2019 Kia Forte Engine Problems

Power loss, engine failure. Will not start

NHTSA ID

11750089

Incident

Jun 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that after driving to the local store and turning off the vehicle, after returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a timing chain failure caused by low engine oil. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption and engine oil was constantly added to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 124,000.

NHTSA ID

11744427

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

Mileage

124,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the contact had exited when the oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle rolled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and, upon inspection, noticed that an excessive amount of oil had leaked onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the drain plug had failed and the engine was damaged. The independent mechanic replaced the drain plug. However, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The contact had not experienced a failure in the past. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA ID

11736553

Incident

Apr 27, 2026

Mileage

86,000 mi

My car has cut off on me going down the road and it cut back on I have had where the car is slow at acceleration and trying to stall out on me and causing a car to almost hit me in the bumper cause of it the car only has 112,580 miles and have not been able to drive the car since march 13,2026 due to this issue and not feeling safe to drive it

NHTSA ID

11734155

Incident

Mar 13, 2026

As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! It could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! Gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not! It gave me NO WARNING either. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I could have been hit all 3 times! Family came to help and tried to jump it and it wouldn't start so I had to get it towed. Dates happened March 28, 31st and April 6, all 2026. Also the key fog lock is defective! It works when it wants too.

NHTSA ID

11729604

Incident

Apr 6, 2026

Car caught on fire while driving down the highway. Had engine replaced with a remanufactured engine in January of 2026 and car engine seized again 30 days later.

NHTSA ID

11729517

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

February 1st 2026, I done my oil change. My car was running fine. No check engine light was on or anything, my forward collision warning started disabling itself when I always kept it on. When I try to accelerate my vehicle it would take a while to accelerate. March 7th 2026, while I was driving, my car quit while it was still running. It also quit the same day again just in park. March 8th 2026, I went to take my vehicle to get a diagnostics and when leaving my home. My car stalled out and quit while in drive. After taking my vehicle to the mechanic, the mechanic reported to me my car had no oil in my car and my motor was fried. I have had the vehicle less than a year and it’s giving me all of these issues

NHTSA ID

11724175

Incident

Mar 7, 2026

2019 Kia with approximately 64,000 miles. Engine failed without warning. Prior to failure, vehicle had been experiencing intermittent stalling on multiple prior occasions and had been brought to a mechanic for inspection before the final failure occurred. Vehicle stalled while being driven on a highway at night on [XXX] between mile markers 67-71 in Maryland, creating a dangerous situation for the driver and other motorists. The oil warning light appeared immediately prior to engine failure. Vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who inspected it and confirmed the engine had failed. The mechanic noted that the engine was well maintained, ruling out neglect as a contributing factor. Mechanic stated this is a known issue with Kia engines from this era. Vehicle is available for inspection. Problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. Engine replacement cost is approximately $6,000. Kia's powertrain warranty does not fully transfer to subsequent owners, leaving this vehicle owner without coverage despite low mileage and what appears to be a manufacturing defect. Owner was advised by mechanic that Kia has covered similar failures as goodwill replacements due to the known nature of this defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11723741

Incident

Mar 4, 2026

Engine stalled while driving causing the car to turn off in traffic. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This caused loss of power and steering at 45 miles per hour and could have caused a collision. A licensed and accredited auto mechanic has confirmed that the engine is a total loss. The same day and shortly before the engine stalled, a check engine light appeared. The driver was on his way home and had planned to park the car and have it towed to the mechanic the next day.

NHTSA ID

11715915

Incident

Jan 29, 2026

When turning on the car the check engine light comes on. Then when accelerating there is a clicking noise and smoke coming from the engine.

NHTSA ID

11715716

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that during start-up, the vehicle was rattling and vibrating abnormally with a clanking sound while shifting into gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the crankcase sensor was faulty, and that there were metal shavings inside the engine oil. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 108,000.

NHTSA ID

11710946

Incident

Jan 9, 2026

Mileage

108,000 mi

October 2, 2025 @ approximately 7:30a. I was heading east on I-10 on my way to work when I seen white smoke coming from under my car. I pulled over, noticed it was on fire. There was a man passing by who seen me & was nice enough to stop & put the fire out. The firefighter then stated my oil pan came a loose and caught fire when it hit the ground. Which caused a lot of damage including me need a new engine. The firefighter stated the pan is useless & is a safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11699674

Incident

Oct 2, 2025

I am writing to report a recurring and potentially dangerous issue with my Kia Forte. My vehicle has randomly failed to start on multiple occasions, requiring a jump start. More concerning, it has also shut off while I was driving, which is extremely alarming and could have resulted in a serious accident. These incidents have happened several times, and I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle. I suspect this may be related to an electrical issue, as I am also experiencing:     •    Intermittent failure of the backup camera     •    Headlights, brake lights, fog lights, and daytime running lights failing to operate correctly     •    General electrical irregularities throughout the vehicle I have checked for recalls related to Kia Fortes and found that other vehicles of the same make and model have had similar issues. However, there are no active recalls for my VIN, despite experiencing the same or more severe symptoms described in those recalls. This situation is extremely concerning and I believe it warrants further investigation. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue and consider whether additional recalls or safety investigations may be necessary for other Kia Forte owners experiencing similar electrical and engine issues. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I would appreciate any guidance on next steps or how to ensure my vehicle is properly inspected for these safety concerns.

NHTSA ID

11695031

Incident

Aug 26, 2025

Motor started ticking....then just stopped running...motor blew up..checked the oil and it had metal flaking in it..

NHTSA ID

11694036

Incident

Sep 19, 2025

I was driving in Elk River, MN when my car all of a sudden stopped accelerating I then coasted into a street with a dead end to get away from traffic before the car ended up dying though the electronics remained on. I tried restarting the vehicle with no luck. It was clear to me that the engine was no longer working as it wouldn’t turn over. The report from the mechanic is as follows: “Found exhaust cam timing to be extremely off. Removed valve cover and found the camshaft and sprocket pin has sheared, causing the cylinder 2 piston to make contact with the exhaust valves.Failed leak-down test at 90 percent and have a photo of the exhaust valve slightly bent and not seating into the head.” -cornerstone KIA Report.

NHTSA ID

11691513

Incident

Sep 18, 2025

On [XXX] my son was driving on the highway when the car suddenly shut off.. thank god he was able to safely get to the side of the road. Had it towed to my local mechanic who stated that the engine is seized up. The car is only 6 yrs old and well maintained. There were no prior problems or signs. Need a new engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11682544

Incident

Aug 21, 2025

Oil pump on vehicle failed, result was severe internal damage to motor, entire engine needed replaced at 120,600 miles.

NHTSA ID

11679761

Incident

Jul 14, 2025

Engine burns oil while buring gas. It burns oil way faster than it should have, which causes low oil and engine damage. As a result the engine stalled out because it ran with little to no oil. There was no dashboard warning light that the oil is low. A mechanic explained that there is a manfacturing defect. These engines are manufactured with small holes between where the oil is being stored and where the gas is being burned. When the gas is burning small amounts of oil also burn as a result. I had to replace the timing belt as well because that is what is being lubricated by the oil, which is too low. The mechanic explained that this is common in many other Kia engines such as the Sorento and Optima.

NHTSA ID

11638349

Incident

Dec 4, 2024

approximately July 2023, while my car was still under warranty @ 90k miles through KIA, I took it in due to excessive oil burning/leaking, engine "missing". They performed an Oil Consumption Test, which failed the 1st, but "passed" the 2nd phase. I was told to put in Oil Stabilizer in between oil changes. Car continued to burn oil. Warranty has since expired, and car is STILL running shabby. I took it in & another Consumption test was run, with negative results per KIA. I then took it to MY mechanic, who performed an oil dye test to see where the problem is. Results were my engine had "Blow by", and that I would need to replace engine. I then took it BACK to KIA 2 weeks AFTER 2nd consumption test and was told I in fact DO need a new engine, 2 catalytic converters (reason it has been running shabby the past year plus) and a manifold accessory kit. I stated to them that I presented this issue well within the KIA warranty guidelines & informed my vehicle was perfectly fine. But was told that now my vehicle is out of warranty so I am solely responsible for ALL repairs. They stated they requested a Goodwill Exception through KIA but I was denied. I submitted EVERY receipt of repair from other mechanic that was performed since 2020. I simply just want repaired what was failing since my warranty was still in effect. I presented these issues when my car had 90k miles. Vehicle currently has 111,188 miles on it. This has been a devastating, ongoing problem trying to get KIA to do what is well within guidelines of the warranty.

NHTSA ID

11615811

Incident

Jul 27, 2023

Have only 70000 miles on it and Kia refuses to replace the transmission that went out and they have lied to me repeatedly and need to be held accountable!

NHTSA ID

11606688

Incident

Mar 7, 2024

Have had the car since it had 30,000 on it. It was one year old when we bought it. We changed the oil every three months faithfully. The car has 77,000 miles on it now and needs a new engine. The Kias with this type of engine have been recalled, but this car was not. I have had three mechanics tell me that Kia just built this engine poorly. Is there anything that can be done?

NHTSA ID

11603854

Incident

Jun 3, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA ID

11589245

Incident

May 17, 2024

Mileage

73,000 mi

Rod ripped thru oil pan and blew the Engine

NHTSA ID

11585625

Incident

Mar 21, 2024

ENGINE KNOCK AND THEN ENGINE SEIZED

NHTSA ID

11574460

Incident

Jan 5, 2024

I bought this car in July of 2021 and ever since then the car has been burning oil like crazy. I’m talking 1500-2000 miles I am going through 2-3 quarts of oil. As this is a new car this should not be an issue. When my timing went out at 79,000 I mentioned this to the dealership about the tremendous amount of oil it was consuming they blew it off and acted as if it was normal. Also the forward collision warning camera obstructed has been a constant issue especially in the fact that when it happens and I’m going over 40 mph and it’s almost made me crash 2 times because it did it during icy conditions. The light also comes on during the summer on a hot sunny day.

NHTSA ID

11574106

Incident

Jul 30, 2021