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 2015 Kia Forte owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a burning smoke odor was detected. The contact pulled over and noticed there was smoke coming from under the hood. Additionally, there were engine parts that had melted and a puddle of fluid on the ground. A bystander assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The VIN was included in the recall; however, the contact did not receive a recall notification. The failure mileage was 99,880.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle started smoking while stopped at a traffic light. The smoke was coming from the engine. Additionally, while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was stopping and stalling while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, he heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change. The contact stated that while driving for approximately two miles down the road the knocking sound returned. The contact veered to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle and heard another loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle would not restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as rod blown in the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact then had the vehicle towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated when she drove across the lanes to get to the emergency lane the vehicle began to lose motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired by the independent mechanic but was instead towed to the local dealer. The dealer serviced the vehicle and completed an oil change and informed the contact that no fault codes had been retrieved. The vehicle was returned to the contact. The contact then stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was sputtering. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormally loud rattling sound. The check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed an undisclosed speed and later became undrivable. Additionally, the contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated while there was sufficient oil in the engine. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine), which the contact related to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was repaired; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the certified mechanic, and an unknown repair was completed. The contact was unsure of the repair that was completed. After having the vehicle repaired a second time, while attempting to accelerate, the instrument panel was flashing the check engine and the oil light warning lights. The vehicle decelerated, and there was black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power shortly afterwards. The failure had occurred three times. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic twice. The mechanic repaired the knock sensor and drained and replaced the engine oil and cleared the codes. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that his daughter received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) and the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software was updated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software was reset. However, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Gerald Kia of Naperville (1661 Aurora Ave, Naperville, IL 60540), where it was diagnosed that the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software was operating as designed and the engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, the second dealer informed the contact that the first dealer had misdiagnosed the vehicle during the recall repair as the engine should have been replaced then. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving uphill at approximately 50-55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was restarted. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine was damaged due to rod bearing failure, and metal shavings were found in the engine. The mechanic informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) and related the failure to the recall. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed because the engine had already failed; however, the contact stated that the recall repair involved the replacement of the engine assembly as necessary. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she checked the fluids and noticed that the oil was unexpectedly low. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the battery was recharged; however, a diagnostic test was undetermined. The contact then stated that without warning, the engine started to require an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had consumed 3.5 to 4 quarts of oil per 1,000 miles driven. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. The consumer is reiterating the request for a engine replacement at no cost. …
The cylinder 3 connecting rod broke and shot a hole through my engine block. It also sucked metal pieces into my turbo and damaged my starter. This is the exact same issue that the 2.0 liter engines have and yet I have to pay out of pocket for my repairs. I was on the interstate going 70 mph when this happened. What if instead of shooting down, it shot back towards me? What if my child was in the car? Now Kia won't cover this and I think they should. I took the car to multiple mechanics and not one of them told me this could happen. The check engine light kept coming on, I kept being told to replace the spark plugs and the ignition coils and it never resolved my issue. These were Kia certified dealers. Now one of these Kia certified dealers wants to charge me $13,000 to replace the engine and the turbo. …
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.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Forte years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2015 Kia Forte?
NHTSA has 162 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2015 Kia Forte, 62% of the model year's 260 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Kia Forte engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-750 (engine, Dec 2, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Kia Forte engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 16 fires and 1 injury 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.