2018 KIA FORTE

AIR BAGS

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

ENGINE

Unknown. Fire was located under in the engine compartment area and fire was visible from below the engine under the car. When it happened I was driving on the freeway when noticed my car seemed to be struggling stay at the current speend and to loose speed then a it suddenly l no longer would accerlatoed so I pulled over to call 911 a passing vehicle stopped and informed me there was flames under my car. I safetly exited and called for emergency services. The Safety risk of major bodily harm by fire to myself or risk of harm to the environment around me a risk. The check engine light had come on before the fire. Reached out to manufacturer for a fire investigation and was instructed to take car to dealership to for service department to inspect. Was told a ETA of 2 weeks before they will check out my car.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Unknown. Fire was located under in the engine compartment area and fire was visible from below the engine under the car. When it happened I was driving on the freeway when noticed my car seemed to be struggling stay at the current speend and to loose speed then a it suddenly l no longer would accerlatoed so I pulled over to call 911 a passing vehicle stopped and informed me there was flames under my car. I safetly exited and called for emergency services. The Safety risk of major bodily harm by fire to myself or risk of harm to the environment around me a risk. The check engine light had come on before the fire. Reached out to manufacturer for a fire investigation and was instructed to take car to dealership to for service department to inspect. Was told a ETA of 2 weeks before they will check out my car.

STEERING

Steering wheel making a clicking noise when turning both ways, stationed and moving, also rattles a lot when going over speed bumps, seems like a manufacturer defect as this is a common thing heard around these Kia’s

ENGINE

In January 2025, Shortly after an oil change (6-7days after), the vehicle first slowed down abruptly while driving and had a clinking sound. The vehicle was then pulled into a parking spot, refrained from driving due to the clinking sound. It was then towed to a Kia dealership in Jacksonville NC, diagnosed as engine failure at the cost of over $9000. The vehicle has been at the lot since January of 2025 because we can't afford the cost. Similar Kia vehicles have been recalled, and we would like this particular vehicle investigated. We purchased the vehicle in November of 2022 from a used car sales lot.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Timing, VVT sensor. Oil pressure

ENGINE

Timing, VVT sensor. Oil pressure

ENGINE

Same defective engine issue as other saftey recalls for other vehicles.

ENGINE

Oil pressure problems blew the engines. Yes it’s available to look at at this time Car stalled multiple times while driving Has been confirmed by two mechanics Oil light went on when stalled

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

About a week ago, I noticed small chips in the Pearl White paint on the hood of my Kia Forte 5. One of the chips has started a peeling of the paint which has benn steadily getting larger. This indicates a delamination is occurring. Many Kia owners have been posting about this with the Pearl White paint. I asked my local Kia service center in Redding, CA today about it. He said he knew nothing of this as a problem and said it looks like I got hit by rocks which caused the problem and offered no assistance in how to resolve the problem. I hope someone will look into this issue and address the problem that many of us are experiencing. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The engine went out in the middle of a busy highway road leading to a dangerous situation that I almost lost my life the vehicle was purchased in 2021. There shouldn’t be no reason that the engine should have went out that quickly when maintenance was kept up not only that there was an airbag defected issue, which is a safety hazard as well. It was the most scariest situation ever when the engine shut off in the middle of the road. Also, there was many concerns of my vehicle being reported of also being almost stolen by Kia boys I have a report on that.

AIR BAGS

The engine went out in the middle of a busy highway road leading to a dangerous situation that I almost lost my life the vehicle was purchased in 2021. There shouldn’t be no reason that the engine should have went out that quickly when maintenance was kept up not only that there was an airbag defected issue, which is a safety hazard as well. It was the most scariest situation ever when the engine shut off in the middle of the road. Also, there was many concerns of my vehicle being reported of also being almost stolen by Kia boys I have a report on that.

ENGINE

The engine went out in the middle of a busy highway road leading to a dangerous situation that I almost lost my life the vehicle was purchased in 2021. There shouldn’t be no reason that the engine should have went out that quickly when maintenance was kept up not only that there was an airbag defected issue, which is a safety hazard as well. It was the most scariest situation ever when the engine shut off in the middle of the road. Also, there was many concerns of my vehicle being reported of also being almost stolen by Kia boys I have a report on that.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Body paint on 2018 Kia Forte: Delamination of Snow White Pearl paint is causing peeling and bubbling on the car. Specific to the hood and driver car door at this time. It is available for inspection. This issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. Per the car dealer they were unaware of an issue or recall. The vehicle was inspected by the Collision shop. There were no prior warning or symptoms prior to the paint peeling.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Body paint on 2018 Kia Forte: Delamination of Snow White Pearl paint is causing peeling and bubbling on the car. Specific to the hood and driver car door at this time. It is available for inspection. This issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. Per the car dealer they were unaware of an issue or recall. The vehicle was inspected by the Collision shop. There were no prior warning or symptoms prior to the paint peeling.

ENGINE

While I was driving, the check engine light, oil pressure light and battery light came on and my engine shut down in the middle of the road multiple times. Right before the lights came on my engine started making a weird noise that sounded like puttering. I used a car scan tool that showed the camshaft senser B needed to be replaced. We replaced it and the issue wasn't resolved. I then checked online for any recalls and there is a recall SC210 that describes the exact issue I'm having. This recall should be reinvestigated. I will be calling the KIA Roadside Assistance number to have this fixed.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 45 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull into a nearby gas station. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to Priddy Automotive, where the engine was taken apart, and the mechanic diagnosed that the engine had seized. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Part of the subframe is corroded already and the engine cradle has begun to break, the control arm has begun to move where it meets the engine cradle and I now need to have the vehicle repaired. Previously the lower engine mount fell out of place due to the threads that kept it attached to the subframe were worn out due to corrosion and was causing the vehicle to vibrate violently. This issue has been fixed for $400 but now the rest of the engine cradle has to be inspected and repaired due to the corrosion. I have to make an appointment with the KIA repair center in my area to have the vehicle inspected which will be weeks if not months out to have it looked at as they are often booked. I'm at my wits end with this car as it's been constant issues since buying it 5 months back, with a baby on the way I can't afford repairs and want a resolution that won't break the bank or to warn other drivers of this make and model of the issues that are plagued with it such as the back tail lights having a light assembly seal issue where water is able to enter and damage electrical components. I've uploaded two images regarding the subframe issue, one related to the lower engine mount becoming detached and the other regarding the engine cradle to control arm.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Part of the subframe is corroded already and the engine cradle has begun to break, the control arm has begun to move where it meets the engine cradle and I now need to have the vehicle repaired. Previously the lower engine mount fell out of place due to the threads that kept it attached to the subframe were worn out due to corrosion and was causing the vehicle to vibrate violently. This issue has been fixed for $400 but now the rest of the engine cradle has to be inspected and repaired due to the corrosion. I have to make an appointment with the KIA repair center in my area to have the vehicle inspected which will be weeks if not months out to have it looked at as they are often booked. I'm at my wits end with this car as it's been constant issues since buying it 5 months back, with a baby on the way I can't afford repairs and want a resolution that won't break the bank or to warn other drivers of this make and model of the issues that are plagued with it such as the back tail lights having a light assembly seal issue where water is able to enter and damage electrical components. I've uploaded two images regarding the subframe issue, one related to the lower engine mount becoming detached and the other regarding the engine cradle to control arm.