2019 Kia Forte Reliability Report

False camera-obscured warnings appear with nothing blocking the camera, and automatic emergency braking engages on an empty road. Engines shut off while driving or rev without gaining speed, and one shop reading shows a transmission fluid pressure code. Oil burning comes up repeatedly, with a failed consumption test around 90k miles and a later mechanic's finding of blow-by. Other reports cite an oil plug falling out and ruining the engine, a car stolen in under 2 minutes, an unreliable key fob lock, and early clear coat damage. One injury crash describes a seat belt that did not hold the driver.

Headlights are dim or aimed too low, making night driving hard. In one crash report, dim headlights led the driver to swerve into a ditch at about 16,000 miles. Brake lights and headlights go out again right after bulbs are replaced, and a third brake light melts at about 65,000 miles. Dealers often want a diagnostic fee before looking. Two reports here are crash-related, and a few entries actually describe airbag non-deployment or transmission slipping rather than lighting faults.

Grinding or growling from the steering column when turning is the main complaint, usually within the first year or so of ownership. Dealers often replace the clock spring first. When the noise returns, they replace the entire steering column, and one car went back to the shop repeatedly over several months without a fix. Other reports describe the steering going firm along with a dead instrument panel, traced to a faulty wiring harness at about 1,100 miles, and driver assist jerking the wheel toward the road edge on the highway.

The system shuts itself off at random and shows a camera-obstructed or collision warning at any speed, on any road type. Often it clears only after a restart. Worse, it can slam the brakes with nothing ahead, sometimes stopping the car abruptly and creating a rear-end risk. Dealers frequently can't reproduce the fault, and some call it a software problem with no fix. Repeat visits rarely cure it. One report pairs a sudden stop with a transmission that then needed replacement while the part was on backorder.

Lane Keep Assist activates on its own and pulls the car to the right. One report describes the driver losing control and spinning into oncoming traffic. Forward collision obstruction and headlight warnings flash on and off at random, along with intermittent steering and brake problems. One owner blames a shorted wiring harness in the collision system and says it should be inspected and replaced before resale. None of these reports include a dealer diagnosis or a completed repair.

The car pulls hard to one side under braking. In one crash report it nearly flipped and hit a guard rail after earlier dealer visits for brake complaints. Another report describes the car shutting off at about 50 mph and restarting itself. The dealer diagnosed a hydraulic electronic control unit failure and quoted an out-of-pocket repair. A third describes the forward collision system braking hard with plenty of distance to the car ahead, then warning the owner to check the system.

Airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes. Examples include a 40 mph frontal impact that bent the steel frame and a 65 mph highway rear impact that totaled the car. All three reports are crash-related, and two involve injuries such as fractured ribs, facial wounds, and a broken neck vertebra. One also describes the driver's seat reclining in the impact, letting the driver slip out of the belt into the back seat. None of the reports say a dealer confirmed a fault.