2019 KIA Forte engine problems

ENGINE

Power loss, engine failure. Will not start

NHTSA complaint #11750089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that after driving to the local store and turning off the vehicle, after returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a timing chain failure caused by low engine oil. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption and engine oil was constantly added to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 124,000.

NHTSA complaint #11744427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the contact had exited when the oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle rolled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and, upon inspection, noticed that an excessive amount of oil had leaked onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the drain plug had failed and the engine was damaged. The independent mechanic replaced the drain plug. However, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The contact had not experienced a failure in the past. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA complaint #11736553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My car has cut off on me going down the road and it cut back on I have had where the car is slow at acceleration and trying to stall out on me and causing a car to almost hit me in the bumper cause of it the car only has 112,580 miles and have not been able to drive the car since march 13,2026 due to this issue and not feeling safe to drive it

NHTSA complaint #11734155 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

February 1st 2026, I done my oil change. My car was running fine. No check engine light was on or anything, my forward collision warning started disabling itself when I always kept it on. When I try to accelerate my vehicle it would take a while to accelerate. March 7th 2026, while I was driving, my car quit while it was still running. It also quit the same day again just in park. March 8th 2026, I went to take my vehicle to get a diagnostics and when leaving my home. My car stalled out and quit while in drive. After taking my vehicle to the mechanic, the mechanic reported to me my car had no oil in my car and my motor was fried. I have had the vehicle less than a year and it’s giving me all of these issues

NHTSA complaint #11724175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

2019 Kia with approximately 64,000 miles. Engine failed without warning. Prior to failure, vehicle had been experiencing intermittent stalling on multiple prior occasions and had been brought to a mechanic for inspection before the final failure occurred. Vehicle stalled while being driven on a highway at night on [XXX] between mile markers 67-71 in Maryland, creating a dangerous situation for the driver and other motorists. The oil warning light appeared immediately prior to engine failure. Vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who inspected it and confirmed the engine had failed. The mechanic noted that the engine was well maintained, ruling out neglect as a contributing factor. Mechanic stated this is a known issue with Kia engines from this era. Vehicle is available for inspection. Problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. Engine replacement cost is approximately $6,000. Kia's powertrain warranty does not fully transfer to subsequent owners, leaving this vehicle owner without coverage despite low mileage and what appears to be a manufacturing defect. Owner was advised by mechanic that Kia has covered similar failures as goodwill replacements due to the known nature of this defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11723741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Engine stalled while driving causing the car to turn off in traffic. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This caused loss of power and steering at 45 miles per hour and could have caused a collision. A licensed and accredited auto mechanic has confirmed that the engine is a total loss. The same day and shortly before the engine stalled, a check engine light appeared. The driver was on his way home and had planned to park the car and have it towed to the mechanic the next day.

NHTSA complaint #11715915 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

When turning on the car the check engine light comes on. Then when accelerating there is a clicking noise and smoke coming from the engine.

NHTSA complaint #11715716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that during start-up, the vehicle was rattling and vibrating abnormally with a clanking sound while shifting into gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the crankcase sensor was faulty, and that there were metal shavings inside the engine oil. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 108,000.

NHTSA complaint #11710946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I am writing to report a recurring and potentially dangerous issue with my Kia Forte. My vehicle has randomly failed to start on multiple occasions, requiring a jump start. More concerning, it has also shut off while I was driving, which is extremely alarming and could have resulted in a serious accident. These incidents have happened several times, and I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle. I suspect this may be related to an electrical issue, as I am also experiencing:     •    Intermittent failure of the backup camera     •    Headlights, brake lights, fog lights, and daytime running lights failing to operate correctly     •    General electrical irregularities throughout the vehicle I have checked for recalls related to Kia Fortes and found that other vehicles of the same make and model have had similar issues. However, there are no active recalls for my VIN, despite experiencing the same or more severe symptoms described in those recalls. This situation is extremely concerning and I believe it warrants further investigation. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue and consider whether additional recalls or safety investigations may be necessary for other Kia Forte owners experiencing similar electrical and engine issues. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I would appreciate any guidance on next steps or how to ensure my vehicle is properly inspected for these safety concerns.

NHTSA complaint #11695031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Motor started ticking....then just stopped running...motor blew up..checked the oil and it had metal flaking in it..

NHTSA complaint #11694036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving in Elk River, MN when my car all of a sudden stopped accelerating I then coasted into a street with a dead end to get away from traffic before the car ended up dying though the electronics remained on. I tried restarting the vehicle with no luck. It was clear to me that the engine was no longer working as it wouldn’t turn over. The report from the mechanic is as follows: “Found exhaust cam timing to be extremely off. Removed valve cover and found the camshaft and sprocket pin has sheared, causing the cylinder 2 piston to make contact with the exhaust valves.Failed leak-down test at 90 percent and have a photo of the exhaust valve slightly bent and not seating into the head.” -cornerstone KIA Report.

NHTSA complaint #11691513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

On [XXX] my son was driving on the highway when the car suddenly shut off.. thank god he was able to safely get to the side of the road. Had it towed to my local mechanic who stated that the engine is seized up. The car is only 6 yrs old and well maintained. There were no prior problems or signs. Need a new engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11682544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Oil pump on vehicle failed, result was severe internal damage to motor, entire engine needed replaced at 120,600 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11679761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Engine burns oil while buring gas. It burns oil way faster than it should have, which causes low oil and engine damage. As a result the engine stalled out because it ran with little to no oil. There was no dashboard warning light that the oil is low. A mechanic explained that there is a manfacturing defect. These engines are manufactured with small holes between where the oil is being stored and where the gas is being burned. When the gas is burning small amounts of oil also burn as a result. I had to replace the timing belt as well because that is what is being lubricated by the oil, which is too low. The mechanic explained that this is common in many other Kia engines such as the Sorento and Optima.

NHTSA complaint #11638349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

approximately July 2023, while my car was still under warranty @ 90k miles through KIA, I took it in due to excessive oil burning/leaking, engine "missing". They performed an Oil Consumption Test, which failed the 1st, but "passed" the 2nd phase. I was told to put in Oil Stabilizer in between oil changes. Car continued to burn oil. Warranty has since expired, and car is STILL running shabby. I took it in & another Consumption test was run, with negative results per KIA. I then took it to MY mechanic, who performed an oil dye test to see where the problem is. Results were my engine had "Blow by", and that I would need to replace engine. I then took it BACK to KIA 2 weeks AFTER 2nd consumption test and was told I in fact DO need a new engine, 2 catalytic converters (reason it has been running shabby the past year plus) and a manifold accessory kit. I stated to them that I presented this issue well within the KIA warranty guidelines & informed my vehicle was perfectly fine. But was told that now my vehicle is out of warranty so I am solely responsible for ALL repairs. They stated they requested a Goodwill Exception through KIA but I was denied. I submitted EVERY receipt of repair from other mechanic that was performed since 2020. I simply just want repaired what was failing since my warranty was still in effect. I presented these issues when my car had 90k miles. Vehicle currently has 111,188 miles on it. This has been a devastating, ongoing problem trying to get KIA to do what is well within guidelines of the warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11615811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Have only 70000 miles on it and Kia refuses to replace the transmission that went out and they have lied to me repeatedly and need to be held accountable!

NHTSA complaint #11606688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Have had the car since it had 30,000 on it. It was one year old when we bought it. We changed the oil every three months faithfully. The car has 77,000 miles on it now and needs a new engine. The Kias with this type of engine have been recalled, but this car was not. I have had three mechanics tell me that Kia just built this engine poorly. Is there anything that can be done?

NHTSA complaint #11603854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA complaint #11589245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Rod ripped thru oil pan and blew the Engine

NHTSA complaint #11585625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

ENGINE KNOCK AND THEN ENGINE SEIZED

NHTSA complaint #11574460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I bought this car in July of 2021 and ever since then the car has been burning oil like crazy. I’m talking 1500-2000 miles I am going through 2-3 quarts of oil. As this is a new car this should not be an issue. When my timing went out at 79,000 I mentioned this to the dealership about the tremendous amount of oil it was consuming they blew it off and acted as if it was normal. Also the forward collision warning camera obstructed has been a constant issue especially in the fact that when it happens and I’m going over 40 mph and it’s almost made me crash 2 times because it did it during icy conditions. The light also comes on during the summer on a hot sunny day.

NHTSA complaint #11574106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the instrument panel, radio, and A/C were inoperable. The contact also stated that the steering wheel had become firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was a faulty wiring harness, steering, instrument cluster, and additionally the oil drain plug was leaking. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 1,100.

NHTSA complaint #11550969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I have always gotten my oil changed on time and even had it changed a few days before my engine failed. I was driving down the road going home from work when my car started making a ticking sound that soon turned into a hard knocking sound coming from the engine. My car then shut off in the middle of traffic while at a red light. I tried to start it back up but nothing was happening. My check engine light never came on to give me any type of warning that the engine was in bad shape. Took it to the Kia dealership where it took over a month and a half to get someone to look at my car and give me an answer as to what was wrong with it. Kia knows that the engines in these cars are not built to last and that they could have failed before reaching 100,000 miles. I was also hung up on by someone from the Kia consumer hotline. I feel Kia should be responsive and held accountable as far as paying for the repairs and me not coming out of pocket. I will not be dealing with Kia ever again.

NHTSA complaint #11525664 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving down expressway and my car started to make rattling noise and Clanking noise from the engine and then my car wouldn’t start it kept stuttering. My 2019 Kia forte was stalling it was not accelerating past 3k rpm’s and then the engine would completely shut off. Now my car has been out of commission for a few weeks

NHTSA complaint #11514417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

It has been a reoccurring problem where the car will suddenly shut off in the middle of driving. I have already taken it to Kia 4 times and the problem has not been fixed. There is a creaking noise and when I specifically turn left, it will trigger the oil light and it will flash. Recently, it has not been starting. It has definitely put my life and other at risk but I have no choice but to drive it because of work and school.

NHTSA complaint #11503107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My KIA Forte engine suddenly seized at 112,548 miles. This was verified by a personal mechanic as well at a KIA dealership service department. There were no notifications or warning lamps alerting of any potential problems with this engine or any other car part at all. This car was bought brand new and serviced oil changes were made on time only using full synthetic oil. Luckily for me this happen while I was on my driveway and not on the road.

NHTSA complaint #11502743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.