- The problem
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
- The risk
- An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Engine & cooling
2014 Kia Forte Engine problems
Owners have filed 221 complaints about the 2014 Kia Forte's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 50% of all its complaints, most recently on November 9, 2026. They describe 3 crashes, 23 fires and 2 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.
- Complaints
- 221
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 3
- Fires
- 23
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
Engine recalls for the 2014 Kia Forte
Engine complaints
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally; however, the failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated that stalling occurred while driving, while idling, and while operating at moderate to low speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine crankshaft failed, and the engine required replacement. The failure mileage was 89,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that at start-up the check engine and low oil pressure warning light remained illuminated with an abnormal burned oil odor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was failing and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE); as a possible cause for the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Airbag warning light has came on had a mechanic run codes and it says all air bags unresponsive. Now my car is refusing to start. If continue to try it eventually starts. Major oil leak and consumption along with knocking. Along with my break lights not working occasionally along with my head lights and brights not working at all
The systems affected appear to be engine, powertrain, and vehicle speed control. My 2014 Kia Forte, VIN [[redacted]] 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...
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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)
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
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
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.
See attachment
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...
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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.
Engine backfiring
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...
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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 .
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...
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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.
uNKNOWN THERE IS A KNOCK IN THE MOTOR.
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...
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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.
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.
Slow to shift and accelerate
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.
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.
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...
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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.
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 [[redacted]], and I brought the car to the Kia dealership (Jim Ellis Kia of Kennesaw) on [[redacted]]. 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...
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(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)
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...
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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.
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.
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.
Burning a unnecessary amount of oil. The oil pump failed
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.
Kia Forte engine complaints by year
Forte engine problems, every yearSource: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data