2014 Kia Forte Engine Problems

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 ID

11756624

Incident

Nov 21, 2025

Engine smoking when started up engine has oil in it scared to move vehicle because I have no idea if it’s going to catch fire or anything

NHTSA ID

11748132

Incident

Jun 2, 2026

I received the recall paper in the mail I did everything I was asked to do I. Received a final determination letter stating they was going to fix it and reimburse me for the incidental repairs the vehicle and rental car and they never did anything and now my car is no longer in my possession. They had me pay to tow it to Kia then it got impounded from there and now I don't know where it is

NHTSA ID

11747100

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the vehicle was denied repairs due to lack of engine oil maintance records. The contact stated that after the vehicle was powered on with the ignition key, an abnormal fuel odor would leak into the interior cabin and the engine would shudder. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was denied recall repaires due to lack on maintance records. The vehicle was not repaired due to costs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ID

11738711

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

Mileage

105,000 mi

See attachment

NHTSA ID

11735745

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that while exiting the contact's residence and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that seconds later, the contact noticed fire coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact attempted to extinguish the fire with two residential fire extinguishers. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The fire inspector informed the contact that the fire was caused by an unknown fluid. The vehicle was not inspected by the insurance company. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred moments after the vehicle was parked. The contact referenced a recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine); however, the contact stated that the recall notification was not received. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. In addition, the contact was informed that the recall had been open for a long period of time. The contact was informed that there was no mailing address on file for the mailing of recall notifications. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

NHTSA ID

11733982

Incident

Apr 26, 2026

Mileage

141,000 mi

Engine backfiring

NHTSA ID

11732753

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

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

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine); however, the recall repair was not fully performed. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate at slower speeds, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH and unexpectedly entered LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a loose rod bearing in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted twice by the independent mechanic and the owner of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,138.

NHTSA ID

11720455

Incident

Jan 12, 2026

Mileage

164,138 mi

uNKNOWN THERE IS A KNOCK IN THE MOTOR.

NHTSA ID

11709349

Incident

Dec 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. In addition, the contact stated that sometimes after the vehicle was started, the engine shut off unexpectedly. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine misfire and engine issues. In addition, the contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated; however, the check engine warning light was off. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V773000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 20V750000 (Engine). The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer because of the open recalls. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed of the unrepaired recalls; however, the failure of the vehicle was not related to the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 137,408.

NHTSA ID

11708843

Incident

Oct 21, 2025

Mileage

137,408 mi

Engine developed a “ticking” sound, oil consumption has increased and vehicle will periodically stall at low speeds when driving especially towards the end of the oil change interval. All periodic maintenance has been performed since I have owned the car. Previous owner indicated the same. This has the 1.8l engine which I understand can exhibit these same problems but thus far has been at least partially left out of any recalls although that isn’t entirely clear.

NHTSA ID

11708498

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Slow to shift and accelerate

NHTSA ID

11687901

Incident

Aug 24, 2025

The engine is failing. I took my Kia Forte into the dealership in March of 2025 for a blinking engine light and loss of power. It is under a warranty for engine replacement but Kia has done everything in their power not to help their own customer out. This engine issue can cause life threatening issues such as engine fires or stalling on busy roads which could lead to accidents. I will be getting further help from an attorney if the issue is not resolved.

NHTSA ID

11669338

Incident

Mar 11, 2025

The car has a knock sensor that causes it to go into limp mode. I was told by the service manager to drive it until the code goes from pending to not pending. The code is 1326. I have drove it, and it is not safe to drive. You can’t go ten miles without it going into limp mode.

NHTSA ID

11666159

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and then lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the radiator had failed and needed to be replaced. Then the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as coolant leak into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The radiator repair was performed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

NHTSA ID

11662841

Incident

May 23, 2025

Mileage

131,000 mi

I brought my vehicle into the Kia dealership (Jim Ellis Kia of Kennesaw) due to check engine light and limp mode activation. The code P1326 was identified, which is tied to Kia's extended warranty related to known engine defects. This all started Sunday [XXX], and I brought the car to the Kia dealership (Jim Ellis Kia of Kennesaw) on [XXX]. Despite this I was told I do not qualify for warranty service unless the engine fails completely. The dealership also attempted to upsell me unrelated services (such as an engine flush) without performing proper diagnostics. When I pressed for answers, I was told they did not even inspect the engine's cleanliness, despite recommending a $500 service. I called Kia Consumer Affairs and opened a claim. 2 repair orders were sent to the dealership, but the dealership did not respond to me or Kia Consumer Affairs. I was eventually told the dealership is refusing to work on my vehicle further and I was instructed to pick it up. The most concerning part is the Service Advisor at the Kia Dealership told me I need to "drive the car until the engine blows up" before I qualify for warranty. This is extremely unsafe for me and everyone on the road, and I feel uncomfortable with doing so. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11658619

Incident

Apr 27, 2025

Started working with Kia care center about October 2024. My engine oil was burning internal and I was given a case number, was told to drive until oil was very low and drive 1,000 miles, and told NOT to add oil from Grand Kia. Took my car into Grand Kia, didn't get to 1,000 only lasted three months, Kia care center woman I was working with called many times keeping everything I said, did. Kia added oil and told me I had to drive another 1,000 miles until very low. April 14 took car back, shaking oil very low. They added oil and told me the reason my car was shaking was a spark plug was loose. That is not true it shakes when oil low, It happened before when oil was very low they told me I can leave I told them they are suppose to put in an engine, they said no, we aren't doing that. I called Kia care center put in my case number, couldn't speak to the woman I have been dealing with after speaking to two other reps. I spoke with a manager. He was also very rude. Said I was not getting an engine. I took my car to Christian Bros. Auto shop, they did a compression test, it's my engine, my pistons. This has been going on for about seven months, doing what they asked me to do. Grand Kia would not give me receipts because they were not charging me. I currently have 113,000 miles. My engine light stopped working, my car is shaking. I don't drive it, I'm frightened it will stop working while driving.

NHTSA ID

11658560

Incident

Sep 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH on the highway, there was smoke coming from under the hood. There was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle stopped. The TPMS and engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that failure was due to the engine. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11656236

Incident

Apr 18, 2025

Mileage

130,000 mi

The engine has known defects, however is not on the engine replacement campaign. Failed at 114k miles. KIA refuses to acknowledge known defects. Dealer confirmed bad engine. Second opinion confirmed also. No warning or service engine lights. All oil changes were arouond 3k miles. Started with a slight ticking noise that progressivly got worse.. Driviability is fine. So this proves KIA has defective engines including the 1.8 liter.

NHTSA ID

11654368

Incident

Feb 13, 2025

Burning a unnecessary amount of oil. The oil pump failed

NHTSA ID

11646475

Incident

Feb 28, 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

As mentioned in the dealership report, Kia denied my request to repair a recall on the motor. My car still has warranty on the motor up to 15 years and 150,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11644602

Incident

Jul 24, 2024

My 2014 Kia Forte experienced random stalling/loss of speed. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic multiple times- the crank shaft sensor was replaced, new batteries were put in, and a starter was replaced. When starting the vehicle sometimes it would not turn over or click a few times to start. A ticking noise was noted aswell and relayed to the mechanic-mechanic could not find any issues. The oil light began coming on and off-especially when stopped the light would stay on, when starting to drive if would go off. Took the vehicle to the closest mechanic-the mechanic said he has diagnosed another Kia with the same issue. He said to look up recalls. I found out that my car is experiencing the exact same issues as other Kias listed as NHTSA Recall Number: 20V750- It was diagnosed at a Kia dealer in which they noted the rod is coming lose in the engine and that the whole engine would need to be replaced. When calling Kia I was told I was not going to qualify because I have a 1.8 Liter engine, however the symptoms of the car are identical to the recall listed above. The car needs a whole new engine replacement. I tried multiple times to get my car diagnosed and was told by a few mechanics that nothing was wrong with the car. I do not feel that it is fair that this car is not included in the recall. It is a 2014 Kia Forte, and other 2014 Kia fortes are listed in the recall. The cost of repair is more than what the car is currently valued at. The car has just recently hit 104,000 miles. All the maintenance on the car was routinely taken care of and inspections/emissions have always been up to date.

NHTSA ID

11644014

Incident

Feb 14, 2025

I want to report KIA of Lynchburg at 3400 Old Forest Rd. Lynchburg, VA 24501 because they do not want to honor their recall. October 14, 202I: I took my car to Kia because of a recall. After the mechanic finish, Lisa said to bring it back if the engine light goes on. (Exhibit 1) November 16, 2021: Lisa said that if the light was on due to a different problem I have to pay for the service. I agreed to hook it on the computer because I was sure all this has to do with the recall. I had to pay $99 because the oxygen sensor was not part of the recall. I asked her for a copy of the recall. She said, “you don’t qualify for the recall because you went over the mileage.” And she didn’t give me a copy. (Exhibit 2) June 5, 2024: I took my car to Harris. I let them know about t the popping sound on the steering wheel and the losing of power going uphill. I was recommended to bring my car back to Kia. (Exhibit 3) Jun 11, 2024: I took my car to KIA at Harry Tire's suggestion and because I received a letter from Kia. The Kevin said they’re going to check the breaks, oil waste, and the losing of power. 9:27am (434) 847-3292. I call KIA because I forgot to tell the guy about the knocking sound from the steering wheel. Kevin explained me that I will be charge for that because that was not cover under the warranty. I told him not to do it. I received an estimate of everything that needs to be fixed on the car and how much I will be charged. (Exhibit 4) Sept 3, 2024: I called service of Kia and Mike answered, I told him that I want to set up an appoint because I received a renotification letter at that moment he hands up the telephone on me. I called again to service, and I left a message letting them know what happened with my first call, but nobody contacted me back. (Exhibit 5) October 1, 24: I took my car to NTB for the oxygen sensor to be change, but the mechanic said code P1326 shows a history, and that his wife had the same problem and KIA had to install a new motor for her.

NHTSA ID

11633572

Incident

Sep 3, 2024