2012 Kia Forte Problems, complaints & recalls

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while his son was driving at approximately 35 MPH, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The driver pulled into the driveway and the engine caught on fire. The Fire Department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The Police responded to the scene and filed a Police report. The contact stated that photographs were taken of the vehicle for the insurance company.

VEHICLE & INCIDENT DETAILS * Vehicle: 2012 Kia Forte Hatchback * VIN: KNAFU5A26C5641380 * Incident Date: August 21, 2026 * Relevant Recalls: NHTSA Campaign 23V652000 (Recall SC284) & NHTSA Campaign 20V750000 (Recall SC200) * Kia Corporate Case Number: 26367714 * Dealership: AllStar Kia San Bernardino, CA COMPLAINT DESCRIPTION I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a severe vehicle fire incident involving a vehicle subject to active fire safety recalls, and subsequent corporate misconduct that threatens...

Airbag light came on August 21, 2026. I tried several steps to troubleshoot with no resolution. I took it to the local Kia dealership for further inspection. I was terrified to drive the vehicle because of the airbag failure. I explained to the technician that I had read that there was an warranty extension for the exact clock spring failure. I met the qualification (2011-2016 /unlimited mileage) but I was required to pay $493.05 for this repair.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed an abnormal sound for approximately five minutes, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then became aware of a fire underneath the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and extinguished the fire using water and dirt. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact stated that the vehicle had just been parked, and the engine was off prior to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure...

My vehicle is a 2012 Kia Forte EX. The vehicle experienced a corrosion-related brake line failure that affected braking performance and created a safety concern. The brake pedal became soft/sank, and the vehicle had unsafe braking behavior, requiring repair at a Kia dealership. The failed component was a brake line, which is a safety-critical part of the braking system. The repair was completed at customer expense after Kia declined goodwill or reimbursement assistance. Kia Customer Care case number: 2622663. My...

Vehicle: 2012 Kia Forte Recall: NHTSA 23V-652 (Kia SC284) - HECU/ABS fuse recall My vehicle underwent this safety recall in 2025. The dealership replaced the HECU fuse. Immediately upon leaving the dealership after the recall repair, the same warning lights returned. I contacted the dealership immediately before fully leaving the area to report the issue. I also contacted Kia Corporate after the warning condition returned. Kia was aware the warning lights returned immediately after recall completion. I was...

There is a class action lawsuit concerning the airbag control unit not functioning properly leading to safety issues during a crash. The case is called ZF-TRW Airbag Control Unit Product Liabilty Litigation. Case number [redacted] My Kia Forte was on the list of recalled vehicles. I have been having electrical problems with my car and this may be the answer I have been looking for !! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound, and there was a burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE); however, the contact was unable to schedule an appointment because the dealer was unreachable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

While driving, the engine suddenly shut off without warning. The vehicle lost power in traffic, creating a safety risk. There were no warning signs before the failure. The oil level was properly maintained and oil changes were performed regularly. The dealership diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the engine needs to be replaced. The exact mechanical cause was not clearly explained to me.

Engine started screeching out of nowhere, sounded like something fell through, there was no warning of any kind, car was running seemingly fine prior to this, car was jolting and not going anymore and something also sounded as if it had popped, it started knocking and caught fire and was smoking, breaking down on the side of the road and has been in another state since this occurred just sitting at a hotel because we had to get a rental car. We did call Kia in Georgia to have this issue rectified as we had recently...

Back in July my car started jerking, stalling, and smoking. There was a recall 20v750 open for engine fires. The dealership check it out and said everything looked good. They installed a knock sensor related to the problem. Last week my car did it again leaving me stalled on the interstate at night. There is now a P1326 code for the knock sensor which confirms that there was a issue. However I'm being told that due to my mileage the warranty had expired and there isn't anything they can do.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle, followed by a loss of motive power. The malfunction indicator light and ABS warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to illuminate, and while inspecting the lights in the rear of the vehicle, the contact became aware that the socket where the brake light bulb was located was melting from the light overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer did not diagnose the cause of failure. The brake lights were not repaired. It was confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V363000 (Air Bags) and 23V652000 (Service Brakes,...

Every two months I have to change the bulb for the break lights. It burns out fast. Not only is it burning out fast but its melting and takes several days for pry the melted material out. Also smells like something is going to catch fire with this. This started over a year ago but I didnt know i can report it to be investigated as a recall.

The contact's cousin owned a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked unattended by the privacy fence. The contact was alerted by her nephew and observed that the vehicle was on fire. The front windshield had shattered, and smoke was visible inside the cabin. The fire appeared to originate from the dashboard area. The contact used a fire extinguisher to suppress the flames with the assistance of her brother. The local fire department arrived on the scene and completed extinguishing the fire....

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine suddenly seized, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

In forte koups installed with a factory wing allows for water to collect in taillights causeing a no start issue for my vehicle

My wife got an accident in June 2022 but air bag did not work so I contacted Kia 6/22/2022 sent proof photo but just no good excuse why air bag did not work. It should be recalled for this matter. Defective airbag or sender.

Kia denied repair and replacement of components damaged by a known safety recall (Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit) on my 2012 Kia Forte Coupe, VIN# [[redacted]] . There was also a recall on the "Knock Sensor", but I was unaware of the recall and paid for the repair out of pocket. Specifically, I was seeking repair or replacement of the starter and battery, as well as any other component that I wasn't aware of, which was compromised as a direct result of the defective HECU system covered under the recall. They...

the VCM motor has a "coupler" that operates intake manifold runner, this coupler brakes apart , causing vehicle to loose engine power, engine light comes on, code P200. kia dealer recommends to replace the intake manifold that comes with new VCM motor, if you replace it you're self then you need to take vehicle to kia dealer to have them update software for the new VCM.

My vehicle is affected by NHTSA Recall Number 23V652000, I have taken my vehicle to Jim Ellis Kia of Kennesaw on several occasions, I believe 3 separate occasions to try and get this recall resolved. Each time I am told that the fix, a replacement fuse, is not being accepted by my vehicle. Each time they attempt to replace the fuse, the vehicle goes into anti-theft mode where the alarm goes off consistently. The dealership is unable to tell me why and states they can not complete the recall because of this....

Called the kia dealer in Springfield Missouri to find out if my engine was under the class action engine lawsuit and was redirected to the service department the lady said someone would text me they ignored all my texts about seeing if my engine was under kia class action lawsuit warranty no one ever messaged me back. My engine is still making a loud knocking noise and I can not drive it like this so it is sitting on the street parked and no longer can drive it because of the engine noise which i am sure is rod...

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The following day, upon starting the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal rattling sound emanating from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning...

The security system is locked on my Kia forte 2014. This is the second time it's happened. Now can't get it to unlock the system.

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15 MPH, as the contact was turning to the left and ascending a slight grade in the road the vehicle's rear end was swaying to the left and the right. The contact stated she was not able to regain control of the vehicle and drove off of the roadway and down an embankment. The contact was rendered unconscious. The contact stated that emergency services were on the scene and the state police. The contact stated that she was not...