10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
61,354 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2013 Kia Forte engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Kia Forte Owner Comments (Page 4 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #42

Jan 112020

Forte

  • 61,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my car when I noticed a tapping sound as I accelerated from a stop light. I pulled over to check under the hood, but couldn't figure out what was wrong. I check all my fluid levels and everything was perfectly fine. I shut the hood and started it back up. The tapping was still there. I decided to turn back and head home. As I started to accelerate this time the sound grew to a hard pounding noise. Before I could even pull off the road my car completely shut down. I lost all power and my wheel locked up. I tried to start it again, nothing. I had to towed to my local mechanic and after a few hours it was declared as "catastrophic engine failure". keep in mind the car has only 61,000 miles on it! at this point I hadn't towed to Kia for inspection and they determined "complete engine failure". "something has come loose internally". this engine is a obvious defect.

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #41

Dec 162019

Forte

  • 79,000 miles
Simply started the car one cold morning, and the engine started knocking extremely bad, car no longer drivable with less than 80,000 miles similar to other Kia models, however the 2013 Forte doesn't seem to be covered by recalls at this point.

- Independence, KY, USA

problem #40

Oct 102019

Forte 4-cyl

  • miles
My car had 6 recalls scheduled I missed the appointment. Now I only have 2 recalls. I've put 2 motored in this car already [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Edon, OH, USA

problem #39

Oct 242019

Forte

  • 120,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

As I was driving down the road headed to the store the vehicle just died right there where I was at so I had to push the brake and move gear shifter to park, turn it off, turn it back on and then it was fine the rest of the way. I just bought this car from auto smart in longview tx on 10/22/2019 and when I got home I started looking up the VIN number to see if I could find any details like a car fax report and I came across this site and found that there are actually recalls on this vehicle that have not been fixed yet. The motor already sounds rough and it has 120K miles and the none of the adapters work (like to plug ur phone for charging)!or the radio. That company said they had another one order. Also the driver side window when U roll it up it will automatically roll right back down so U have to make sure U hold it up all the way to the end.

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #38

Oct 172015

Forte

  • 130,000 miles
While driving my car from a football game, it completely stopped running. I had the car towed home the next day. Once home the car started back up as if nothing happened. About a week later the engine started having a terrible knocking noise. A mechanic replaced rod & bearing, but the car still has issues with stalling and knocking noise. It has been parked for almost 2 years while I continue to make car payments. My oil and other fluids were always changed regularly. I was outside my warrenty and am just stuck with this car with a bad engine. I would replace the engine, but am afraid that it is a defect in manufacturing.

- Moore, OK, USA

problem #37

Jul 262019

Forte

  • 66,000 miles
I have 2013 Kia Forte with 66,000 miles and it already has knocking in the engine. I was told by a Kia dealership that the engine would need to be replace and it would cost me 5,682$. they also said that the car is not safe to drive any more because it could seize up on me while driving. This car should not have an engine that is prematurely failing at 66,000 miles. My Toyota Tundra has over 300,000 miles and I have never had any problems with engine. Kia needs to have a recall on the Forte engines because I've seen other complaints online about the same issue of a bad engine at low miles.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #36

Jul 202019

Forte

  • 69,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2013 Kia Forte koup sx with the 2.4L mpi engine. I was driving down the interstate at 75mph and all of the sudden the engine quit running. I coasted to the side of the road and opened my hood and did not see any apparent problems in the engine bay. Oil level was ok. I started the car again and did not hear any abnormal noises so I drove it home. Two weeks later the engine started to make knocking sounds on my way home from another trip. I am now told that the car needs a new engine with only 69,000 miles on it. The Kia recall 17V224000 for improperly machined engines is not nearly as comprehensive as it needs to be and does not include the Forte. Kia claims that only the gdi engines are affected but the reality is the mpi version of the 2.0 and 2.4 theta II engines are failing prematurely in the exact same manner as evidenced by the many reports from owners online.

- La Crescent, MN, USA

problem #35

Aug 062019

Forte

  • 109,000 miles
2.4L engine seized with no warning while driving at highway speed. Car was well maintained, oil clean, 109,000 miles. This would've been very dangerous if there had been traffic at the time. It appears same engine in other models such as optima and Hyundai sonata are under a recall for the manufacturer failing to remove machining debris from the engines. Since Kia did not include the Forte for some reason I was not aware of any potential problem.

- Marysville, OH, USA

problem #34

Jul 112019

Forte

  • 105,000 miles
While driving down the road the car started knocking making a loud noise and then the car would hardly go. The check engine light did not come on until the car stereo making the knocking sound. The car was on a 35 mph street when it started.

- Lansing, NC, USA

problem #33

Jun 022019

Forte

  • 131,000 miles
I was driving my car, I heard a loud knock from the engine, the rpms went to 0 and the car died, car was serviced and well maintained

- Ohatchee, AL, USA

problem #32

Apr 262019

Forte

  • 117,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Over the last several months, the Kia has been knocking at low engine RPM upon initial acceleration from a stop, particularly with the air conditioning engaged. It's gas mileage is also substantially down. I had thought it needed a tune up, but after reading about the issues with other Kia and Hyundai issues with the theta II engine, it seems more likely that this engine is getting ready to go down the same road as the problem has become more pronounced in the last month or so. For the moment I am going to park the car and drive my Avalanche (despite gas being North of $4 a gallon) until the Forte is included in the engine recalls like the other Kia models with the same engine. It is baffling to me that this model was excluded.

- Anaheim, CA, USA

problem #31

Mar 102019

Forte

  • 98,500 miles
Engine seized twice (separate instances) while driving. Faulty connecting rod

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #30

Mar 282019

Forte

  • 62,000 miles
I was driving home like usual not even a week after my regular oil change and as I was pulling up a small hill close to my apartment my engine sputtered, backfired and stalled. I lost all power steering and brakes at this point. I put the car in neutral and coasted to a stop. After some troubleshooting I finally got the car to turn over and the engine immediately started knocking very loudly. It is clearly unsafe to drive at this point and an obvious manufacturers defect. The car is at 62,000 miles and the warranty is good to 100,000 miles. I have seen dozens of complaints about this model of car worth the same issue and hundreds of complaints with other models using the same engine. It is quite an issue to take care of monetarily for the customers of Kia and should be investigated further.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #29

Feb 112019

Forte

  • 109,000 miles
I am submitting a complaint on the 2013 Kia Forte ex engine failure for review. I have a copy of the carfax report given by the local Kia dealership at the time of purchase which shows the vehicle was maintained regularly. At the time of purchase in August 2018, the dealership serviced the vehicle (oil change, etc.). we had another oil change and overview of the vehicle since then. All was working fine until February 11,2019 when we heard a loud knocking noise when vehicle was in idle and increases when shifted into drive. On February 12, I took the car to our auto repair shop. They determined the internal engine near the rear is where the knocking noise was coming from. This would take a rebuild or replacement of the engine. I called a local Kia dealership about this and they said there were no recalls and all work would be billable. I have not had a good experience with this dealership's service department in the past and was skeptical about taking this car there. This is why I did not take the car to the dealership. I have a trusted auto repair shop that gives me honest and timely advice and results. I have contacted Kia motors America, Inc already and am hoping that my communicating with Kia motors America, Inc. Directly will help to give me the support they advertise to customers on all of their vehicles. Kia claims to back up the quality of their vehicles. Hopefully Kia will acknowledge the issue with this model's engine failure and provide financial assistance for the expense that we have incurred. I thank you for taking the time to review this information. 2013 Kia Forte ex sedan 4dr 2.0L I4 F DOHC 16V gasoline front wheel drive

- New Braunfels, TX, USA

problem #28

Feb 192019

Forte

  • 90,000 miles
Forte engine began making loud noises and running very hard. Then the engine light came on. Went to get it fixed and dealer said that the engine was failing and would need to be replaced. It is a 2013 Kia Forte with less than 100,000 miles on it! the engine should not be failing! after reading other reviews, it is obvious that this is a problem with this car.

- Brandon, SD, USA

problem #27

May 212016

Forte

  • 80,000 miles
We have this initial fuel flow/rod bearings issue with our 2013 Kia Forte. I have contacted Kia and the dealership a number of times, and yet the Forte is never included in the recalls. Considering that it was built with the exact same theta II engine, this seems ridiculous. Https://kfor.com/2019/01/16/Kia-Hyundai-issue-new-recall-due-to-engine-fire-risks/?utm_campaign=trueanthem%3A+trending+content&utm_content=5C3fc91104D3010da25C18ca&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=iwar1dmdlskvnowcp34yhc3cnwhpxvprdqlfvq5euzz16wh-R70vj0rwlhm5O

- Norman, OK, USA

problem #26

Jun 112016

Forte

  • 120,000 miles
The engine failure possible related to faulty oil pump. Engine started vibrating whole car then the car locked and stopped working while driving on the road. Had to get car towed. No leaks. The engine had fluids. Many other Kia's were affected. Other models have recalls. Possibly damaged rods and bearings due to the issue. The Kia company said no recalls on my vehicle. Mechanic said needs to engine.

- Temecula, CA, USA

problem #25

Aug 092018

Forte 4-cyl

  • 43,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Forte. While the vehicle not idling, the contact not alerted that the vehicle was on fire. The vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department was contacted and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered because the matter was resolved with the insurance company. There were no injuries. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 43,000. * consumer stated car was parked. Failing part: Cooling fan sensor. Updated 11/8/18

- King George, VA, USA

problem #24

Jul 162018

Forte

  • 78,000 miles
I was driving down the highway at 55 mph, all of a sudden all of my dashboard lights came on and my car had no power, I was almost rear ended by several vehicles as I had no engine power to move the vehicle. I was able to get to the side of the highway( not a pull over place) I called for a tow and had it taken to the shop I usually go to only to find out the engine has blown. Kia is aware of this problem on other of their vehicles. This event almost cost me my life... Kia needs to be held responsible for taking care of this problem. My estimate for a replacement engine is $ 3780.00

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #23

May 052018

Forte

  • 50,000 miles
Driving interstate 55 mph engine made clunking noise and stopped had to be towed home checked timing chain was good dropped oil pan and rod shattered and metal shaving all tore up engine no longer able to be repaired looking for a new engine owe $10,000 on car have to carry full coverage insurance doesn't run

- Kingwood, WV, USA

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