2012 KIA FORTE Complaints

View complaints related to 2012 KIA FORTE. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 300 complaints submitted for the 2012 KIA FORTE. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - UPPER MARLBORO, MD

    IVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR FOR SEVERAL WEEKS WITH POOR PERFORMANCE, ROUGH STARTS, AND BAD FUEL ECONOMY. ON MY WAY TO WORK ONE MORNING, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. LATER THAT DAY I TOOK IT ADVANCED AUTO PARTS AND GOT A 'P200A' CODE. I TOOK MY CAR TO A NEARBY SHOP AND HAD A DIAGNOSTIC DONE WHICH COST ME $103.19. I PURCHASED THE VCM MOTOR ASSEMBLY WHICH ALSO COST ME $244.25. ONCE I REMOVED THE OLD PART I REALIZED THAT THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT CONNECTS INTO THE MANIFOLD WAS COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - WYOMING, MI

    THERE WAS A RECALL FOR UNDERBODY RUST, WHICH I TOOK IN FOR PROTECTION. THERE ARE LITTLE ORANGE RUST SPOTS APPEARING SPORADICALLY THROUGH THE WHITE PAINT ALL OVER. I WOULD LIKE THIS LOOKED AT PLEASE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - LENOIR CITY, TN

    VEHICLE HAS A SEVERE INTERNAL ENGINE KNOCK AND WILL REQUIRE REBUILDING OR REPLACED. IT HAS 112,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN SERVICED AT THE REQUIRED INTERVALS WITH KIA SPECIFIED PRODUCTS. 2.0 LITER ENGINE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - ST PETERSBURG, FL

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA FORTE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AND THE CONTACT WAS TESTING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER EASILY SHIFTED OUT OF PARK WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT CALLED CROWN KIA ST PETERSBURG (5500 34TH ST N, ST PETERSBURG, FL 33714, (844) 921-3247) AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V773000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - TIERRA VERDE, FL

    MY BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OFF LAST WEEK AND I FOUND THAT THE STOPPER WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THE ONLY WAY TO TURN THEM OFF WAS BY REMOVING THE BRAKE SWITCH BEHIND THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN RECALLED (17V773000), BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HOW DO I GET MY VIN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL?

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - MARYSVILLE, WA

    KIA,HYUNDAI THETA 2.4 ENGINE FAILURE, UNDER 100K MILES. I HAVE A 2012 KIA FORTE HATCH SX WITH THE 2.4 ENGINE. I PURCHASED IT FROM SUNSET KIA OF AUBURN VALLEY WA WITH 66,000 MILES NOT QUITE 3 YEARS AGO. IN THAT TIME I'VE PUT ABOUT 30K MILES ON THE CAR. I'VE HAD THE OIL CHANGED REGULARLY, AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN LOW. LAST WEEK, ON AUGUST 11, 2019, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE ENGINE SEIZED ON THE HIGHWAY. I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE TIME OF DAY. HAD IT HAPPENED DURING HEAVIER TRAFFIC A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. FROM ONLINE RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR AND OTHERS THAT THAT USE THE SAME THETA II ENGINE. THIS CAR/ENGINE SHOULD BE RECALLED.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - GRAFTON, OH

    I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR USED 5 YEARS AGO WITH 36,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR FOR THE AT TIME SPAN. I HAD CHANGED TO OIL AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS USING OEM OIL FILTERS AND FULL SYNTHETIC OIL. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO DEVELOP A RATTLING NOISE. AS I MADE A LEFT TURN ONTO A COUNTRY ROAD TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 45MPH THE RATTLING HAD GOT MORE NOTICEABLE AND THE ENGINE HAD A LOST OF POWER. EVENTUALLY THE RATTLING TURN INTO A METALLIC CRUNCHING NOISE BEFORE THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON ITS OWN. I HAD PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO FURTHER INSPECT THE PROBLEM AND THAT IS WHEN I HAD DISCOVERED ENGINE OIL COATING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTARTED LEAVING ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL A TOW VEHICLE HAD ARRIVED.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - EDGEWOOD, MD

    I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT 40 MPH WHEN APPROACHING THE RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY (65 MPH) AND BEGAN TO HEAR A LOT OF NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE (SOUNDED LIKE METAL SCRAPPING). I BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER BUT THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE SHOULDER AND NOTE NO INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WERE FLASHING, AND THEN DARK SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM THE HOOD. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AS I THOUGHT IT WAS ON FIRE BUT COULD NOT OPEN THE HOOD AS IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT. I WAITED AND THEN TRIED AGAIN, FINALLY, OPENING THE HOOD WITH A RAG. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED, I HAD IT TOWED TO A 2ND MECHANIC (SAME DIAGNOSIS) THEN WAS INFORMED OF SC147 AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH. I CONTACTED KIA AND OPENED A CASE #13204401 WHERE I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED FOR THE 3RD TIME TO A KIA DEALERSHIP (BOB BELL, BALTIMORE, MD) WHERE THEY HAD TO DO THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TEST (TECHNICIANS CELL VIDEO TO SHOW THE CAR WILL NOT START), PER KIA, TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION MY CAR IS NOT PART OF SC147 (ACCORDING TO MY VEIN #). THIS SAFETY RECALL IS FOR 2.4L GDI ENGINES AND MINE IS A 2.4L DOHC. IN ADDITION TO MY COMPLAINT, I WANT TO KNOW WHERE IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS (WHAT PLANT WAS MY ENGINE ASSEMBLED?) IF GIVEN THEY ARE THE SAME ENGINES BUT ONLY A TOP COVERING DIFFERENCE (GDI VS DOHC), THEN HOW DO I KNOW FOR SURE MY ENGINE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PART OF MAJOR SC147 SINCE MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN RUNNING WITH NO ISSUES AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE WITH 160,000 + MILES?

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - EDGEWOOD, MD

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AS SMOKE APPEARED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER, AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A KIA DEALER. BOB BELL KIA OF GLEN BURNIE (7900 EASTERN AVE, BALTIMORE, MD 21224, (410) 766-3600) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2012 KIA FORTE
    - PLANTATION, FL

    THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF. FORTE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPERS AND SWITCHES COULD BE FAULTY. THE MATERIAL FOR THE STOPPER CAN FALL APART OVER TIME AND ALLOW THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH PLUNGER TO REMAIN EXTENDED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE