2010 KIA FORTE Complaints

MY 2010 KIA FORTE EX SEDAN, 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC HAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT COULD DEFINITELY LEAD TO INJURIES OR DEATH. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME, BUT MOSTLY OCCURS DURING OR AFTER GOING UP A SIGNIFICANT HILL, BUT MAY HAPPEN ON LEVEL GROUND. THERE'S 23,000 MILES ON MY KIA AND IT'S UNDER FULL WARRANTY. I TOOK THIS TO THE DEALER, THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM; THEY SUGGESTED FLUSHING THE TRANSMISSION FOR $150, SO I DID THAT. IT DID NOT HELP. IT STOPPED FOR ABOUT A WEEK, THEN IT STARTED SEIZING UP AGAIN, TODAY (3/10/2011) IT SEIZED TWICE ON MY WIFE. WHAT IT DOES IS NOT ACTUALLY STOP THE CAR, BUT "FREEZE" YOU AT ONE SPEED, TYPICALLY EITHER 20MPH OR 45-50MPH IT TAKES UP TO 30 SECONDS TO SHIFT, AND IF YOU ARE PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC AND IT SEIZES AND WON'T LET YOU GO BEYOND 10-20MPH IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. THE DEALER SAYS THEY WON'T HAVE A REPLACEMENT LOANER UNTIL NEXT WEEK, SO WE'LL WAIT. I'M IN NORTHERN UT. IT'S HAPPENING IN DRY WARM (50-60 DEGREE) WEATHER. WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SEVERELY, THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAPPEN. THE KIA OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS TO INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AT 40,000 AND ONLY CHANGE THEN IF NEEDED, SO THE VERY EXPENSIVE FLUID SHOULD BE GOOD. THIS IS SOME UNIQUE FLUID YOU HAVE TO BUY FROM THE DEALER, NORMAL AUTO PARTS STORES DON'T HAVE IT. OTHER DRIVERS ARE REPORTING THIS WITH THE KIA FORTE EX ALSO ( HTTP://WWW.KIA-FORUMS.COM/KIA-FORTE-CERATO-TD-KOUP-DISCUSSION/56086-NEW-TRANSMISSION-NEEDED-6900-MILES.HTML). I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY WHILE DRIVING A CAR I CAN'T PREDICT WHEN IT WILL SEIZE UP AND NOT SHIFT. LETTING YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS DOES NOT HELP. IT DOES HAVE TO BE WELL WARMED UP TO HAVE THIS DIFFICULTY, AT LEAST 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH AND PASSENGER FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM TIRE. ORIGINAL TIRES WHEN VEHICLE PURCHASED. ONLY 11,000 MILES ON TIRE; GOODYEAR EAGLE LS 2. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA FORTE SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SHIFTED. THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR WOULD SWITCH FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER AND THE TIRES WOULD SKID. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER FIVE MINUTES OF DRIVING, HE COULD SMELL RUBBER BURNING. ALSO, THE SPEEDODOMETER WORKED ERRATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800.

FRONT TIRES ON 2010 KIA FORTE KOUP WAS WORN SO SEVERELY ON THE INSIDE EDGE THE CORDS WAS SHOWING. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE ALIGNMENT CHECKED. DEALER ADVISED ALIGNMENT WAS WITHIN SPECS. YOU CAN NOT SEE THE TIRE WEARING UNLESS YOU GET UNDER THE CAR AND LOOK AT THE INSIDE EDGE. THE REST OF THE TIRES STILL LOOK IN GOOD CONDITION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY KIA FORTE THE ENGINE STALLED. IT HAPPENED TWO TIMES IN THE LAST PAST TWO MONTHS. AFTER BRINGING MY CAR TWICE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FIND ANY CODE ON THE COMPUTER. THEY KEEP SENDING ME HOME AND TELLING ME THAT THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. *TR

SECOND INCIDENT OF STALLING WHILE OPERATING A 2010 KIA FORTE EX W/ AUTO TRAN AND THE "FUEL ECONOMY" PACKAGE. IN BOTH INSTANCES I HAD COME TO A STOP -- THE FIRST TIME (ABOUT 2 MOS. AGO) WAS UPON EXECUTING A HARD STOP, BUT TODAY I HAD SLOWED GRADUALLY AND THEN STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT. BOTH TIMES, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND RADIO REMAINED ON BUT THE ENGINE SIMPLY CUT OUT. CAR WAS IN "DRIVE" AND IN BOTH INSTANCES WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH PRIOR TO STOPPING. THE STEERING DID NOT LOCK. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AFTER PUTTING IT IN "PARK." I WAS UNABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM ONCE I HAD A CHANCE TO SAFELY TRY DOING SO. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 5,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT I COULD BRING THE CAR IN BUT THAT IF THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM, THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSE/FIX IT. THEY DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. TODAY'S INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER THE DEALERSHIP HAD CLOSED BUT I WILL CALL THEM IN THE MORNING TO REPORT IT. THIS TIME I INTEND TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AS I HAVE A LONG DAILY COMMUTE WITH A SMALL CHILD AND AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE STEERING WHEEL THEN LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE DEALER DID A TEST DRIVE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED BUT DID NOT PRODUCE ANY FAILURE CODES. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,246.

I JUST BOUGHT A KIA FORTE 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. SO FAR WHEN THE CAR HAD 425 MILES ON IT, THE GAS PEDAL HAS ACTED LIKE IT WAS DEPRESSED--THE ENGINE REVVED UP VERY HIGH, BUT MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE PEDAL. MY DAUGHTER WAS ALSO DRIVING AND IT ALSO HAPPENED TO HER, IT FELT AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING COVERING THE PEDAL---MAYBE THE RUG OR SOMETHING BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS THEY RAN AND SENT ME HOME. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 800 MILES ON IT NOW AND I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED ANY OTHER SUCH PROBLEMS, YET. I AM AN EXPERIENCED MANUAL TRANSMISSION DRIVER AND I DO NOT ACCEPT THAT THIS WAS DRIVER ERROR. THE TIMES THIS HAPPENED TO ME MY RIGHT FOOT WAS COMPLETELY OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND MY LEFT FOOT WAS DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH FULLY. *TR

OWNED CAR FOR 1 DAY ON DAY 2 DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND TIRE BLOWS OUT. GARAGE REFUSED TO WARRANTY TIRE W/O COMPLETELY INSPECTING TIRE. *TR

2010 KIA FORTE PURCHASED BRAND NEW ON 10/17/09. 1ST TIME TAKEN IN TO DEALERSHIP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON (10/27/09) DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT WAS CODE PO304--MISFIRE #4 THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM AND UPDATED THE COMPUTER. DIAGNOSTIC BEING CLEARED. 2ND TIME TAKEN IN ON 11/11/09 FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON ONCE AGAIN AND THE SAME CODE COMING UP PO304. ALSO 8 DIFFERENT RECALLS ON THE CAR INCLUDING GAS CAP, CRUISE CONTROL, TRANSMISSION, COMPUTER SYSTEM AND OTHERS OF THE SAME NATURE. ALSO THE CAR IS ACCELERATING BY IT SELF. THEY ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH KIA CORPORATE HEAD QUARTERS AND THEY STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX ANY OF THE PROBLEMS. KIA AGREED TO PUT ME IN A RENTAL CAR AND THAT IS WHAT I AM REMAINING TO DRIVE AT THE PRESENT TIME. *TR