RoadVitals

2014 Kia Forte Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
439
Latest Aug 12, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
16
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
68

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Forte, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

218
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Aug 12, 2026

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 · filed Jul 3, 2026
All 218 reports naming engine

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

62
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that there was a ticking sound coming from the steering column while turning the steering wheel in either direction while driving at slow speeds. The contact stated that over time, the clicking sound became progressively louder. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the steering wheel coupler, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the manufacturer had recalled other vehicle models for the same failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 10,243.

NHTSA ID 11711097 · filed Jan 15, 2026

Steering column, steering coupler piece

NHTSA ID 11690874 · filed Oct 1, 2025
All 62 reports naming steering

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

62
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Large Buck deer hit car with force, did not loose control, did not slam brakes attempted to pull to side of road. The hood flew up and had to use the emergency brake to come to full stop, put in park but the gas was full throttle. Neither airbag deployed and definitely should have.

NHTSA ID 11707081 · filed Dec 26, 2025

The air bad light is on and horn dose not working currently there is a open recall on the clutch spring for the air bag but my vin say no repair

NHTSA ID 11706205 · filed Dec 19, 2025
All 62 reports naming airbags

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

56
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Feb 27, 2026

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 · filed Sep 26, 2025
All 56 reports naming electrical

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

29
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 249,000.

NHTSA ID 11713750 · filed Jan 27, 2026

My vehicle was leaking fluid, so I took it in and discovered that my vehicle’s ABS module failed in what was described to me as an “unusual way” at both the initial garage where I took it and, later, to the dealership, which was the only place that could do the actual repair. Some research showed that the failure matched the way this component failed in Kia and Hyundais that were recalled for this issue, which the dealership acknowledged. But my specific car wasn’t included in the recall, so I had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to repair it. Since then, I’ve been waiting for the recall to expand to include my vehicle so I could be reimbursed, because it seems very unlikely my vehicle didn’t get the same flawed system that was recalled in the other Kias and Hyundais. I’m told submitting this could help.

NHTSA ID 11708537 · filed Jan 3, 2026
All 29 reports naming brakes

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

25
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Feb 27, 2026

Break line, have to continue to fill break fluid, the smell of something burning when stopping or stopped , passenger right light keeps going out , continues need to be replaced

NHTSA ID 11547448 · filed Sep 30, 2023
All 25 reports naming fuel system

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

24
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Aug 12, 2026

Back-up camera does not function. I'm told the camera unit itself is at fault, not the electrical circuit leading to the 'head unit' (infotainment system). It has not operated property for about two years. I've owned the vehicle for7 years.

NHTSA ID 11638568 · filed Jan 25, 2025
All 24 reports naming driver assistance

Exterior lighting

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.

21
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The MDPS power steering coupler became worn out causing erratic steering issues.the coupler part its self is not even listed on the vehicle so the dealership would only recommend replacing the entire MDPS. i replaced the coupler myself due to lack of affordability for entire motor. steering is now fixed. additional ongoing issue with left turn signal bulbs have burned out repeatedly within days of being changed cuurently the bulb is working but the system doesnt register that signals are working causing hyper flashing. researching these issues i have found multiple online sources claiming similar issues with both turn signals and power steering couplers.

NHTSA ID 11664203 · filed Jun 1, 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 · filed Mar 2, 2025
All 21 reports naming exterior lighting

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

18
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Aug 12, 2026

Slow to shift and accelerate

NHTSA ID 11687901 · filed Sep 17, 2025
All 18 reports naming powertrain (other)

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

18
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving down the road the hood just opened shattering the windshield. Closed the hood back and drove down the road and it did it again.

NHTSA ID 11609243 · filed Aug 18, 2024

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

NHTSA ID 11538161 · filed Aug 12, 2023
All 18 reports naming body & structure

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

16
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that in 2021 the engine was replaced under an unknown recall. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts on each occasion. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the vehicle not having an oil change. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the oil was changed every 5,000 miles. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.

NHTSA ID 11587114 · filed May 6, 2024

The contact owned a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while it was parked outside her residence. The origin of the fire was unknown. The fire started from the rear of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire, and the report was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 196,781.

NHTSA ID 11517052 · filed Apr 14, 2023
All 16 reports naming other / unspecified

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

14
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

After T-boning a Toyota Prius, my air bag did not go off and my driver seat belt did not lock. As a result, I suffered a collapsed right lung, my left hand punched the windshield fracturing my wrist and had to have surgery from that. Also suffered my 7th right rib fractured. There was no warning lamps and no shop or dealer mentioned any of the malfunctions.

NHTSA ID 11641554 · filed Feb 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while buckling the driver's side front seat belt buckle, the front driver's seat belt buckle failed to lock securely as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with front driver's side seat belt buckle failure. The contact was informed that the front driver's side seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.

NHTSA ID 11606794 · filed Aug 6, 2024
All 14 reports naming seat belts

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

12
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Apr 23, 2025

2014 KIA FORTE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CRACKS IN VEHICLE TIRES BETWEEN TREADS. CONSUMER HAS DIFFERENT VEHICLE COMPLAINT IN ARTEMIS. *SMD

NHTSA ID 10816160 · filed Dec 22, 2015
All 12 reports naming tires & wheels

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

8
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jun 15, 2023

THE CAR HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT ALLOWS RAIN TO SOAK THE SEATS, SEAT BELTS, AND ENTIRE TRUCK CREATING BLACK MOLD IN THE SPARE TIRE COMPARTMENT, MOLD IN SIDE THE CAR ON THE SEATS AND SEAT BELTS. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MOVING IN ORDER FOR THE RAIN TO ENTER THE CAR. I HAVE HAD MY CAR DETAILED MULTIPLE TIMES ALONG WITH CLEANING THE MOLD OUT OF THE CAR MYSELF. SINCE OWNING THE CAR SINCE 2014 I HAVE STAYED SICK AND I ONLY FOUND OUT LAST MONTH HOW MY SEATS WERE GETTING SOAKED. THE ENTIRE BACKSEAT AND TRUNK NEED TO BE REPLACED FROM THE MOLD AND RUST FROM THE LEAK. ATTACHED ARE PHOTOS OF THE BACK SEAT AFTER A RAIN.

NHTSA ID 11172713 · filed Jan 29, 2019
All 8 reports naming interior & seats

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

There is an unknown smell (kind of smells like Carbon Monoxide) when cranking up my car. There is this knocking noise that I continue to hear as if something is loose under my car, but when inspected, nothing was loose. It happens when I hit a bump or go over a hump in the road. The unknown smell scares me as this could be potentially hazardous to me and drivers around me. The knocking noise is terrifying making me feel as though my car is going to break down on me at any moment because of something that can’t be detected.

NHTSA ID 11554578 · filed Nov 10, 2023

Steering wheels coupler problem

NHTSA ID 11527124 · filed Jun 15, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, A BURNING ODOR WAS PERCEIVED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT THE ORIGIN OF THE ODOR COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BILLION AUTO KIA (605-309-0977, LOCATED AT 1400 CAMBELL ST, RAPID CITY, SD 57701) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR CONNECTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF AT RANDOM AND WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED AFTER THEY WERE MANUALLY TURNED OFF. THE SAME DEALER STATED THAT THE INTERIOR SWITCHES WERE INOPERABLE. THE FAILURES WERE NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

NHTSA ID 11176611 · filed Feb 12, 2019

2014 KIA FORTE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE REAR VIEW MIRROR. *LD *TR

NHTSA ID 11078148 · filed Apr 6, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .