This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
On four separate occasions, June 5-July 17, 2015 our Kia Forte 5 door hatchback failed to start. Tow company personnel attempted to jump start the car without success. Car was taken to two separate dealerships and the failure could not be replicated. Repairs will not be made until the condition can be replicated. After sitting for a prolonged period (1-3 days) the car will start. We replaced the battery on June 23rd at the suggestion of a tow truck driver who refused to tow us. He related that in hot weather Kia cars often will not start if the battery is weak. With a new top of the line battery, on July 17th the car refused to start. When the 105 degree temperature dropped to 90 degrees, the car started. We are stuck with a new car that will not start reliably in hot weather. Dealers cannot fix it. Our warranty is "valueless". Kia corporate has assigned a case number and we are seeking repair or replacement. Until this happens, we are frightened to trust our Kia in our remote Sierra Nevada mountain location where being stranded can be life threatening. We have made a $21,000 mistake and lemon law court is our only recourse.
My 2012 Kia Forte has a problem with the engine suddenly racing, and acting like it is out of gear. I have taken it to my mechanic and they keep telling me that they can't find the problem. I also get problems with the brake lights: I get told that they're out when they aren't. I do regular maintenance and oil changes on my vehicle. It started in April, 2014, at first occasionally, but now it is almost constant. If the problem is not found and fixed, I am in danger of losing my transmission and worse....updated 12/10/15
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. During cold weather conditions, the vehicle failed to exceed 2000 rpms. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000. The VIN was not available.
300 miles after complaining to dealer of slipping floor mat stopping braking and random high acceleration-a real accident occurred against a barrier in a parking garage. Mats flip far more that Audi and Toyota recalls. Entire car damaged by previous acceleration(random) or brakes not working due to mats. The parking garage incident occurred at 15 mph and square head on to cement barrier severely damaging bumper, hood, fenders, grill, headlights and interior engine. I injured both arms and skin abrasions on chest-due to airbag not deploying-similar to recent recalls. Dealer response was that floor mats always give away from wear and tear at 17K miles without warning-causing me near fatal other accidents.
We were driving our 2012 Kia Forte ex (sedan) which we had purchased brand new in December 2011 to the store to get bread and were on our way home (only about 2 minutes into the drive) when we saw smoke coming from the front of the car. We pulled over within about 50 feet of seeing it, put it in park- which by the time we did so, we lost all power and couldn't even get the key out of the ignition. We got out and my boyfriend tried to pop the hood but it was already so hot he couldn't do it... I ran about 20 feet away for safety reasons, so I am not sure where it started, but within about 30 seconds, the flames came out of the sides and front of the hood. My boyfriend thinks it was about where the fuse box is, because that is where he noticed the paint start to bubble off. He is a mechanic and has never seen anything like it. The entire front of the car, through the dash is disintegrated. My airbags melted and poured out of the dash and roof, upholstery melted off the seats, and door panels bubbled up. All the speakers blew and melted. It happened so quickly, if I had kids in the back or couldn't have pulled over in time, there could have been very serious injuries or deaths. I am very thankful it didn't happen on my way to work, as I drive in traffic on a highway with no shoulder. I had no electronic modifications. It was entirely stock, with the exception of window tint, exhaust, a lowering kit, and aftermarket tires and wheels--all which were installed by professionals. The car had 8900 miles on it and all maintenance work had been done. Even 3 oil changes- even though Kia claims the car can go 7K without one. My insurance company is going to treat it as a total loss and do an investigation on it. Kia has a case going but have not yet sent an engineer out.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Coloma, CA, USA