2014 KIA FORTE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
630
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
55
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2014 KIA FORTE
The 2014 KIA FORTE has received a total of 630 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 55 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (205 complaints), Steering (62 complaints), and Air Bags (61 complaints).
Recalls for the 2014 KIA FORTE
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2014 KIA FORTE, potentially affecting up to 516,002 vehicles.
Recall 20V750000 — ENGINE
| 294,756 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Consequence: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the...
View full details →Recall 17V773000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 134,366 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Forte and Forte Koup vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. This will allow the brake lights to remain illuminated continuously. It can also allow the shift lever to be moved without depressing the brake pedal,...
Consequence: If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of PARK without depressing the brake pedal. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC158.
View full details →Recall 15V015000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
| 86,880 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Forte vehicles manufactured December 5, 2012, to April 17, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the cooling fan resistor may overheat and melt.
Consequence: If the cooling fan resistor overheats and melts, there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and for vehicles produced from December 5, 2012 to January 27, 2014, dealers will replace the cooling fan resistor and multi-fuse unit. For vehicles produced from January 28, 2014 to April 17, 2014, dealers will replace...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2014 KIA FORTE
630 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2014 KIA FORTE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 249,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that there was a ticking sound coming from the steering column while turning the steering wheel in either direction while driving at slow speeds. The contact stated that over time, the clicking sound became progressively louder. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the steering wheel coupler, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the manufacturer had recalled other vehicle models for the same failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 10,243.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. In addition, the contact stated that sometimes after the vehicle was started, the engine shut off unexpectedly. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine misfire and engine issues. In addition, the contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated; however, the check engine warning light was off. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V773000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 20V750000 (Engine). The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer because of the open recalls. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed of the unrepaired recalls; however, the failure of the vehicle was not related to the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 137,408.
Engine developed a “ticking” sound, oil consumption has increased and vehicle will periodically stall at low speeds when driving especially towards the end of the oil change interval. All periodic maintenance has been performed since I have owned the car. Previous owner indicated the same. This has the 1.8l engine which I understand can exhibit these same problems but thus far has been at least partially left out of any recalls although that isn’t entirely clear.
Safety Rating for the 2014 KIA FORTE
The 2014 KIA FORTE received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2014 KIA FORTE
Kia America, Inc. has issued 55 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2014 KIA FORTE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
CS2311_TSB_R1 — STRUCTURE:CRITICAL FASTENERS
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder...
CS2305L_OWNRYD2 — EQUIPMENT
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia is now making steering wheel lock devices available directly to certain Kia vehicle owners. These devices can help deter a theft attempt. We are making this device available to customers free of charge and will...
CS2305A_OWNRYD — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without...
TSB_ENG222_R3 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2019MY vehicles (refer to table below for applicable...
WTY017_OWNR_YD — AIR BAGS
WARRANTY EXTENSION - NOTICE TO FORTE AND FORTE KOUP VEHICLE OWNERS - This document is notice to the owners of the 2014-2015 MY Kia Forte and Forte Koup vehicles of the warranty extension on the driver's front airbag clock spring assembly to fifteen (15) years with unlimited mileage, starting from...
WTY017_DP — AIR BAGS
WARRANTY EXTENSION - NOTICE TO DEALER PRINCIPALS - This document is notice to the dealer principals of the warranty extension on the driver's front airbag clock spring assembly on 2012-2013 MY Rio and 2014-2015 MY Forte and Forte Koup vehicles to fifteen (15) years with unlimited mileage, starting from the...
WTY017_QA — AIR BAGS
WARRANTY EXTENSION: QA - This document is the frequently asked question and answer document for the warranty extension (WTY017) on the driver's front airbag clock spring assembly to fifteen (15) years with unlimited mileage, starting from the date the vehicles were first put into service.
SC180_TSB — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN - NU 2.0L GDI SULEV CATALYST HEATING LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC180) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the Engine Control Module (ECM) software on some 2014-2016MY Forte (YD) Nu 2.0L GDI SULEV vehicles, produced from November 13, 2013 through March 17, 2016, to improve catalyst...
SC180_DSM — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SC180 - This document is the Dealer Service Manager notification of the Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign on certain 2014-2016 MY Kia Forte vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter GDI SULEV engine to update the catalyst heating logic in the Engine Control Module ("ECM") with an improved version to ensure continued compliance...
SC180_DSM — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
SC180 - This document is the Dealer Service Manager notification of the Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign on certain 2014-2016 MY Kia Forte vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter GDI SULEV engine to update the catalyst heating logic in the Engine Control Module ("ECM") with an improved version to ensure continued compliance...
Showing 10 of 55 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2014 KIA FORTE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA FORTE
- 2009 KIA FORTE — 1 complaint
- 2010 KIA FORTE — 310 complaints
- 2011 KIA FORTE — 212 complaints
- 2012 KIA FORTE — 397 complaints
- 2013 KIA FORTE — 268 complaints
- 2014 KIA FORTE (current)
- 2015 KIA FORTE — 319 complaints
- 2016 KIA FORTE — 190 complaints
- 2017 KIA FORTE — 419 complaints
- 2018 KIA FORTE — 185 complaints
- 2019 KIA FORTE — 197 complaints
Other KIA Models
- KIA SORENTO — 13,451 total complaints
- KIA OPTIMA — 10,045 total complaints
- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints
- KIA RIO — 1,784 total complaints