 55mph) the car shut off and I could barely control the car as I no longer had speed control which made it risky going from one line to another to get off the road and pull over, putting myself and the other drivers at risk of an accident, and almost at the end when leaving the road the steering column became hard and I could not control the steering wheel very well. The car was towed to the dealer but they said they couldn't check it because they were overloaded for the next few weeks and the closest to check it would be at least 10 to 15 business days after they finished their current services (I called 4 other kia agencies around the winston-salem NC area and they all told me the same thing), so the car was towed to an independent service where they inspected it and determined that the engine had a problem with some internal components and that it is necessary to replace the whole engine, I called the dealer but they told me that because it has more than 100,000 miles the engine no longer has a warranty (currently it has 118,000 miles), a few days before the engine light on the dashboard came on but the next day it went off and then it did not turn on again.

NHTSA ODI 11527812

Viva Kia dealership in el paso texas was contacted 5 months ago about the recall pending for this car and has failed to respond in a timely manner.

NHTSA ODI 11520800

Car shuts down for no reason. At low speeds, the car shuts down, oil light, check engine light and battery ligh illuminate. Have to stop, place the car in park, restart engine and drive again but car keeps stalling

NHTSA ODI 11518101

My Vehicle stalls and shuts while driving in the midst of traffic

NHTSA ODI 11516734

My car would idle and shake at stop signs. My car would turn off entirely while stopped at stop signs/lights on occasion. It turned off while driving on the freeway. The engine light and battery notification light would turn on. - I had several error codes related to my engine and exhaust system. After getting it “fixed” at Kia and Firestone, I am still having the same issues. My engine is burning oil quickly but I do not have a leak. I will have no fuel within a month after filling it/getting an oil change. I also possibly have a coolant leak. yes it is available for inspection. - yes, my safety as well as other’s safety have been at risk due to my car turning off while driving on the freeway without warning. My steering wheel and brakes would lock up. - yes the problem has been confirmed by Kia and Firestone. - yes the problem has been looked at by Kia service members. - my car began shaking and idling prior to any notification. It was approximately 3 weeks later that my check engine light turned on.

NHTSA ODI 11513121

Two weeks ago I started to experience issues with my car stalling in the engine making a knocking or clicking noise. Two days after this started the engine noise was so loud in the car kept stalling that I could not drive the vehicle. I have a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty on the vehicle. I told the vehicle to a Kia dealership and it was determined that the engine needs replaced. They have denied my warranty because I do not have all of my maintenance records for oil changes. Unfortunately for myself I didn’t take my vehicle to the dealer for oil changes I had a family member change the oil for me over the past 4 1/2 years of owning the vehicle. I bought this vehicle from Kia because of this warranty. This is the only vehicle I have it is impeding on me getting to and from work. I have several maintenance records of oil changes at a garage that I take my car for inspections, tire changes, brakes,alignment and oil changes. Is there anything that I can do to get Kia to honor this warranty. When I called Kiya of America customer service the woman that I spoke with told me that I needed to go to the places where I purchase oil and get receipts. I purchased oil at auto parts stores they never took my name so how am I supposed to get these receipts. And most of the time I paid cash. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

NHTSA ODI 11511315

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? After driving for about 10 minutes, the car would stall when slowing to a full stop, slowing to make a turn, or driving below 40mph. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car would cut off without warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The first incident happened in December, 2022. The car cut off while I was at the light. It started right up, but cut off again while pulling into my parking space.

NHTSA ODI 11508936

I toke the car in for the recalls it had on it back in the fall of 2022 to don Franklin kia in Somerset, Ky. The airbag light still goes on and off intermittently. It has been on steady for nearly 3weeks straight now. Since that did the recall of the clock spring of the air bag, they are wanting me to pay for the repair out right. It could be as much as $3500.00 for the air bag and module. I don't know why it's not covered since it didn't fix my problem the first time. Please help, any advice would be appreciated. Thank you Sincerely, Ricky Frazier 364 highway 26 Williamsburg, Ky 40769 606-234-5104

NHTSA ODI 11501847

This complaint is NOT against any incident on this vehicle per say but concerning Kia customer care. I am a potential buyer of this vehicle from Autonation 104 here in Denver, CO. And, I contacted Kia to provide me with the vehicle recall information so that I can be better educated to make a decision on whether or not I should buy a vehicle with an open recall status. However, Kia customer care 1 (800) 333-4542 flagrantly denied disclosing any information pertaining the recall status. Now, I am aware that recall information is also available on NHTSA and other free forums, however, my desire with the above call was to understand more about the recall that may or may not be already available publicly. For instance, whether or not this is a stop-sale recall, their advisory on an open recall vehicle as it relates to me and my family's safety, current wait times if I were to service the recall etc. But, they denied to share any information on the recall at all. I also filed a complaint to their customer care department through a voicemail (seriously?) because apparently that was the only option they make available. Details on the incident: On-call Phone number: 18003334542 Time: 10:11AM MST Date: 12/20/22 Per Federal law a vehicle manufacturer has to notify the customers/potential customers of any vehicle recall information that applies to the vehicle that the customer is intending to buy. Please let me know if you need any more information from me. Thank you,

NHTSA ODI 11498520

I initially submitted a complaint on Nov 6 with my 2018 kia about engine failure /possibly, my car was towed to Darcars kia Urbana pike in frederick md, I had just made an appointment with them b4 my car broke down to get the trunk & air bag recalls taken care of 11/09 my car sat there until yesterday, they never took care of the recalls? REGARDLESS my engine /break down shouldn't they have fixed those issues? And I was told they would run diagnostic test on my car to figure out what happened, I never received anything other than them wanting me to pay 7,000 to fix my car ,or they would give me 500.if I wanted to sell they told my insurance agent I had engine failure from normal wear and tear? I didn't know they only expect their kias to run 100,000k also got a bill with absolutely no explanation of why I was charged,they clearly are playing a game- I called kia America who left me on hold over 2 hrs until I hung up,also emailed them about my recalls not being taken care of - they said it's not their problem, I'm assuming I should get a lawyer now

NHTSA ODI 11495674

The 2018 Kia Forte LX that my daughter is the primary driver of (but I am on the loan) engine light has been on for several weeks and it has also had trouble starting, resulting in several days of missed work. We have taken it to two mechanics, whose partial diagnosis was that it needed a new timing chain kit which we had done on November 1, 2022 along with new spark plugs. However the engine light continues to stay on, with a loud idle and trouble starting. We took it back to the mechanic and after checking everything he could think of, he advised us that there is definitely an oil pressure issue and that we should take it to the Kia dealership and ask about a silent recall on the engine/oil pump. The issues we are having with the vehicle exactly match NHTSA Recall No. 21V-260; Manufacturers Recall No. SC210, however it is not showing up on my VIN number. I fear that this is only getting worse and as Recall SC210 states, if the vehicle is continually operated with this condition, the engine can be damaged (if not already) and loss of motive power may occur, increasing the risk of a crash. I have also attached Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-260. Your consideration in this matter would be greatly appreciated as we feel it applies to our vehicle and that we shouldn't have to spend even more than what we have already spent in repairs and job time loss. I can be contacted at [XXX] or by email at [XXX]. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11493667

My kia broke down on the highway ,I believe the engine is blown ,No warning lights came on until the exact incident occurred. I wasn't able to get power from the accelerator and managed to pull to the side of the highway .My car had started a knocking noise a day and a half b4 the incident, I've seen online that my car model and year has had issues with engine failure ,So far kia has ignored my calls ,I was in touch on the day b4 incident

NHTSA ODI 11492461

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the defroster failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492161

My vehicle was broken into and attempted to be stolen. My Kia was made within the years that is a KNOWN issue that thieves can simply use a USB to start the car. There is no immobilizer switch on the ignition. This issue has caused a rise of 400% in thefts of Kias and Hyundais. I personally had to pay $468 to get it repaired and another $700 to have accurate security put in the car. Kia knows and has known that this is a defect in their manufacturing.

NHTSA ODI 11490900