2012 Kia Forte Koup Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte Koup. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, white smoke was coming from under the hood. While the independent mechanic was starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The mechanic turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that prior to the smoke on a separate occasion, while the contact's daughter was driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had caused the battery, starter, and knock sensor to fail. The vehicle was repaired for the prior failures. The contact stated that after the most recent failure, the independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine had failed and damaged the battery, starter, and knock sensor. The independent mechanic replaced the battery, starter, and knock sensor. Additionally, the engine needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11665926

Incident

May 2, 2025

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA FORTE KOUP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VALLEY KIA OF FONTANA (16272 S. HIGHLAND AVE, FONTANA, CA 92336) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF AN ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC CODE THAT WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONSUMPTION VALVE WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,800.

NHTSA ID

11403758

Incident

Mar 2, 2020

Mileage

77,800 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY HEARD A TAPPING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE CONNECTING ROD BEARING FAILED, RUINING THE ENGINE (2.4L). QUOTED $6,000 FOR REPAIR. 82,000 MILES. ALL MAINTENANCE DONE ON TIME. DEALER AND KIA CORPORATE DENIED ANY HELP OR THAT THE 2.4L WAS DEFECTIVE AT MANUFACTURE.

NHTSA ID

11162833

Incident

Dec 17, 2018

Mileage

82,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE MADE A SOUND LIKE A TICKING NOISE THEN JUST BLEW. OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE BAY AND GROUND. A LOT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WOULD NOT START OR DO ANYTHING. GLAD IT DIDN'T CATCH FIRE WITH ALL THE OIL EVERYWHERE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC, COME TO FIND OUT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP. THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. SPEED LIMIT 70. IT WAS LIKE THE ENGINE WENT BOOM. GLAD I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE TO BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE. LOST ALL POWER AND UNABLE TO CONTROL CAR. MECHANIC HAD TO ORDER AND WAITING ON USED ENGINE COMING FROM CALIFORNIA TO PUT INTO CAR. WILL COST 4000.00 FOR THIS REPAIR. STILL OWE ON THIS CAR TOO.

NHTSA ID

11140398

Incident

Oct 2, 2018

Mileage

114,620 mi

I HEARD A KNOCK COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND SUDDENLY THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT START UP AGAIN BUT THE POWER WAS STILL ON FOR LIGHTS, ETC. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE IS SHOT. AFTER RESEARCHING THE KIA FORTE I FOUND A LOT OF REVIEWS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME THING ON THE 2012 FORTE. NOW WITH THE RECALLS FOR THE OTHER KIA ENGINES WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR ENGINE TYPES, THIS MAKE AND MODEL NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED!!!

NHTSA ID

11140289

Incident

Oct 4, 2018

Mileage

61,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR, I HEARD A KNOCK COMING FROM THE ENGINE!! I HAD IT TOWED TO A KIA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR CAR THAT IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND ALL MAINTENANCE KEPT UP TO DATE!! I DID SOME CHECKING AND OTHER KIA ENGINES WITH SIMILAR OR SAME ENGINE TYPES HAVE BEEN RECALLED. THIS MAKE AND MODEL NEEDS TO INCLUDED!!

NHTSA ID

11124222

Incident

Aug 23, 2018

Mileage

127,000 mi

I WAS TURNING LEFT AND CAR CHUGGED BACK AND FORTH AND BURNING SMELL WITH A TON OF GRAY AND WHITE SMOKE POURING OUT OF BACK OF CAR. FOUGHT WITH KIA GOT A REBUILT ENGINE. 2 WEEKS LATER SAME PROBLEM. TOOK BACK TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND FAULTY VALVE WAS NEVER REPLACED. HAPPENED AGAIN 3 WEEKS LATER. CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. HAPPENED AGAIN 3 WEEKS LATER AND THIS TIME SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL WAS SO INTENSE YOU COULDN'T SEE IN BACK OF CAR. DEALERSHIP SAID THAT I JUST NEED TO DRIVE IT MORE. I AM A MOTHER TO 3 YOUNG KIDS. THE CAR SMELLS LIKE IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE AND THE SMOKE ALONE IS DANGEROUS TO WHO IS BEHIND ME.

NHTSA ID

11120500

Incident

Nov 3, 2017

Mileage

45,000 mi

ON 7/23/2016(MILAGE 108000) I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 KIA FORTE SX KOUP TO WORK TRAVELING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. 2 MILES FROM WORK I BEGAN TO HEAR A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND . ARRIVING AT WORK I DID A QUICK ENGINE INSPECTION BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING VISUALLY WRONG (LEAKS, SMOKE, LOOSE PARTS) LATER THAT MORNING I RETURNED TO MY CAR TO TEST THE ENGINE AND COULD HEAR THE SAME NOISE. I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC. VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED UNTIL 07/25/16. MECHANIC SAID THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER DISCOVERING A BAD ROD. MECHANIC ALSO CONTACTED KIA TO SEE IF BY CHANCE THEY WOULD OFFER AND EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT KIA WOULD NOT REPAIR ENGINE SINCE IT HAD PASSED THE 100000 MILE WARRANTY. (JUST 8000 MILES OVER WARRANTY !!!!!!) MY WIFE AND I DECIDED TO BITE THE BULLET AND HAVE THE ENGINE REPAIRED. $4300 AND ONE WEEK LATER MY VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME. I NOW SEE ALL OF THESE NEWS STORIES ABOUT KIA CATCHING FIRE AND OTHER HORROR STORIES ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT THE SAME EXPERIENCE OTHERS HAVE GONE THROUGH . I AM EVEN MORE OUTRAGED THAT IT COULD STILL HAPPEN TO ME AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL FOR THE AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELTS BUT NOT THE ENGINE!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!!!!!

NHTSA ID

11120443

Incident

Jul 25, 2016

Mileage

108,000 mi

MY CAR STARTED OVER HEATING AT STOP AND GO TRAFFIC SO I CHECKED EVERYTHING AND FOUND OUT MY COOLANT FAN RESISTER WAS MELTING..I CHECKED TO SEE IF IT WAS A RECALL ON THAT PART AND IT WAS BUT I DONT THINK IT WAS CHANGE BECAUSE EVERYTHING THE RECALL WEB SITE SAID WOULD HAPPEN DID.

NHTSA ID

11104939

Incident

Jul 1, 2018

Mileage

95,000 mi

THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON ON THIS VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, AT 109,381 MILES. I KNOW THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION GOING ON, AND I READ THAT THERE'S A RECALL NOW, BUT I JUST CHECKED THE VIN BOTH HERE AND ON KIA'S OWNERS SITE, AND BOTH SAY ZERO RECALLS.

NHTSA ID

11101078

Incident

Oct 14, 2017

Mileage

109,381 mi

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2012 KIA FORTE KOUP SX WITH THE 2.4 LITER THETA II ENGINE THAT IS BEING RECALLED ON A LIMITED BASIS BY KIA UNDER NHTSA SC147. A WEEK WHILE MERGING WITH FASTER TRAFFIC MY ENGINE DIED FORCING ME INTO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TRYING TO CROSS SEVERAL LANES OF MUCH FASTER MOVING TRAFFIC WITH A DEAD ENGINE. I CAME TO A STOP IN THE CENTER LANE AND HAD SEVERAL VERY CLOSE CALLS BEFORE OTHER VEHICLES HAD TO SWERVE AT THE LAST SECOND TO AVOID HITTING ME. MUCH LIKE THE COUNTLESS OTHER EXAMPLES OF VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE THETA II ENGINE SEIZING OR SPINNING ROD BEARINGS MY ENGINE SEIZED SOLID EVEN THOUGH I METICOUSLY FOLLOWED THE PRESCRIBED MAINTENANCE INTERVALS KIA SUGGESTS. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH I WAS DISMAYED TO SEE HOW WIDE SPREAD THIS ISSUE IS AND CANNOT FATHOM WHY KIA IS PERMITTED TO ONLY RECALL SOME VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME ENGINE AND NOT OTHERS. I VERY STRENUOUSLY URGE THE NHTSA TO EXPAND UPON RECALL SC147 TO INCLUDE ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS ENGINE BEFORE OTHER INJURIES OR DEATHS OCCUR AS I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY SUSTAINED. THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCUSE AND NO DEFENDING OF KIA'S POSITION THAT THIS ENGINE ONLY FAILS DUE TO MANUFACTURING FLAWS ON SOME MODELS AND NOT OTHERS MODELS WHEN THEY BOTH USE THE SAME ENGINE WHEN ALL ONE MUST DO IS TO DO A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH TO SEE COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS BEING LEFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE TO FACE THE MANUFACTURER TO GET THESE ISSUES RESOLVED. IT IS YET TO BE SEEN IF KIA APPROPRIATELY MAKE ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE EITHER UNDER THE 10 YEAR/100,000 MILE LIMITED WARRANTY (MY VEHICLE IS 6 YEARS OLD WITH 80,000 MILES) OR UNDER RECALL SC147; HOWEVER, BASED UPON WHAT I REPEATEDLY AM FINDING, KIA WILL TRY DENYING REPAIRS, DEMANDING ALL MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS AND GENERALLY MAKING IT AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE FOR CONSUMERS TO GET WARRANTY WORK DONE.

NHTSA ID

11099888

Incident

May 31, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

ON THE WAY TO A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT WITH KIA FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THE CAR STALLED ON A CITY STREET. IT STARTED ROUGH AFTER AND THEN STALLED AGAIN 2 MILES AFTER THAT ON A CURVED CITY INTERSECTION. THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER AFTER THE SECOND STALL AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP. METAL SHAVINGS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE ENGINE AND OIL. THE ENGINE ALSO SHOWED DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD AND TIMING CHAIN FROM THE METAL SHAVINGS. THE CAR NEEDS THE ENGINE REPLACED, BUT A NEW OR USED ENGINE IS NOT AVAILABLE AND I WAS ADVISED THAT A NEW ENGINE NEEDS TO BE BUILT AT A MINIMUM OF $10,000. THE CAR HAS 103,000 MILES ON IT AND ONLY WORTH $3,400 IN GOOD CONDITION. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER KIA AND HYUNDIA VEHICLES BUT MY MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED. CASE NO. 8:16-CV-01033.

NHTSA ID

11073077

Incident

Feb 15, 2018

Mileage

25 mi

ROD BEARING FAILURE ON A 2012 KIA FORTE KOUP 2.4L ENGINE AT APPROX. 93,300 MILES WITH NO PRIOR ISSUES. ENGINE WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND NEVER ABUSED. BEGAN RATTLING WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED TO BE THE #2 PISTON HITTING THE HEAD. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANYTHING WRONG, NO UNUSUAL ENGINE NOISE, NO "IDIOT" LIGHTS, NO MISFIRE, NO VIBRATION, NOTHING, JUST A SUDDEN PULSING NOISE THAT WAS FIRST THOUGHT TO BE THE EXHAUST SOUND FROM A PASSING HARLEY.

NHTSA ID

11030234

Incident

Sep 23, 2017

Mileage

93,300 mi

BOUGHT MY CAR USED FROM A DEALERSHIP AND AM THE SECOND OWNER. CAR ONLY HAD 36K MILES WHEN PURCHASED. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO SOLD ME A BOGUS WARRANTY FOR $2,995.00 FOR 36 MONTHS 60K MILES WHEN THE MANUFACTURE WARRANTY GAVE ME 5 YEARS/60K. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THIS KNOCKING STARTED IN THE ENGINE AND IT WAS LOUD SO I PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HAD IT TOWED HOME. AFTER A FEW PHONE CALLS I HAD IT TOWED TO A KIA DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. I'M PRETTY PISSED ABOUT THIS SITUATION BECAUSE KIA AND THE DEALERSHIP WANT TO TAKE NO OWNERSHIP FOR THIS VEHICLE DESPITE ALL THE REPORTS I'VE READ ON LINE ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS 84K ON IT NOW BUT FAITHFUL OIL CHANGES HAVE BEEN DONE SINCE I'VE OWNED THE CAR. OF COURSE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY AS THAT ENDED AT 60K. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME ENGINE IN OTHER KIA CARS BUT NOT THIS ONE AND I WISH I KNEW WHY. MINE HAS A THETA II - 2.4L DUAL OVERHEAD CAM WITH A DOHC ENGINE AND THE RECALLS ARE FOR A THE EXACT SAME ENGINE EXCEPT IT'S CALLED A GDI ENGINE. WHAT THE HECK IS THE DIFFERENCE IF THEY ALL KEEP BLOWING - IT'S THE EXACT SAME [XXX]ENGINE. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I STILL OWE APPROXIMATELY 12K ON THE [XXX] CAR - NO ONE WANTS TO FIX IT AT NO COST TO ME AND IT COULD COST ME AROUND 8K TO FIX IT. RIDICULOUS TO KEEP PAYING FOR A CAR YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX AND OR DRIVE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. GOOD LUCK TO ALL KIA OWNERS OUT THERE - I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11022093

Incident

Aug 12, 2017

Mileage

84,000 mi