2019 Kia Forte
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 147 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 16 Forte model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 11 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 5 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftAug 5, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Forte vehicles. The left front axle driveshaft may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to break.
A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began September 2, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC195.
Campaign 20V459000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, headlightsOct 31, 2018
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The headlights may not have been manufactured with the correct low beam aiming. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.
Campaign 18V771000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
147 reports, newest first.
Engine, Oct 2, 2019
WITH LESS THAN 8K MILES ON OUR FORTE WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN THE OIL LIGHT WENT ON. WE MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE AND WITHIN SECONDS ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. WE COASTED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO FIND OIL SPILLING FROM THE CAR. WHEN WE PULLED THE OIL STICK IT WAS BONE DRY AND SMOKING. WE WERE TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THIS IS THE 3RD OR 4TH ENGINE THEY HAVE SEEN WITH THIS ISSUE AND THEY ARE REPLACING OUR ENTIRE ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME OUR BRAND NEW FORTE HAS DIED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND IT HAS LESS THAN 8,000 MILES ON IT!
Power train, Oct 2, 2019
I HAVE A 2019 KIA FORTE THAT JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED IT LEFT ME STRANDED BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T CRANK. NOW MY TRANSMISSION IS OUT AND I HAD A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE TRYING TO DRIVE HOME AFTER MY GRANDMA PASSED AWAY. MY FAMILY LIVES 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY. THEN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT VERBALLY ASSAULTED ME WHILE I WAS TRYING TO RECEIVE HELP. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED GOING OUT. I WAS NEARLY HIT SEVERAL TIMES AS THE CAR WOULD SLOW DOWN AND NOT SHIFT GEARS.
Power train, Sep 30, 2019
BRAND NEW 2019 FORTE WITH LESS THAN 2,000 MILES ON IT. DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE ENGINE STARTS TO REV AND JOLT. GET TO THE RIGHT LANE AND IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL WITH MY FOOT ON THE GAS. HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP TO FIND I NEEDED A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION.
Other or unspecified, Sep 20, 2019
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM DISABLED CAMERA OBSCURED. THIS WARNING COMES AND GOES AT IRREGULAR INTERVALS. NOTHING IS OBSCURING THE CAMERA AND LANE KEEP ASSIST CONTINUES TO FUNCTION NORMALLY.
Electrical system, Sep 19, 2019
HIT A PARKING SPACE BUMPER WITH FRONT BUMPER, PASSENGER SIDE, LOWER EDGE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, DASH MSGS SAID I HAD STEERING PROBLEMS, ABS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE FAILURE AND TO SEE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. CALLED KIA ROADSIDE SERVICE AND REPORTED DASH MSGS AND THEY SAID NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND TOWED IT IN TO SALT LAKE CITY DEALER. DEALER REFUSED WARRANTY SVC BECAUSE OF BUMPER DAMAGE AND ADVISED WIRING HARNESS OUT, $4200 REPAIR OR $468. PATCH REPAIR. IS THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE WITH WIRING HARNESS ABLE TO BE KNOCKED OUT FROM HITTING A PARKING SPACE BUMPER WITH SLIGHT LOWER EDGE DAMAGE, THAT COULD ALSO BE CAUSED BY ROCK BOUNCING UP FROM HIGHWAY OR ANY OTHER ROAD MATERIAL THAT IS ENCOUNTERED EVERY DAY. MILEAGE WAS 11496 AT TIME OF TOWING IN TO JERRY SEINER, KIA DEALER CASE 13347285
Power train, Sep 7, 2019
ON 9/6/19, ON MY WAY BACK FROM A TRIP TO DALLAS, MY 2019 KIA FORTE (LAUNCH EDITION) STARTED TO RANDOMLY REV UP ON THE HIGHWAY. AT FIRST, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT, BUT THEN IT STARTED TO LOSE ACCELERATION. I TRIED TO USE THE MANUAL SHIFTING, BUT NO HELP. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF IN HOPES OF "RESETTING" IT AND IT SEEMED TO WORK, BUT WHEN I PULLED OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY AGAIN IT SUDDENLY STARTED TO REV TO 6-7 K AND WENT NOWHERE. ULTIMATELY, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A KIA DEALERSHIP 5 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS WAS NOT VERY MUCH HELP! MY FORTE IS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD WITH 3,100 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED NEW IN JUNE. BE CAREFUL WITH THIS CAR!
Power train, May 30, 2019
WHILE HAVING MY CAR FOR TWO MONTHS MY, 2019 KIA FORTE TRANSMISSION WENT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT KEPT STALLING. IT WAS REVING ALL THE WAY UP TO 7/8 RPMS WITH ME GENTLY TAPPING ON THE GAS. I HAD MY GRANDMOTHER WITH ME AND RIGHT WHEN WE GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY MY CAR JUST STOPPING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY MAIN ROAD. I WAITED A MOMENT AND TOOK MY KEYS OUT OF THE EGNISION. AFTER 3 MINUTES MY CAR TURNED BACK ON AND I WAS SLOWLY ABLE TO GET IT TO THE GAS STATION WITH IT STILL REVING. I HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I GOT THE CAR AND THEY ENDED UP FIXING IT. THEY SAID IT WAS A DEFECT. I'M STILL VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THEY PUT THE SAME ONE BACK IN. IT'S A CVT TRANSMISSION. I DON'T FEEL SAFE AFTER EXPERIENCING THAT ISSUE. IT COULD OF CAUSED A BAD ACCIDENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I THINK THE TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD HAVE A REGULAR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PUT BACK INTO THEM. JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THIS ISSUE I HAD AND LET YOU KNOW HOW CONCERNED I AM ABOUT IT. THANKS
Air bags, May 11, 2019, crash
THE DIVER OF HE VEHICLE HAD FRONT IMPACT DAMAGE AT 40 MPH AND HIT THE SIDE OF ANOTHER CAR. THE ENTIRE FRONT END INCLUDING THE STEEL FRAME WAS BENT IN BUT NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.
Power train, Apr 22, 2019
CAR IS A COUPLE OF MONTHS OLD WITH 2001 MILES SHOWING ON THE ODOMETER. THE RPMS WOULD SURGE WHILE DRIVING, EVEN AT CONSTANT SPEED THEY WOULD JUMP 500 RPM OR SO THEN DROP BACK DOWN. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THE SAID THAT IS NORMAL FOR A CVT. A WEEK LATER IT WAS STILL DOING THAT THEN IT WOULD FELL LIKE IT WAS STUMBLING WHILE STARTING UP FROM A STOP. THE NEXT DAY IT HAD NO POWER, ACCELERATOR ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND IT WOULD BARELY MOVE, THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY HEADED FOR THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN I GOT THERE I HAD TO WAIT A BIT AND THE SERVICE TECH CAME OUT AND TOLD ME THAT WHEN THEY CALLED THE CODES INTO KIA THAT WERE IN THE COMPUTER THEY SAID TO PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN IT. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION OVERNIGHTED WHICH I LATER FOUND OUT WAS A LIE, AND THAT TECH IS NO LONGER AT THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE A RENTAL VEHICLE IN ITS PLACE. I HAVE STARTED A CLAIM WITH KIA.
Power train, Apr 17, 2019
CAR WAS MAKING WEIRD NOISES AND JUMPY ACCELERATION, TOOK IT IN AND THEY ARE REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION, IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS AND THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL NOT IN AT THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD IT'S ON BACKORDER AND NOBODY KNOWS WHEN I WILL BE ABLE TO REPLACE IT. MY CAR IS NOW BARLEY ACCELERATING UNLESS I FLOOR IT. CALLED KIA AND THE DEALER AND NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE
Steering, Power train, Apr 13, 2019
CAR WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND HAD TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT CHECKED. THIS WAS AROUND 3000 MILES. TOOK IT IN CONFIRMED THE GRINDING NOISE BUT DID NOT NOTE DOWN WHAT IT WAS ON RECEIPT. A MONTH LATER DEALERSHIP TOOK CAR BACK AND GAVE ME A RENTAL AND HAD SPECIALIST LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH IT BUT STILL HAS SOME LOST OF POWER FROM TIME TO TIME AND GRINDING NOISES..
Power train, Apr 3, 2019
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND IT STOPPED ACCELERATING WHEN I EXITED THE HIGHWAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THE NEXT DAY THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 2.5 MONTHS AND 2811 MILES.
Power train, Apr 3, 2019
2019 FORTE WITH 4000 MILES AND LESS THAN 4 MONTHS OLD. HAD TO BE TOWNES FROM MY JOB AS THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE. I BROUGHT IT TO MY DEALERSHIP ONE MONTH EARLIER AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, AND CAR DIED LESS THAN A MONTH LATER. WAS ALSO TOLD 'THINGS HAPPEN', HOWEVER MY COWORKER WITH A 2019 SORRENTO JUST FOUND OUT HER TRANSMISSION IS GONE. HMMM...
Power train, Apr 2, 2019
THE CAR SEEMED TO BE LOSING POWER, CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, AND THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS TOWED TO SAID THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 3000 MILES ON IT & WE HAVE ONLY HAD IT 2.5 MONTHS. THE DEALER SERVICE PERSON SAID THIS IS THE 3RD 2019 KIA FORTE THEY'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN! WE WERE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY.
Other or unspecified, Mar 9, 2019
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE EVEN THO THE RPMS WOULD, AND THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON.
Power train, Feb 16, 2019
DROVE IT A TOTAL OF 2150 MILES AND TRANSMISSION BLEW. BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH RENTAL UNDER WARRANTY AGREEMENT. DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO WOULD NOT GIVE ME A SERVICE LOANER OR PUT ME INTO A RENTAL CAR UNDER KIA. HAD TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR A RENTAL CAR. SPOKE TO MANY PEOPLE AT KIA. FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF SOMEONE WHO ISN'T GIVING ME A RUN AROUND. BUT KIA ISN'T REIMBURSEING DEALERSHIPS RENTAL CAR FEES. SO IT'S HARD TO GET A SERVICE LOANER.
Power train, Feb 3, 2019
THE CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. I OWNED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 MONTHS.
Vehicle speed control, Jan 29, 2019
I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF AN INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON FRIDAY JANUARY 25, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:40 PM WHILE MY SON WAS OPERATING HIS 2019 KIA FORTE. THE WEATHER THAT DAY WAS SUNNY AND CLEAR AND THE ROAD WAS DRY AND LEVEL. 1.MY SON WAS TRAVELING NORTH IN THE RIGHT LANE OF THE SEAFORD OYSTER BAY EXPRESSWAY (NY-135) AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED. 2.AS HE APPROACHED EXIT 13E HE BEGAN TO DECELERATE ENGAGED HIS RIGHT TURN SIGNAL AND ENTERED THE EXIT LANE FOR EXIT 13E. 3.AS HE ATTEMPTED TO BEAR TO THE RIGHT AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLES LANE KEEPING ASSIST SYSTEM WAS PULLING HIM TO THE LEFT BACK TOWARDS THE HIGHWAY. 4.AS HE FOUGHT TO TURN THE WHEEL TO RIGHT TO STAY ON THE EXIT HE ENTERED THE HASHED SECTION OF ROADWAY BETWEEN THE EXIT AND THE HIGHWAY. AS HE APPLIED THE BRAKES IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP, THE VEHICLE'S ACCELERATOR PINNED ITSELF TO THE FLOOR ALL BY ITSELF CAUSING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL TO THE LEFT AND HE HEADED DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE GUARDRAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE EXIT. HE THEN CUT THE WHEEL TO CORRECT THE VEHICLE AND THE REAR THEN FISHTAILED TO THE RIGHT. AS THIS OCCURRED HE ATTEMPTED TO FREE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH HIS FOOT WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE THEN FIRMLY APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH ACTIVATED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RELEASED FROM THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER TO COLLECT HIMSELF AND INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THANKFULLY HE WAS NOT INJURED OR INVOLVED IN ANY COLLISIONS.
Power train, Jan 15, 2019
THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD WOULD MOVE FORWARD OR GO BACKWARD. TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. AND ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 MONTHS.
Vehicle speed control, Jan 12, 2019
THE CRUISE CONTROL WON'T HOLD ME ON THE SPEED I SET THE CRUISE ON. IF I SET IT ON 55 I LOOK DOWN I'M UP TO 70 MILES.
Air bags, Structure, Seats, Nov 26, 2018, crash
ON NOVEMBER 12,2018 I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER THAT SEEMED TO BE DOING FULL SPEED, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ANY SCREECHING BRAKES BEHIND ME. THE IMPACT TOTALED MY CAR, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUNK. THE IMPACT MADE MY CAR SPIN AROUND AND AT SOME POINT MY FRONT BUMPER HIT SOMETHING, BUT NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED WHATSOEVER. MY SEAT BELT WAS STILL LOCKED IN PLACE, BUT SOMEHOW MY SEAT RECLINED BACK JUST ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE DISLODGED FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT AND END UP IN THE BACK SEAT, RESULTING IN A BROKEN VERTEBRAE IN MY NECK. WHY DID NOT ONE AIRBAG GO OFF AND WHY DID MY SEAT BELT NOT HOLD ME IN PLACE?
Wheels, Nov 7, 2018
I BOUGHT THIS CAR 2 MONTHS AGO AND THEY NEVER TOLD ME IT DOESNT COME WITH A DONUT OR SPARE TIRE ......THIS IS UNSAFE