215 of the
3,596 complaints filed about the KIA Forte
are about the transmission —
6% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2019.
215
Complaints
6%
Share of all complaints
10
Crashes
3
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
I experienced a check engine light and had the vehicle diagnosed with codes P0017 and P0014. The vehicle was taken to a Kia dealership, where the technician found that the exhaust camshaft was free-spinning without the phaser and that the pin connecting the two had sheared. The dealership replaced the exhaust camshaft and phaser and released the vehicle as repaired and operating normally. Less than 24 hours after pickup, the check engine light returned during normal driving. While returning the vehicle to the dealership as instructed, the engine lost oil pressure and stalled three times. One stall occurred after exiting the highway and left the vehicle disabled in a high-traffic intersection, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle was returned to the Kia dealership and remains available for inspection. Subsequent examination reportedly found metal debris in the engine/oil pan and a possible restriction of engine oil flow. The exact cause of the sudden oil-pressure loss has not yet been definitively explained. The failure occurred immediately following a dealership repair involving a physically sheared internal engine component.
NHTSA complaint #11758381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The systems affected appear to be engine, powertrain, and vehicle speed control. My 2014 Kia Forte, VIN [XXX] has approximately 118,000 miles. Since purchase in November2025 from Wondries Toyota, the vehicle has had repeated high RPM, poor acceleration, and loss of power when entering freeway on-ramps and driving uphill. It struggles to accelerate while merging into faster traffic, creating a safety risk as vehicles behind approach at higher speeds. Two different mechanics verbally advised that there may be an oil leak or oil consumption issue affecting the catalytic converter. I replaced the catalytic converter a couple months ago, but it became clogged again and the power loss continues. The vehicle is available for inspection. The problem has not been inspected by the manufacturer yet, and I don’t have a written diagnostic report at this time. There was no crash, fire, injury, or fatality, and no police report. Warning lights are unknown. The exact incident date is approximate. The issue has been ongoing since after purchase and occurs multiple times, especially during freeway merging and uphill driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756624 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact leased a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle began to chug. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a transmission replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The contact eventually purchased the vehicle. After the purchase, the failure recurred. While driving, the vehicle began to chug without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint #11738152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a transmission failure in my 2020 Kia Forte with approximately 54,000 miles. The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete transmission failure on March 19, 2026, on the highway from Cleveland to Cincinnati. after being owned for less than seven months. The vehicle is now at a dealership 2.5 hours away, requiring a full transmission replacement. This appears to be a premature failure and not consistent with normal wear and tear for a vehicle with this mileage. I am aware of a Technical Service Bulletin issued by Kia regarding IVT transmission issues in 2019–2021 Kia Forte models, which may be related to this failure. As well as legal investigations and lawsuits regarding said transmission models. Given the safety implications and potential for loss of power while driving, I am submitting this complaint for review.
NHTSA complaint #11732868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte with a five-speed transmission. The contact received notifications for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V363000(Air Bags) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulics), as well as other manufacturer recalls. The contact made an appointment at a dealer and had the vehicle serviced for the recalls. The contact had to make a second appointment as not all parts were available for the initial appointment. After the contact's second appointment, all recall services were performed, and she was informed that a five-point inspection was also performed on the vehicle. Upon leaving the dealer, the contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle's clutch failed without warning. Due to the failure, the contact was unable to downshift the vehicle and was forced to use her emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The contact sustained severe emotional distress as a result of the failure, as it nearly resulted in an accident. With the assistance of a fellow motorist, the vehicle was towed to her home since the dealer was closed. The contact later called the dealer and had the vehicle towed back to the dealer. Once the vehicle was inspected, the contact was informed that the cabin filter and two front tires needed to be replaced; the contact was also informed that she would need a wheel alignment. The contact declined the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
NHTSA complaint #11732338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to a dealer for several recall repairs, and repair under Manufacturer Recall Number: SC165A. After the recall repairs were performed, while driving approximately 60 MPH on the highway with the clutch engaged and the vehicle in gear, the vehicle started jerking and unexpectedly decelerated. The contact moved over to the side of the road, and the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was first towed to the residence and then to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact was advised by the dealer that the failure was due to normal wear and tear. However, the contact believed that the failure was caused by the recall repair under Manufacturer Recall Number: SC165A. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.
NHTSA complaint #11732354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Transmission was getting stuck in gear and slipping intermittently would cause the car to not accelerate over 20mph especially in the cold unless you switched it to the manual mode and manually shifted up two gears ans then back down two gears. If you looked at the tach while it did this is would bounce between 500 and 1500rpm and then would stutter and bounce between 1500 and 2500rpm until you did the manual gear trick. Eventually it started making a strange noise. I have serviced it on time and complained to Kia before about the issue which they stated they could not repeat so there was nothing they could do at that time and now when I took it back to Kia they stated its an internal trans issue and it now needs to be replaced but there was nothing they could do as it was now out of warranty. The car has less the 95k on it. I've had cars that had well over 400k on them in the past and still ran like new. The trans should not be failing already.
NHTSA complaint #11722394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving the car with the flow of busy traffic, the engine failed and the car stopped. It eventually turn back on (side of the road) but now drives with hesitation, a strange noise, and with the engine light on. This cycle continued until we arrived at the repair shop. And after much research, it seems that this experience is common for other Kia engines. Why was mine not included? Someone could have been badly injured!
NHTSA complaint #11719191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2015 Kia Forte (VIN: [XXX] ) that experienced complete engine failure. The vehicle had been running normally until it began stalling and sputtering while driving. Shortly after, the engine would only run for 1–2 seconds before shutting off entirely. This exact issue mirrors those documented in previous recalls and class-action lawsuits involving Kia's 2011–2015 models with 2.0L and 2.4L engines. However, despite having the same failure and engine type, my VIN was excluded from the existing recall/warranty extension campaigns. Kia confirmed this is a known issue, but will not cover repairs. This failure occurred at approx. 180,000 miles. Engine failure without warning is a serious safety risk and financial burden. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA can review this issue and evaluate whether additional VINs — like mine — should be included in a broader investigation or recall. A case has been opened with Kia (Case #XXX), and full diagnostic documentation from a certified mechanic is available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11698243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Was traveling on interstate inside lane in heavy traffic and all of a sudden lost power,no throttle response, no warning lights,no priors,wasn't able to move to shoulder.. very close to being rear ended..all of a sudden power returned.. happened 8-12 times trying to get home.. no warning lights .. after got home hooked up my diagnostic scanner and ECU had code P050400 and BCM had no codes but in pids list under stop lamp fuse pid read broken. Checked fuses non were bad.tested brake switch and tested ok and adjusted correctly. Wiring and connectors appeared undamaged...
NHTSA complaint #11697826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My daughter was driving on the highway. She was driving at 65 mph and then the car started to jolt a couple of times. She kept driving and then it started to feel sluggish and lost some power. Would not accelerate over 45 mph. She was almost rear ended several times and people continually swerving in and out around her as she couldn’t maintain the car at a normal pace. It eventually wouldn’t go over 35 mph. Extremely DANGEROUS speed on a highway commute. She was able to finally get off highway. The car stalled. No warning lights ever lit. She was close to home at this point. Drove it home with barely any power. Got it towed to the dealer and transmission was blown and they will not cover it because it’s past warranty of 5 yrs (2nd owner). The car is a 2019 with 53k miles. It should not need a new transmission. Apparently this car is now having many transmission issues. There was a service campaign issued by Kia back in 2018, 2020, and 2022 for this exact problem. Clearly there is an ongoing issue with their transmission. But since it is not a recall, the consumer has no way of know this until after it’s too late. When a transmission just shuts down without any warning, this is a MAJOR safety issue as you no longer are able to properly drive the vehicle. This should be a RECALL. Not an in-house technical bulletin announcement. There’s an abundance of safety concerns associated with this. Let’s not wait for somone to get killed in a car crash because it’s not being corrected by doing a recall on these transmissions that is a continual ongoing issue.
NHTSA complaint #11691425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
About September 6th I was driving my vehicle. It is a blue Kia forte 2017. I just had cleaned it at a local car wash. Prior to this 1-2 weeks before my ac had just started to blow hot air. So I recharged it with some recharge that I purchased a recharge can and my buddy Scott helped me put it into my low pressure air conditioning valve area. Soon after like I said when I was leaving a car wash. And I drove down to a gas station and as I start braking my car started running a lot slower. Then finally it almost halted and all the dash lights all illuminated everywhere. And I had to turn the wheel super slow as I approached the left turn into the gas station. And then I noticed my car had shut off completely. I screamed to the men that were at a gas pump feet away to help me push the car into the station. They finally ran over and pushed it into the station. Soon after we attempted with one car, and one truck we tried to jump start my car with the batteries. It didn’t start or turn the engine over fully either few times we attempted jumping it. I finally called it quits and took a ride home. The next day my buddy tried to “ fix it “ he said it didn’t really work as properly and the battery isn’t probably the problem. He said it might be the ac compressor due to my air going out weeks before. But he was afraid to tell me it wasn’t gonna be a cheap or easy fix. He suggested I go to a mechanic. Months prior I received a few notices in the mail that stated my name and my vehicle info. I never really paid them any mind until now but I am thinking I should open them soon. I’m assuming that this info would be in there about a recall. I hope that this will be a substantial amount of evidence for my recall. The websites I reviewed and researched say the there’s a lawsuit and recalls involving my Kia forte 2017 as well. But the vin didn’t match it up fully? So I’m not completely sure why. But I am sure it only had 96k miles. Which was below the Kia 100k mile warranty too? Thanks
NHTSA complaint #11690694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11690318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While the vehicle was approximately ten months old with approximately 11K miles, it was continuously not functioning properly and would not start/accelerate. My 2024 KIA Forte, which was purchased new from a KIA dealership, has continuously failed to function properly. It had a water pump replaced after failing to be operated for more than a week and has since continued to fail - this time for not starting at all, not accelerating properly, and losing all power while driving (switching off completely) on at least two separate occasions. The dealership stated that I should drive the vehicle and document it when it occurs again (video) to assist them with identifying the issue since they are unable to correct the malfunction. It has been at the dealership for more than a month with no definitive resolution concerning the safety of the vehicle. I refuse to drive the vehicle and am afraid that I may injured/killed in an accident due to the safety concerns aforementioned. As of today's date, 09/22/2025, my 2024 KIA Forte remains at the KIA dealership with no foreseeable actions that may lead to a safe resolution. Further: 1) Component or system failed/malfunctioned - Engine, fuel pump, water pump. 2) Is it available for inspection - Yes. 3) How was your safety or that of others put at risk - Vehicle switched off multiple times while operating in traffic and barely escaping accidents. Suffered a scrape on the passenger's door as vehicle would not accelerate and stalled in a separate incident. 4) Vehicle or component been inspected by manufacturer - Yes, at the KIA dealership again. 5) Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure - No, there were no prior warning lamps, messages, or symptoms. KIA dealership stated that the 2024 KIA Forte has been "reprogrammed", but the dealership has been unable to identify the safety issues it has. I do not feel safe to operate this vehicle nor have any family members operate it.
NHTSA complaint #11688947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact leased a 2022 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond while the gear shifter was in reverse(R). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven, and the dealer became aware that the transmission was slipping. The dealer inspected the vehicle and found clutch debris inside the transmission. The dealer cleaned the transmission, replaced the dual clutch, and reprogrammed the TCM and clutch actuator. The contact stated that the failure persisted after the dealer had serviced the vehicle. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear, and the vehicle was jerking, and the warning light was illuminated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
NHTSA complaint #11687426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car has been in several times for repair clutch assembly clutch plate, flywheel transmission, and the problem continues with shifting it does not want to go into gear it grinds even with the clutch fully to the floor. It will not go into first gear, not going to reverse intermittently and sometimes it will go from 1st to 5th third gear is missing sometimes first gear is missing this can happen at any given time shifting putting it into reverse sometimes it will not go into gear. It will just grind gears or taking off from a dead stop. It will not go into first gear. It will automatically go into third gear even though you’re putting it over and trying to put it into first gear, it will not engage in first gear. It will go to third gear and if you try to put it in a different gear, it will grind. Kia is aware of the issue with my vehicle and another vehicle that is experiencing the same problems and is unable to fix them this is an ongoing intermittent issue
NHTSA complaint #11687028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Forte GT. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH on an off-ramp and making a right turn, the lane assist feature had malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to steer and crash into the guard rail. During the incident, the passenger side of the vehicle was damaged along with the guard rail. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was driven away. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Previously, while driving, the vehicle had experienced transmission failures, causing the vehicle to jerk and shudder while attempting to accelerate. The RMPS failed to increase over 1.5 and failed to accelerate during normal mode however, in sports mode, the vehicle performed normally. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 14,000.
NHTSA complaint #11684783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.