Check a vehicle VIN check Latest recalls Latest complaints Common problems Rankings Compare vehicles Recall roundups All makes Guides Share your experience
Theme

Engine & cooling

2020 Kia Forte Engine problems

Owners have filed 23 complaints about the 2020 Kia Forte's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 29% of all its complaints, most recently on October 8, 2026. They describe 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Engine complaints

Engine & coolingDriver assistance

During a day trip on 9/19/26 my 2020 Kia Forte (purchased new and well maintained) lost power and several of the dash board lights came on including check engine, traction/stability control, and collision alerts. The car entered what I was told is "limp mode". I had the car towed home and after one shop misdiagnosed the problem I had it towed to the Kia dealership where purchased. I was told the engine had code p0017. I was sent a document that the "phaser sheared off p0017 exhaust cam and cvvd gear timing...

Read the full complaint

off-recommend long block-cvvd replacement may still have engine damaged after replacement" with a price of $9053.39 attached. Kia service manager is supposed to be seeing about assistance for repair as it is cost prohibitive and I have proof of proper maintenance however I am not receiving info on process unless I reach out. Car has been in Kia possession since 9/24/26.

Filed Incident Engine · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11769976
Engine & cooling

My engine is failing due to excessive oil consumption despite having proof of regular oil changes and maintenance. My car has been inspected, and the dealer has stated this is due to a known manufacture defect. My safety and others are at risk because my car stalls when I decrease speed and I cannot accelerate fast enough to get up to the speed limit creating a risk anytime the speed limit changes or when I am using an on ramp to get onto an interstate or highway. Kia dealer has confirmed the issue and is currently...

Read the full complaint

working on an estimate for a new engine. The Kia dealer is the manufacturer of my vehicle. The warning sign before this happened was my car stalled a couple times, then the check engine light came on within 10 miles. I then took it in to get looked at where the Kia dealer diagnosed the issue as the known manufacturer defect with the engine burning oil too quickly. These issues first appeared on August 12, 2026. I have attempted to get Kia corporate to assist with repairs through a Goodwill Request due to the safety issues with driving my vehicle in its current condition, to no fault of my own. Kia denied my Goodwill request. That case number is 26467063.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11769309
Engine & cooling

The engine has failed in this vehicle just like it has in other 2.0L kia vehicles 2020-2026. The piston rings have failed and the pistons have all pitted or developed holes in them just like in the recall 25V-099/kia safety recall SC336

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11765834
Engine & cooling

Engine burning excessive oil over a quart in 1000 miles. Catalytic converter code P0420 because of the excessive oil burning. Oil was always changed within the specified dealer milage range.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11758838
Transmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

I experienced a check engine light and had the vehicle diagnosed with codes P0017 and P0014. The vehicle was taken to a Kia dealership, where the technician found that the exhaust camshaft was free-spinning without the phaser and that the pin connecting the two had sheared. The dealership replaced the exhaust camshaft and phaser and released the vehicle as repaired and operating normally. Less than 24 hours after pickup, the check engine light returned during normal driving. While returning the vehicle to the...

Read the full complaint

dealership as instructed, the engine lost oil pressure and stalled three times. One stall occurred after exiting the highway and left the vehicle disabled in a high-traffic intersection, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle was returned to the Kia dealership and remains available for inspection. Subsequent examination reportedly found metal debris in the engine/oil pan and a possible restriction of engine oil flow. The exact cause of the sudden oil-pressure loss has not yet been definitively explained. The failure occurred immediately following a dealership repair involving a physically sheared internal engine component.

Filed Incident Power train · Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11758381
Engine & coolingDriver assistance

2020 Kia Forte, 2.0L 14F engine, 109,000 miles: On July 3.2026 "check engine" light came on. Drove to local auto parts store to have code downloaded, P0017 cam position sensor. Car was performing fine, except for engine light. Drove car to Kia dealership. While driving, warning light for "front collision system came on and car began performing erratically. Left car at dealership for diagnostics. Yesterday received call from dealer, stating that engine needed total replacement due to "lack of oil". Quoted...

Read the full complaint

repair cost estimated at approximately $8,000. Car has been regularly serviced, including oil and filter changes per handbook. I have all records for the services. The were no indications of low oil pressure or engine overheating, no warning lights, all gauge readings displayed normal ranges. This same car had a failed transmission replaced approximately 2 years ago, which was covered by an extended warranty related to a recall. There have been 2 engine failure recalls as a result of 2 class action lawsuits for Kia cars with this same engine failure up through the 2019 model years, providing new engines and/or extended warrantees, however, this does not applicable to 2020 and newer models, even though it's the same exact same engine model with the exact issue causing the failure. Engine failure in traffic condions can obviously lead to immediate safety issues. I currently have a call into the Kia customer service/complaint department, but no resolution offerred to date.

Filed Incident Engine · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11749072
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving on a major highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however,...

Read the full complaint

the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the failure was not covered under an unknown recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 11746397
Engine & cooling

Why is KIA still legally allowed to sell defective, death traps? Why is it ok for the service department and KIA themselves to tell me....its ok to drive unless the engine light is blinking, smoking in a car know to catch fire.....ok? Why is it ok to let them continue to sell cars under active engine fire campaigns, only to "replace it with the same junk engine" an ok remedy. Quit letting these companies take advantage of people because they created a multi billion dollar defective product, they should bite the cost and be bankrupt, I mean it's 2025 and they are still making combustible cars, the right thing to do? 2020 Kia forte gt t1.6

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11741218
Engine & cooling

Bought the car 8 months ago from a Kia dealer. It is now pulling the same engine codes, of the infamous recalled Kia engines. After having diagnostics done at a different Kia then I had bought and had oil changed. They told me the engine and turbo was full of metal shavings and the rods were bad. I pad $10,900 for the car $15,000 to fix, they knowingly sold me a totaled car. I'm sure records reflect they took that car as a trade I knowing the engine was bad (they never checked the oil?). There were 90,000 forte...

Read the full complaint

sold in the US, best estimate I could find on the gt line was 4-5 thousand. All GT models do not have the turbo engine. So safe to assume that number is way lower. They know this is a manufacturing defect, and this model engine wasn't recalled because the numbers aren't not there. I'm sure these 2,500 or less turbo engines were manufactured in the same facility, same workers and process as the other 2020 forte recalls. The car is smoking and I'm being told "it's ok to drive unless the engine light is flashing" which I'll assume is before it catches fire, so I have to worry about that while not being under recall? This is a kid, who could catch on fire, would like to not go there

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11739299
Engine & cooling

While driving, the vehicle suddenly began knocking severely, smoking, leaking oil, and then shut off unexpectedly without adequate warning. This created a serious safety hazard and near fire risk. The engine assembly failed catastrophically. Dealership inspection documented: connecting rod punctured engine block bearing material found in oil pan broken piston components in oil pan oil leakage underneath engine complete engine seizure/failure The dealership confirmed and documented the failure and replaced...

Read the full complaint

the engine assembly. Repair records and failed components should still be available for inspection through the dealership. My safety and the safety of others were placed at risk because the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving. Oil leaked from the damaged engine and the engine compartment began smoking. The engine could have caught fire or caused an accident due to sudden loss of power. There were no adequate warning indicators before failure. No meaningful oil-pressure or low-oil warning appeared until the vehicle was already smoking and severely damaged. This failure closely mirrors known Kia engine defect investigations and Recall Campaign SC209 / NHTSA Recall 21V259000 involving: connecting rod bearing damage piston oil ring defects excessive oil consumption engine seizure engine stall fire risk Although my VIN is not currently included in the recall population, the documented failure symptoms are substantially similar. I also report that another Kia vehicle in my household, a 2017 Kia Sorento, experienced a separate rod-bearing-related engine seizure despite proper maintenance and documented oil changes. The connecting rod blew a hole through the engine block, causing oil leakage and heavy smoke while driving. The vehicle could have caught fire or exploded, placing my life and others at serious risk due to sudden engine failure without adequate warning. Engine replaced under warranty; concerned for safety after 2 similar Kia failures.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11736680
Electrical systemEngine & coolingDriver assistance

The crankshaft position sensor keeps going bad and it make the forward collision trigger and it loses power and the dash stops working and causes the car to shut off

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11699296
Engine & coolingFuel systemDriver assistance

The lane assist malfunction and periodically jerks. Very unsafe I no longer use this feature . To keep control of the vehicle. I never got it inspected. As the lane assist was in use and it would jerk it would alert me of a lane departure . I mention this to include every known problem I have experienced with the vehicle. The problem That brought me here. Is my engine light came on today. Leading up to this. I have had oil leaks since I've owned the car. Im adding oil in between oil changes due to it being low. In...

Read the full complaint

the beginning it was a hint of smell of gas in the oil. I was informed to do more frequent oil changes. Over time the smell of gas grew stronger . No Indication to a problem then. Now the smell of gas is prominent in the oil. When the dip stick is checked its always needing more oil and smells of gas and has blackness like burning in the oil. Now there's a check engine light on. And everything I looked up says to discontinue driving the car. I am having a mechanic look at it with a code reader.

Filed Incident Engine · Fuel / propulsion system · Lane departureNHTSA 11687003
Engine & coolingFuel system

I own a 2020 Kia Forte LXS with approximately 136,000 miles. The check engine light came on with code P0420 ("catalyst system efficiency below threshold"), and an Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers location confirmed the catalytic converter is failing. The back pressure was measured and is within spec but slightly elevated, showing the part is deteriorating. I was also told my O2 sensors are burned due to the failing catalytic converter. This failure affects drivability and safety: the vehicle sometimes struggles...

Read the full complaint

on acceleration and hills, and I feel vibrations through the gas pedal. Because I commute 50 miles each way to work on the interstate, sudden loss of power would put me at risk in high-speed traffic. I have learned Kia and Hyundai vehicles from other years/models (including the Forte) have had recalls and extended warranties for premature catalytic converter failure and excessive oil consumption, but Kia has not yet extended coverage to the 2020 Forte. This appears to be the same issue. The vehicle has been inspected by Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers, and the quoted cost for replacement is $3,000-$3,600. This should be investigated for potential recall or warranty extension to include the 2020 model year.

Filed Incident Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11682254
Engine & cooling

The engine light went on and engine is burning oil mechanic said it needs to be rebuilt it's currently under financing from kia and not sure if they cover this

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11670479
BrakesEngine & coolingDriver assistance

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance camera activated, causing the brakes to stop the vehicle unintendedly. The Forward Collision Avoidance system activated without a vehicle or person nearby. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was started with the check engine warning light illuminated with abnormal gurgling sounds coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle...

Read the full complaint

was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the cam shaft position sensor and the ABS system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The Forward Collision Avoidance camera failure was not diagnosed or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,069.

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulic · Engine · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11670245
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,892.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 11660909
Engine & cooling

My vehicle lost 3 quarts of oil between oil changes somehow. The engine is bad now and has to be replaced. Never did a check engine light or oil pressure light come on to alert me that my car was burning oil somehow and the oil was low. At the oil change a few weeks ago the techs underneath my car called out that everything was normal under the car. No leaks, no oil spots anywhere. My safety was put at risk because I drive a very busy highway to work every day. If I had been in heavy traffic at the time of engine...

Read the full complaint

failure I could have gotten into a wreck or caused a wreck. If a check engine light or low oil pressure light had come on, this whole situation could have been completely prevented. The issue has been confirmed by the dealership on 5/7/25.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11659646
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle began to lose motive power and the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart but the contact stated the accelerator pedal would not function properly after the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The contact was informed that the drain plug was missing and had caused the oil to leak...

Read the full complaint

out from the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,709.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11590625
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light, and a message that Kia had been alerted of a failure was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to start the vehicle and drove back to the residence. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound before stalling. The contact called an...

Read the full complaint

independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle on site and determined that the intake and exhaust cam shaft position sensors had failed and that metal shavings were found obstructing the cam shaft sensors. Additionally, the vehicle was very low on engine oil. The vehicle had received an oil change approximately 3-months prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 11589673
Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic informed the contact that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, and the contact was able to continue...

Read the full complaint

driving. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who stated the failure was due to the transmission pressure. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking noise after restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11582509
Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

I leased car 2020 Illinois. No problems. I had car transported to in 2022 to Los Angeles, and after a few months, the car would check engine light ALL lights I believe, and car suddenly stops and dies out at each stop light. This happened 3 times and frightened me. It happened every couple months and the repair people NEVER put notes on the repair invoice!! About exactly why I was bringing car in for repair, even if nothing on computer showed up, almost like the defect was bypassing (tricking computer)...

Read the full complaint

inspection. Have to restart and it would lost all power seconds later and on rainy days, passenger floor soaked. NOTHING on repair places nor dealership would show any problem to fix?? However, when brought back to Illinois, no problem with car, so far since January. So car did not like California OR their emission gasoline no good. Plus even in heavy snow and rain last 3-months in Illinois, passenger carpet never got wet.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11518182
Engine & coolingFire

While driving I heard a pop then the lights on my dash lit up my car came to a stop i.e cut off tried to start back up the engine caught fire burned the whole front end off total loss

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11491504
Engine & coolingDriver assistance

I purchased the 2020 kia forte last april 2020. The trunk latch would not open trunk, reported, serviced it still presented tight leverage function during stable park position. The computer scrambled the 1st or 2nd week of owning it during my early morning highway travel the computer scrambled more than once. I contacted kia- thier response was not helpful to the new car malfunction. It happened more than once. The lane departure did not work at diferent periods in time; within the year I reported to kia. The...

Read the full complaint

windshield cracked during first frost. Kia claimed rock chip. I had just serviced cabin filter area, kia relentlessly assumed rock chip, I believe defected glass. The first frost it cracked 2nd frost within 2week time or less split crack across windshield. The gas and milage were not stablly operating was out of sync during highway travels. I now for the last week noticed a noise in my car engine when in park turning it off. I am unhappy with my purchase and the kia dealership I purchased it from. I have pictures of reported dash computer malfunctions, and an unwilling dealership to assist with my vehicle. I am concerned with my safety, my passengers safety, and safety in my future drive. I put date of april 20, 2020 because it was roughly when malfunctions began to occure. The trunk latch immediately 4/10/2020 or at purchase date upon arriving home.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · Engine · Lane departureNHTSA 11400072

Kia Forte engine complaints by year

Forte engine problems, every year

Had a engine problem with your 2020 Forte? Tell other owners.

Your experience goes live straight away and helps every owner and buyer who checks this vehicle. Anonymous, free, no account.

Overall, how would you rate it? *

0/4000 · Please leave out names, phone numbers and your full VIN.

By posting you confirm it's your own, honest experience and agree to the rules. Safety defect? Also report it to NHTSA - that's how recalls start.

Source: 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

Owners helping owners

Know before you drive.

Every experience you share - good or bad - shows on that vehicle's page and helps the next owner and buyer. Two minutes, anonymous.

Share your experience