Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Kia Forte owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that while exiting the contact's residence and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that seconds later, the contact noticed fire coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact attempted to extinguish the fire with two residential fire extinguishers. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The fire inspector informed the contact that the fire was caused by an unknown fluid. The vehicle was not inspected by the insurance company. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred moments after the vehicle was parked. The contact referenced a recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine); however, the contact stated that the recall notification was not received. …
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 45 mph, the engine failed and smoke was coming from the engine. The contact's son was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure, and no oil was found in the oil reservoir. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to another dealer, Koons Annapolis Toyota (1107 West St, Annapolis, MD 21401), and the dealer sent documents from the previous dealer, Kia of Bowie, to the manufacturer. The Koons Annapolis Toyota dealer had the vehicle towed to Alexandria Car Clinic (3235 Colvin St, Alexandria, VA 22314) for the engine replacement. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. …
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH a knocking type noise was suddenly present coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle suddenly stalled and shut off causing the vehicle to abruptly reduce speed. The vehicle was restarted but the failure continued to occur. While examining under the hood black smoke was present coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number 20V750000 (Engine). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming excessive oil and there was oil leaking onto the ground. The contact had to put 1 to 2 quarts of oil for every trip. There was also smoke coming from the engine and a loud knocking noise was heard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on four separate occasions and the dealer refilled the oil. However, the dealer could not diagnose the failure. The contact stated that the dealer attempted to make her sign a waiver but when she refused, the dealer would not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that the vehicle may catch fire. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer but was not able to speak to a live representative. The failure mileage was 54,498.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, knocking noises were heard and the vehicle was consuming excessive amounts of engine oil after she checked the oil level. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer performed an engine and oil consumption test. The vehicle passed the engine test but failed the oil consumption test. The dealer updated the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software. The dealer informed the contact to bring the vehicle back after 1,000 miles for the oil consumption test. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer after driving the vehicle for 1,000 miles and the vehicle failed the oil consumption test. …
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 contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 53 MPH at night, the vehicle started shuddering and then stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the used car dealer where it was purchased. The used car dealer diagnosed that the catalytic converter was misfiring. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving five months later. The vehicle was taken back to the used car dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was misfiring. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the used car dealer three more times. …
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and was blinking. The contact pulled off the road, placed the vehicle in park(P), turned the vehicle off and waited for 20 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling roughly and vibrating. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate above 25 MPH. The vehicle was driven to a service station and then towed to the residence. The contact later drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). …
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer failed to update the Knock Sensor Detection System software. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who updated the Knock Sensor Detection System software; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer advised the contact that they would send a diagnostic report and video clips to the manufacturer to obtain the manufacturer's approval for the engine replacement. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to obtain a vehicle rental out-of-pocket and she would be reimbursed later. …
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started making an abnormal sound. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the sound persisted prior to the vehicle stalling. The contact stated an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a piston misfire. The vehicle could not be restarted. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …
Related recalls
Engine
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Engine complaints in other Forte years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2014 Kia Forte?
NHTSA has 220 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2014 Kia Forte, 50% of the model year's 444 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Kia Forte engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-750 (engine, Dec 2, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Kia Forte engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 23 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.