2014 Kia Forte Steering
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
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 steering coupler clunks when I turn my steering wheel
MDPS Flexible Steering Coupler Fails on all these cars but only Optima’s got covered even though the same defective coupler is used in the Forte’s Here is the memo for the Optima’s TSB: CHA072 / CS1604 (Rev 2) Optima (QF/TF/TFH) August 2016
Steering started acting funny, I called Kia 800 333 4542 about their Technical service bulletin and spoke with TY he stated this is not a manufacturer defect and is not covered for repair since there wasnt a recall. MDPS Flexible Coupling Replacement Technical Service Bulletin Ref: CHA074 REV 2 Date of Issue: April 3, 2019 Kia - 2014 Forte Group: Chassis
Steering column, steering coupler piece
Popping noise from steering and play in steering wheel. Was informed by a local mechanic that is was the steering coupler for the MDPS unit. Checked and saw a recall for the same issue with the Kia Soul but saw nothing for the Forte even though Hyundai had a recall for the Elantra and Sonata for the same issue. This is a vital part of the car and if it breaks as easy as it does it needs to be recalled on all the vehicles that have it and not just certain ones. I have not had it repaired yet but will be doing so shortly as well as talking with an attorney about the issue.
The contact's mother owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving and turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel made an abnormal popping sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the flexible coupling in the MDPS (motor-driven power steering) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Kia Campaign Number: 074. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact the VIN was not covered under the campaign. The failure mileage was approximately 43,350.
I was driving the Forte and my steering wheel started to feel loose. It would click when I turned it. When I would go over a speed bump or hit a pot hole, my steering would jolt and make a loud noise. While driving on the highway, steering seemed loose and wasn't stable. I drove slower because I was afraid the problem would become worse or I would lose control of the steering.b
Steering is popping and clicking most of the time when I turn the steering wheel, mainly when I turn left but definitely seems to be a safety hazard. Not sure if it’s the steering coupler or what but I believe it should be under a recall. Thank you.
While turning the steering wheel will pop or click loudly. The issue is hard to control completely as the steering column vibrates. I have been told that I need the steering column coupler replaced. Consulted shops and they want $480 to replace a $10 plastic piece. This is a safety issue as you could loose control of steering.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel made an abnormal sound and jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the flexible coupling valves needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall and to Customer Satisfaction Program: CS1604/WTY006. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 11,503.
Steering wheel is clicking or catching when initiating a turn. Problem is with the steering coupler.
Flex coupler went bad - $500 replacement. The Optima was already recalled for this same part. Please recall the Forte lines so that we can be reimbursed for this obvious Kia issue.
Clunking sound in steering column. Steering Coupler in Steering motor defect Has failed in my steering column. Dealer refuses to repair under other agreements.
My car was in for a recall repair on another item and the repair of the steering coupler part was noted to be needed. The parts personnel stated they informed me that the steering coupler was in need of repair and that I had declined this service. My vehicle did not have 100,000 miles on it yet. They in fact said nothing to me about this repair needed to be be done. It affect the steering of the vehicle and causes a lot of play in the car’s steering.
I took my 2014 Kia Forte Ex for a warranty job for Fex steering coupler. The service advisor(Nick Lum)at DCH of Temecula said it only cover 5 years, 60,000 miles. I understand Kia extending the warranty to 10 years, unlimited Miles. The Service advisor told me they won't fix it because it's not on the computer information. I would like to get this fixed as my 10 years end on [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Clunk and clicking in steering. There is extra play in steering. All research points to a steering coupler.
Steering wheel started feeling loose then progressed to jerking back and forth. Jerks from side to side simply driving easy down the road. Making ticking, clicking, grinding noises too. I do not feel safe and can no longer drive my car. I’m taking it to the dealer tomorrow (a long wait) and suspect it is the same mdps coupler kia and Hyundai have issued an extended warranty on - for all vehicles except the Kia forte. What gives with that? Ridiculous.
Steering Coupler in Steering motor defect. Known issue in many models and see a recall on some vehicles: this issue was corrected on my 2016 Sorento but not on my 2014 Kia Forte. My son’s friend also has his Kia Optima denied repair for the same issue. An acknowledged problem that somehow Kia has been forced to correct on ALL their models. A major flaw over poor design using a $5-7 part that Kia Dealers charge $500 to repair. Unethical.
This morning I needed to move my son's 2014 KIA Forte. There was very notable clicking noise in the steering wheel with even the slightest turn. I googled "clicking noise in steering wheel" and found thousands of listings (all KIA and Hyundai) for failures of a coupler in vehicles along with numerous videos with the same symptoms that I experienced. I also found that for 2012/2013 Soul and 2014 Cadenza that KIA had done an extended warranty for 10 years unlimited miles that was posted on the NHTSA website. I could not find anything similar for the KIA Forte even though I found many on-line consumer complaints for the same issue in the KIA. I contacted both the nearest service dealer (no appointments until April) and KIA Consumer and they said they had a significant back-log for any service. I would like to know if there have been enough complaints from KIA Forte owners that the warranty extension would apply. If not, I would like to add this complaint for the KIA Forte so that the NHTSA knows that the issue is more widespread than just for the models listed in the original extension. Thanks so much.
Failure of the flexible coupling in the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS). This is a known issue and Kia has extended the warranty on the Optima, Soul, and Cadenza that use the exact same defective part. For some unexplained reason the forte has been excluded from coverage. It should also be noted that Hyundai has included the Elantra (which is the sister model to the Forte) as well as the Sonata. As mentioned all of these vehicles were assembled with the same, admittedly defective part. The warranty has been extended on every model with the exception of the Forte. The current TSB (CHA 074) acknowledges the problem without offering a comparable remedy as provided for all other affected models.
Steering coupler needed to be replaced. There have been warranty extensions for this part on several Hyundai cars as well as Kia Optima. Same issue as I experienced. No recall yet on my vehicle. Had to pay $500 to get replaced. Failure around 78,000 miles
Ki Aforte 2014 steering wheel has started making a noise while turning when stationary. As with Kia Soul and Optima models of same vintage, steering coupler part needs to be replaced
2014 Kia Forte 1.8l steering is very hard or stiff to rotate especially from right to left when driving at more than 20 mph rendering lane change on roads and expressways very dangerous, and simply maneuvering steering very difficult. It feels like steering is jamming or being stuck. Besides hear a click sound from the steering even when car is stationary. Started experiencing hard steering problem at the end of June 2021.
Steering coupler needed to be replaced. There have been warranty extensions for this part on several Hyundai cars as well as Kia Optima. Same issue as I experienced. No recall yet on my vehicle. Had to pay $500 to get replaced
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The 2014 Kia Forte has 38 Steering complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.