2020 Kia Forte Complaints

ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 07/03/2026

2020 Kia Forte, 2.0L 14F engine, 109,000 miles: On July 3.2026 "check engine" light came on. Drove to local auto parts store to have code downloaded, P0017 cam position sensor. Car was performing fine, except for engine light. Drove car to Kia dealership. While driving, warning light for "front collision system came on and car began performing erratically. Left car at dealership for diagnostics. Yesterday received call from dealer, stating that engine needed total replacement due to "lack of oil". Quoted repair cost estimated at approximately $8,000. Car has been regularly serviced, including oil and filter changes per handbook. I have all records for the services. The were no indications of low oil pressure or engine overheating, no warning lights, all gauge readings displayed normal ranges. This same car had a failed transmission replaced approximately 2 years ago, which was covered by an extended warranty related to a recall. There have been 2 engine failure recalls as a result of 2 class action lawsuits for Kia cars with this same engine failure up through the 2019 model years, providing new engines and/or extended warrantees, however, this does not applicable to 2020 and newer models, even though it's the same exact same engine model with the exact issue causing the failure. Engine failure in traffic condions can obviously lead to immediate safety issues. I currently have a call into the Kia customer service/complaint department, but no resolution offerred to date.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 06/18/2026

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving on a major highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the failure was not covered under an unknown recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

STEERING — Filed 06/09/2026

Steering wheel is turning completely around and made a noise. I noticed my steering wheel is loose it has been like that for time. But yesterday was the first time it turned completely around were I could not control it.

ENGINE — Filed 06/01/2026

Why is KIA still legally allowed to sell defective, death traps? Why is it ok for the service department and KIA themselves to tell me….its ok to drive unless the engine light is blinking, smoking in a car know to catch fire…..ok? Why is it ok to let them continue to sell cars under active engine fire campaigns, only to “replace it with the same junk engine” an ok remedy. Quit letting these companies take advantage of people because they created a multi billion dollar defective product, they should bite the cost and be bankrupt, I mean it’s 2025 and they are still making combustible cars, the right thing to do? 2020 Kia forte gt t1.6

ENGINE — Filed 05/14/2026

Bought the car 8 months ago from a Kia dealer. It is now pulling the same engine codes, of the infamous recalled Kia engines. After having diagnostics done at a different Kia then I had bought and had oil changed. They told me the engine and turbo was full of metal shavings and the rods were bad. I pad $10,900 for the car $15,000 to fix, they knowingly sold me a totaled car. I’m sure records reflect they took that car as a trade I knowing the engine was bad (they never checked the oil?). There were 90,000 forte sold in the US, best estimate I could find on the gt line was 4-5 thousand. All GT models do not have the turbo engine. So safe to assume that number is way lower. They know this is a manufacturing defect, and this model engine wasn’t recalled because the numbers aren’t not there. I’m sure these 2,500 or less turbo engines were manufactured in the same facility, same workers and process as the other 2020 forte recalls. The car is smoking and I’m being told “it’s ok to drive unless the engine light is flashing” which I’ll assume is before it catches fire, so I have to worry about that while not being under recall? This is a kid, who could catch on fire, would like to not go there

POWER TRAIN — Filed 04/29/2026

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.

ENGINE — Filed 04/16/2026

While driving, the vehicle suddenly began knocking severely, smoking, leaking oil, and then shut off unexpectedly without adequate warning. This created a serious safety hazard and near fire risk. The engine assembly failed catastrophically. Dealership inspection documented: connecting rod punctured engine block bearing material found in oil pan broken piston components in oil pan oil leakage underneath engine complete engine seizure/failure The dealership confirmed and documented the failure and replaced the engine assembly. Repair records and failed components should still be available for inspection through the dealership. My safety and the safety of others were placed at risk because the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving. Oil leaked from the damaged engine and the engine compartment began smoking. The engine could have caught fire or caused an accident due to sudden loss of power. There were no adequate warning indicators before failure. No meaningful oil-pressure or low-oil warning appeared until the vehicle was already smoking and severely damaged. This failure closely mirrors known Kia engine defect investigations and Recall Campaign SC209 / NHTSA Recall 21V259000 involving: connecting rod bearing damage piston oil ring defects excessive oil consumption engine seizure engine stall fire risk Although my VIN is not currently included in the recall population, the documented failure symptoms are substantially similar. I also report that another Kia vehicle in my household, a 2017 Kia Sorento, experienced a separate rod-bearing-related engine seizure despite proper maintenance and documented oil changes. The connecting rod blew a hole through the engine block, causing oil leakage and heavy smoke while driving. The vehicle could have caught fire or exploded, placing my life and others at serious risk due to sudden engine failure without adequate warning. Engine replaced under warranty; concerned for safety after 2 similar Kia failures.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 03/19/2026

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 03/21/2026

While driving a 2020 Kia Forte on the expressway at normal speed, the vehicle was operating normally with no prior warning lights or known issues. Suddenly, the brakes began to feel weak, as if they were failing. Immediately after, a popping sound was heard from the vehicle, followed by smoke coming from the side/underneath area. Within moments, the smoke intensified and the vehicle caught fire. The driver pulled over to the side of the road as quickly as possible. The fire spread rapidly, and within approximately 1–2 minutes the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. There were no prior warning indicators, messages, or symptoms before the incident. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The vehicle is available for inspection by insurance or manufacturer if needed. The incident created an immediate safety hazard due to loss of braking performance and rapid fire spread while driving at highway speed.

TIRES — Filed 03/07/2026

Two sets of Kumho Solus TA 31's (195/65 R15 91T) experienced rapid tread wear issues. The problem and safety issue has been confirmed by Fred Beans Kia of Mechanicsburg, PA, but with hassles to do so. I believe this matter actually effects consumers nationwide, which leads to additional high replacement costs as a result of product quality. Consumers are effected by not just the manufacturer, but by those who knowingly sell & promote the products, such as dealerships like Fred Beans, while aware of the defects or who should know about the defects yet fail to take adequate measures to properly rectify the situation or warn consumers. Kumho Tire has been involved in many lawsuits, primarily related to tire defects which caused serious injuries & multi-million jury award and even trademark infringement where tires are allegedly being falsely marketed & sold as new. I believe Kumho is engaging in breach of warranty where the product they sell fails to meet promised quality or performance standards, while engaging in false advertising that misleads the consumer. They engage in lies in their marketing. In addition, there is negligence with Kumho where the manufacturer fails to exercise reasonable care during production. In addition, there is strict liability where the manufacturer should be held accountable for producing an inherently dangerous product. This has also been outlined in lawsuits & ongoing legal challenges faced by Kumho Tire over product quality. Dealership service managers even deny there is a problem, claim it's normal, and say they can't do anything, unless pressed or are caught in a lie. It appears dealerships, sellers of tires & Kumho are all involved in a scheme that creates additional high costs for consumers to properly resolve the problems. Especially since it's a hassle for people to file complaints or time consuming & monetarily challenging for most to fight the battle with dealerships like Fred Beans, or tire manufacturers, like Kumho.