2012 KIA Forte problems
Owners have filed 404 complaints about the 2012 KIA Forte with NHTSA. Engine accounts for 39.6% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of air bags at 8.9%.
Complaints404
Crashes34
Fires32
Injuries26
Deaths4
What owners report breaking
Engine 39.6% · 160
Air bags 8.9% · 36
Electrical system 7.9% · 32
Service brakes 7.4% · 30
Exterior lighting 5.7% · 23
Unknown or other 5.0% · 20
Service brakes, hydraulic 5.0% · 20
Vehicle speed control 3.5% · 14
Severity
Of those complaints, 34 describe a crash, 32 describe a fire, 26 report an injury and 4 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 10 model years of the KIA Forte in this data, 2012 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 2014 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 69 in the last three years against 123 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 80,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Back in april 2016 the hose that transfers transmission fluild was recalled I brought my car in to have it fixed. On 05/16/2017 my car started shifting weird and then (while I was driving on a city street with my two month old daughter) is now leaking transmission fluid and the hose is broke that was supposed to be fixed and is not safe to drive due to the fluid and broken hose it shifts out of control and stalls. Engine · reported at 28,000 miles
I saw that 2012-2015 kia fortes had a recall for engines but mine was not a part of it. My car had a ticking/knocking sound and I took it to the mechanic and he said that I needed a new engine, he said the knocking could have started because of low oil which is impossible because I have kept up on my oil changes. So now I donât have a car, itâs almost $5000 to fix my engine. I would like kia to fix my car Engine
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
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…