2019 Kia FORTE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
147 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
10,202 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 68 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 46 of 147 complaints (31.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 45 | 30.6% |
| Braking behavior | 20 | 13.6% |
| Engine operation | 18 | 12.2% |
| Steering behavior | 12 | 8.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 11 | 7.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 1.4% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 46 |
| Engine | 36 |
| Unknown Or Other | 22 |
| Electrical System | 20 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 14 |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 |
| Steering | 8 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 7 |
Power Train: 46; Engine: 36; Unknown Or Other: 22; Electrical System: 20; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 14; Exterior Lighting: 12; Steering: 8; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 49 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 7 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 7 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 49; 25,000 to 49,999: 7; 50,000 to 74,999: 7; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (49). 79 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 27 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 | 17 |
2018: 2; 2019: 27; 2020: 22; 2021: 21; 2022: 11; 2023: 13; 2024: 19; 2025: 15; 2026: 17
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 45 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 18 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11170149 · 2019-01-15 (January 15, 2019)
THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD WOULD MOVE FORWARD OR GO BACKWARD. TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. AND ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 MONTHS.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11170149 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11173755 · 2019-02-03 (February 3, 2019)
THE CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. I OWNED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 MONTHS.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,280 miles reported. Look up ODI 11173755 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11154023 · 2018-11-26 (November 26, 2018)
ON NOVEMBER 12,2018 I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER THAT SEEMED TO BE DOING FULL SPEED, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ANY SCREECHING BRAKES BEHIND ME. THE IMPACT TOTALED MY CAR, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUNK. THE IMPACT MADE MY CAR SPIN AROUND AND AT SOME POINT MY FRONT BUMPER HIT SOMETHING, BUT NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED WHATSOEVER. MY SEAT BELT WAS STILL LOCKED IN PLACE, BUT SOMEHOW MY SEAT RECLINED BACK JUST ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE DISLODGED FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT AND END UP IN T…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11154023 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11172732 · 2019-01-29 (January 29, 2019)
I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF AN INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON FRIDAY JANUARY 25, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:40 PM WHILE MY SON WAS OPERATING HIS 2019 KIA FORTE. THE WEATHER THAT DAY WAS SUNNY AND CLEAR AND THE ROAD WAS DRY AND LEVEL. 1.MY SON WAS TRAVELING NORTH IN THE RIGHT LANE OF THE SEAFORD OYSTER BAY EXPRESSWAY (NY-135) AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED. 2.AS HE APPROACHED EXIT 13E HE BEGAN TO DECELERATE ENGAGED HIS RIGHT TURN SIGNAL AND ENTERED THE EXIT LANE FOR EXIT 13E. 3.AS HE ATTEMPTED TO BEAR TO THE RIGHT AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLES LANE…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11172732 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11217006 · 2019-05-30 (May 30, 2019)
WHILE HAVING MY CAR FOR TWO MONTHS MY, 2019 KIA FORTE TRANSMISSION WENT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT KEPT STALLING. IT WAS REVING ALL THE WAY UP TO 7/8 RPMS WITH ME GENTLY TAPPING ON THE GAS. I HAD MY GRANDMOTHER WITH ME AND RIGHT WHEN WE GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY MY CAR JUST STOPPING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY MAIN ROAD. I WAITED A MOMENT AND TOOK MY KEYS OUT OF THE EGNISION. AFTER 3 MINUTES MY CAR TURNED BACK ON AND I WAS SLOWLY ABLE TO GET IT TO THE GAS STATION WITH IT STILL REVING. I HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I GOT THE C…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11217006 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11286422 · 2019-12-02 (December 2, 2019)
I WAS DRIVING MY 2019 KIA FORTE AT 75 MPH, THEN LOWERED MY SPEED, THEN ACCELERATED AGAIN. A LOUD SCREECH/GRINDING SOUND HAPPENED, THEN THE CAR STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE ROADSIDE, AND RE-START THE CAR. I WAS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OVER 15 MPH. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THEY DROVE THE CAR, BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I INSISTED THAT THERE IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I SUGGESTED THEY INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 11286422 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11256739 · 2019-09-19 (September 19, 2019)
HIT A PARKING SPACE BUMPER WITH FRONT BUMPER, PASSENGER SIDE, LOWER EDGE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, DASH MSGS SAID I HAD STEERING PROBLEMS, ABS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE FAILURE AND TO SEE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. CALLED KIA ROADSIDE SERVICE AND REPORTED DASH MSGS AND THEY SAID NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND TOWED IT IN TO SALT LAKE CITY DEALER. DEALER REFUSED WARRANTY SVC BECAUSE OF BUMPER DAMAGE AND ADVISED WIRING HARNESS OUT, $4200 REPAIR OR $468. PATCH REPAIR. IS THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE WITH WIRING HARNESS ABLE TO BE KNOCKED OUT FROM HITTING A PARKING SP…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,496 miles reported. Look up ODI 11256739 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11343338 · 2020-08-04 (August 4, 2020)
WHEN DRIVING, STEERING WHEEL "GROWLS" WHEN MAKING TURNS WHILE IN MOTION. DEALERSHIP PUT ME IN A LOANER DUE TO ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS REPLACING AND CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 13 MONTHS WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
Owner-reported narrative. 20,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11343338 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11270461 · 2019-10-23 (October 23, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA FORTE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SOY BASED WIRING ATTRACTED RODENTS, WHICH CHEWED THE WIRES AND CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TO SHORT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOU FUSZ KIA (1025 N LINDBERGH BLVD, ST LOUISE, MO 63132, (3[phone removed]) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE FACTORY OR EXTENDED WARRANTIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE DOWNSTREAM OXYGEN AND TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SENSORS, WHICH WAS A ONE TIME REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FA…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11270461 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11388517 · 2021-01-16 (January 16, 2021)
ON A RANDOM TRIP OF OURS, MY VEHICLE HAD STARTED JOLTING A BIT FURIOUSLY AT SOME MOMENTS, REVVING INTENSELY AT THE MOST INAPPROPRIATE TIMES, HAVING INCREDIBLE TROUBLE IDLING OR DRIVING IN GENERAL ONCE AT A STOP SIGN/LIGHT. AT TIMES, THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE AS I HAVE MY FOOT PRESSED ON THE GAS, AND MAYBE AFTER 10 SECONDS OF DOING SO, THE VEHICLE WILL JOLT IMMENSELY, ALMOST INJURING ME IN THE PROCESS. I FIRST THOUGHT I HAD WATER IN MY GAS TANK, BUT AFTER ASSESSING THAT SITUATION AND NO FIX, I THEN REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AS I FIGURED THEY MAY HAVE…
Owner-reported narrative. 31,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11388517 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11729604 · 2026-04-07 (April 7, 2026)
As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! It could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! Gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not! It gave me NO WARNING either. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I could have been hit all 3 times! Family came to help and tried to jump it and it wouldn't start so I had to get it towed. Dates happened March 28, 31st and April 6, all 2026. Also the key fog lock is defective! It works when it wants…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11729604 at NHTSA ↗