2014 Kia Forte Electrical Problems

I have currently been avoiding driving my car because it goes in limp mode when I’m stopped at red lights I smell oil burning sometimes ive seen small amounts of smoke coming from the engine as well as just receiving an oil change less than a month ago and it already being bad , I checked the mail the other day and i received a recall letter from Kia stating my car needs to be serviced and that I can take it in for a free engine test and inspection free of cost as well as a system update free of cost , I schedule an appointment today for 11 I was told it will take half a day I receive a text to pick it back up 1 hour later I ask if an engine test was also done i received no response so I came in and was told that I would have to pay 270 for a diagnosis despite the engine inspection being different they refused to do one stating the previous owners warranty is up so the system update was done without any inspection or test to see if the damage was already which it is based off the state of my car , when trying to leave my car was not starting up and when it finally did it went into limp mode completely and wouldn’t drive at that point I reach out to Kia costumer care center and they let me know that I should have gotten a inspection free of charge along side the update and to go somewhere else online also states regardless of warranty all recalls must be addressed if problems persist regardless of past service or owner , they also cleared my recall and listed it as repaired and it was not Kia corporate shows it is still an open recall as well . I also received a Kia multi point inspection that was not at all fully performed it is 1/4 fill out .

NHTSA ID

11720848

Incident

Feb 26, 2025

Steering column is broken and keeps falling. Hard to replace entire steering column. While driving the entire steering wheel will fall into lap, makes the car nearly un-drivable. I have fixed before but the entire part is now failing and is extremely dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11689852

Incident

Sep 23, 2025

The car will randomly cut off while driving, to restart the car must be put into neutral to restart and the lights go off during that time. If you are on the interstate going over 50, it will jerk and restart itself but the steering gets really stiff and you have to pull over and cut car off and restart to get the steering to work properly again.

NHTSA ID

11645865

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

Driving to school and the engine started acting weird and took to Good Year mechanic and I received the attached invoice. Kindly refer to the invoice.

NHTSA ID

11574821

Incident

Feb 15, 2024

Driving down the highway and check engine light came on and dropped the cars speed down to 30 mph and was stuck on the highway and I called the KIA dealership that I got the car from and they cleared the code on the car and claimed they fixed it just for the car to go back into limp mode and now I’m stuck without a car and the dealership doesn’t want to fix it

NHTSA ID

11563070

Incident

Nov 16, 2023

Electrical problems from the start when purchaed November 2016. Ghost electrical problems, affecting radio, gas guage, lights, and traction, Also tail lights leaked water in.

NHTSA ID

11546446

Incident

Sep 25, 2023

Mileage

126,889 mi

I have 3 major recalls on this vehicle. I received recall from Kia but dealership will not fix the problem

NHTSA ID

11538161

Incident

Oct 24, 2022

Vehicle states glow relay stuck on (p1326) vehicle has gone into limp mode. Not able to drive over 60mph. All recommendations by Kia has been completed and vehicle still in limp mode.

NHTSA ID

11530443

Incident

Apr 12, 2023

My car was parked overnight in front my house on the street, and I remote started it around 4 pm. As I was looking out the window to check if the car started- I saw it moving forward. I ran out of the house and within a few seconds- the car rolled into my neighbor's truck and sustained damage to the hood and frame. This is a safety issue because the car is a push start car- and should not have started and moved. Luckily it hit a parked car and not a person. The remote start came with the car when I bought it from the kia dealership in 2013. I called kia corporate and have an appointment to get the car looked at the closest dealership. I did not have any warning lights- but I did have my car recently serviced (oil change and valve cover repaired). I also am dealing with a clogged catalytic convertor due to a leaky valve cover- and was told by kia corporate this may be covered under a class action lawsuit.

NHTSA ID

11530152

Incident

Jun 22, 2023

on or about 6-6-2023 store employee Tim Creel was airing up the tire on the passenger side front of the vehicle. Tim used a kia air compressor which comes standard with a lot of today's Kias instead of spare tire. The tire pressure reached 32 psi when Tim unplugged the 12v connector. As he went to walk away he noticed flames coming from under the plug in spot. The vehicle proceeded to keep a fire going for several minutes as the other employee Eddie pulled up and put it out with a fire extinguisher. The owner mark then advised a report be made. The D'Iberville police and fire dept showed up. They issued a case number of 23-01640 by officer IPOCK. Please find attached photos kind regards Timothy Creel

NHTSA ID

11527256

Incident

Jun 6, 2023

My car caught on fire out of nowhere when i pulled into my grandmother's driveway. I had smelt smoke maybe 10 minutes before I arrived but assumed it was from someone starting a fire while I was driving. No smoke had started forming while I was driving. The smoke rolled out from the dash board area and kept spreading once I had arrived and got out to get my grandma from inside. My entire car was engulfed in flames within minutes. The firefighters informed me that they had put out another kia that same day and that there was active recalls for fires on kias. I kept my car at a tow lot for almost 3 months waiting on kia to inspect it. They claimed it was an outside source but I have video proof of us trying to put out the fire and the moment i pulled into the driveway. Kia is a terrible company and deserves no money for their cars. All of my stuff I was moving with was in the vehicle with me and Kia took no blame. They are lucky her house didnt catch fire too because it was almost close enough

NHTSA ID

11515767

Incident

Dec 20, 2022

My car caught on fire out of nowhere when i pulled into my grandma's house. I was unaware of a recall until I was advised by the firman that put my car out that they had also put another kia out the same day and it had a recall. Upon searching I found this recall. I contacted kia and went through their claims process. They inspected my vehicle and are still claiming it didnt come from inside the dash board which is where the fire originated when I tried to put it out before it got out of hand. I have a video that proves i pulled in and it caught fire spontaneously. Kia has but me through trauma with that fire and I am lucky to still have a job with the work I missed without a vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11509413

Incident

Dec 20, 2022

Cars brake lights remain on and engine will turn on with out pressing the brake peddle. Consistent with recall on same model produced during the previous two years and up to 2 months prior to current vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11490756

Incident

Oct 24, 2022

The Air Bag light stays on consistently, with the exception of flashing off for a brief moment periodically, only to return on immediately. Steering wheel mounted audio controls have mixed up controls, volume operating channel skip, while channel skip up, skips down, etc... I don't know that it is possible for the air bag to deploy unexpectedly, without impact, but the obvious concern is that it may not go off in the event of an impact, leading to excessive injuries. I had an independent service center advise me that the likely cause is a faulty Clock Spring, as this would cause issues with the steering wheel controls as well.

NHTSA ID

11481918

Incident

Aug 22, 2022

Car shuts down while driving. ABS and traction control light comes on, cruise control shuts off, power steering light comes on and no power steering, screens and radio stop working, no a/c or heat, car finally completely shuts down.

NHTSA ID

11473181

Incident

Jul 10, 2022

Bought a used 2014 Kia Forte from Ourisman Kia in Chantilly, VA in November, 2021. Had 116k miles. 2/20/22, traveling on 55 MPH three lane road, the car suddenly lost all power as I was driving in the left lane. Engine light was flashing. I put on hazards and was able to pull off the highway. On 2/21/22 Ourisman Kia service added oil, cleared error codes, and told us to drive 1000 miles and bring it back. We did not make it to 1000 miles. Car again suddenly went into limp mode and flashing engine light while teenage son was driving on 3/15. Code Po302 was detected. Ourisman Kia service replaced ignition coil and spark plugs 3/17. On 3/23, car again suddenly went into limp mode and engine light started flashing again while on highway. Returned car to Ourisman Kia service 3/24/22 where it still sits. Code P1326 is detected. At any of these three times the car went into limp mode while driving on highway, me or my family could have been in serious accident. Car completely loses power to nothing and then slowly rebuilds to max 2000 RPM / approx 40 MPH.

NHTSA ID

11464764

Incident

Feb 20, 2022

My steering wheel feels loose and makes a noise when turning. Feels like I need to turn the steering wheel a bit before my tires start to turn and then it clicks again when my wheel goes back to neutral. This also has caused my cruise control and windshield wipers to stop working.

NHTSA ID

11462853

Incident

Aug 1, 2021

When I engage the left turn signal the headlights will intermittently shut off. They sometimes come back on and sometimes do not. Usually after completing a turn they come back on. It's unpredictable and this has caused some scary situations. It is a continual problem that needs to be fixed by KIA.

NHTSA ID

11443557

Incident

Jun 9, 2021

Driving down a country road at night when my abs light came on. After a few seconds my power steering went out and the main console died. The headlights began to dim and the dashboard lights sputtered on and off. The car shuttered strongly and then died. We were stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the night for over forty five minutes with a screaming infant with no warning that this was going to happen or that this part needed to be serviced or replaced for the milage of my car (90,000).

NHTSA ID

11435800

Incident

Oct 2, 2021

Airbag light stays on all the time. Brake lights constantly burning out breaking system system will skidvover grates at bumps. Car will scrape over roads. All steering wheel functions not working

NHTSA ID

11434262

Incident

Sep 17, 2021

Car started over heating, took it to the shop and my engine coolant resistor was melting, they replaced the part and it is starting to melt again and my car is starting to over heat

NHTSA ID

11431634

Incident

Aug 3, 2021

I bought the car in November 2 weeks later driving on December 10 All lights came out car loss power and engine blew off I was driving at around 55mph I’m still paying for the car but I never received no notice for the recall I need an answer ASAP the cae as been in my garage since December 10/2020

NHTSA ID

11423017

Incident

Dec 10, 2020

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AS I WAS DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11398075

Incident

Feb 16, 2021

Mileage

130,000 mi

ON 2/19/2021 I WAS DRIVING ON THE HWY AND THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER. I DON'T DRIVE IT THAT MUCH SO WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS JUST ME. BUT AS I PULLED INTO A DRIVE THRU AND WAS COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR WAS IDLING A LITTLE ROUGH AND THE ENGINE WAS TICKING AND LIGHTLY KNOCKING. ALSO HERE IS A LIST OF CONTINUING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW WITH LIKE 12 MILES ON IT. THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW HAS NEVER WORKED. THE RADIO BLUETOOTH ALWAYS HAD CONNECTIVITY ISSUES. THEN THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT APPEARED AND IS STILL ON. THE TIRE SHOP SAID IT MIGHT BE A DEFECTIVE TIRE SENSOR BACK PASSENGER. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON NOW. THEN THE RADIO ANTENNA FELL OFF THE ROOF, I GLUED IT BACK ON. RECENTLY THE BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAVE NOT BEEN FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, OR NOT AT ALL. AND THE DRIVER WINDOW BUTTON DOES WHATEVER IT WANTS TO DO, SOMETIMES IT WILL WORK WITH SOME LIGHT FINESSE.

NHTSA ID

11397163

Incident

Feb 19, 2021

Mileage

111,000 mi

PURCHASED ON JUNE 27 2019. 3 WEEKS LATER I STOPPED BY DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE SINCE. CAR HAD BEEN CONSUMING OIL AND I'VE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS. JUST HAD MASTER MECHANIC REPLACING CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND IT'S ALREADY PLUGGED. KAY ON BOTH ACCOUNTS ASSURED ME NOTHING WRONG, NICE CAR HAS 23 BRAINS IT'S THE ECHO DRIVE. ENGINE LIGHT BLINKS AND NO ONE CAN GET A CODE READING, NO ONE BUT KIA. BOTH SERVICE REP, TYLER AND KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AGENT, DEAN THOUGHT I WAS, AND REFERRED TO ME AS WHARTON WHOM PURCHASED THE CAR 2014 AND HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS ACCORDING TO THESE INDIVIDUAL THAT THOUGHT I WAS THERE FOR SAME REASON. DEAN FROM KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS SPECIFICALLY TOLD ME DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION DEC 2020, AND VERIFYING MY VIN NUMBER THAT MY VERTICAL WAS IN FACT ON RECALL LIST. I CALL JAN 20TH 2021 AND TOLD I WAS NOT AND CASE WAS CLOSED DUE TO I BEING INFORMED OF RECALL TO WHICH I CALLED AFTER SEEING ARRIVAL ON LINE. I'M ADVISED TO GO ON YOUR WEBSITE WITH MY VIN NUMBER AND FIND OUT IF I'M PART OF RECALL. I AM NOT. WHY????. THIS CAR OBVIOUSLY IS DEFECTIVE IF I'M THOUGHT TO BE SHANNON TRYING TO TAKE KIA FOR A RIDE AND I'M THE 3RD OWNER WITH SAME PROBLEM AS PRIOR OWNERS. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE. I'VE TURNED TO KIA TO BEGIN WITH AND PAID FOR COMPRESSION TESTS, REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVER 1000.00 DOLLARS AND IT NEEDS REPLACING AGAIN DUE TO OIL CONSUMPTION. FACT IS I WAS SOLD A CAR WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS AND HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR END DUE TO POWER LOSS, LIMP MODE TYLER CALLED IT... IT'S NOT SAFE. WHAT CAN I DO NOW I KNOW I'M OUT 9000.00 DOLLARS ON THIS CAR ON MY SSDI PAY. MUCH MORE DETAILS DOCUMENTED WHO WHAT WHEN HERE AND WHAT WAS SAID. TIMES AND DATES FOR ENTIRE DURATION OF EVENTS STARTING WITH KIRA AT RON BOUCHARDS IN FITCHBURG MASS JULY OF 2019 AND OCT 2020.*DT CONSUMER STATED SHE WOULD LIKE THE COMPLAINT TO BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEWING.*JB*DT CONSUMER STATED KIA HAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH OIL LEAK IS RECALLED AND WILL NOT MAKE A RECALL APPOINTMENT.*JB

NHTSA ID

11390262

Incident

Jul 20, 2019

Mileage

131,700 mi