2014 Kia Forte Steering

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel made a knocking sound. The contact stated that the first time the failure occurred was in late September with the knocking sound only happening while turning either to the left or the right. The contact stated that recently the failure started occurring whenever the vehicle was being driven. The contact stated that the steering wheel was not secured and felt as if it was going to detach. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 52,177.

MY 2014 KIA FORTE HAS STARTED MAKING A CLICKING/POPPING NOISE WHEN I AM TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL IS GONNA COME OFF OF THE STEERING COLUMN WHERE IT LOCKS, AND I AM AFRAID IT IS GONNA LOCK UP ON ME DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT CLICKS/POPS WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING, AND IS GETTING WORSE.

THERE IS A NOTICEABLE NOISE EACH TIME WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL BOTH AT REST AND IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE AND STEERING WHEEL HAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. THERE IS ALSO EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SUSPECTED PROBLEM IS A FAILURE OF THE FLEXIBLE COUPLING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. KIA HAS ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE IN OTHER MODEL CARS SUCH AS THE OPTIMA OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR BUT NOT FOR THE FORTE.

MY VEHICLES STEERING COUPLING PINGS AND SOUNDS LIKE IT'S COME LOOSE OR BROKEN. SAME ISSUE HAPPENED TO ANOTHER KIA IN THE FAMILY A 2012 KIA SOUL MY BROTHER IN LAW OWNS. THAT KIA HAD A RECALL FOR THE STEERING COUPLING, THE 2014 KIA FORTE DOES'NT HAVE THIS FOR A RECALL YET BY KIA. I CONTACTED KIA COMPLAINT #13202206 FOR RESOLUTION BUT NO RESOLUTION REC'D TO DATE 12/13/2019.

THE STEERING WHEEL MECHANISM WILL MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE THAT IS FELT MORE THAN HEARD. IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE, AND IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE STOPPED AS OPPOSED TO TURNING WHILE IN MOTION. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG SEVERAL MODELS OF KIA, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHEAST. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER TODAY TO HAVE CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE FLEX COUPLER. THE RECEPTIONIST TOLD ME THEY GET A LOT OF THESE ALL THE TIME AND THAT THEY CAN BECOME VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT FIXED SOON. MY RESEARCH ALSO REVEALED THAT SOME MODELS HAVE BEEN AFFORDED EXTENDED WARRANTIES AND FREE REPLACEMENT, BUT OTHERS HAVE NOT EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM, SYMPTOM, AND SOLUTION ARE THE SAME. BTW, THE REPAIR BILL WAS OVER $400...ABOUT $2 FOR PART AND THE REST WAS LABOR, TAX AND MISC.

DROVE OVER TRAIN TRACKS AT 15 MPH AND FELT IT BREAK. AT STOP, STEERING WHEEL HAS PLAY WHEN TURNED LIGHTLY. KNOCKS LOUDLY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS AND TURNING. PART CAN CAUSE STEERING TO LOCK UP AT ANY MOMENT WHILE TURNING AND VERY UNSAFE. $13 PART, $200 LABOR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A KNOCKING NOISE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.

PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL ,WHEN LOOKING IT UP ,PROBLEM SEEMS COMMON FOR THE STEERING COUPLER TO GO OUT,CAUSES A JERK IN THE WHEEL AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING. SITTING STILL IT WILL HAVE ALOT OF PLAY MOVING LEFT AND RIGHT AND A NOISE. A EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR SOME MODELS EXCEPT MINE.

AS I TURN MY STEERING WHEEL, IT MAKES A CLICKING NOISE. IT ALSO CAUSES MY AIRBAG LIGHT TO SHOW ON MY SPEEDOMETER. SOMETHING SOUNDS LOOSE WHEN IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN I DRIVE.

WHEN TURNING SHARPLY LIKE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP FOR A FEW SECONDS

THE STEERING COUPLER WENT BAD. STARTED HEARING LOUD CLICKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING CALLED KIA THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT ONLY WARRANTY IS ON OPTIMAL AND SOULS AS OF NOW FOR IT. THE PIECE COST $1.08 THE LABOR IS $350 WAS WHAT I WAS QUOTED . ALSO TOLD THEY REPLACE TONS OF THEM A WEEK . RIDICULOUS KIA MAKE IT ACROSS THE BOARD. THE COUPLER IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE AN ABNORMAL KNOCKING NOISE WHILE TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER (ORLANDO KIA EAST, 8701 EAST COLONIAL DRIVE, ORLANDO, FL 32817, (407) 678-1717) AND A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,908.

WE ARE A DRIVING SCHOOL WITH ABOUT 100 DIFFERENT CARS FROM KIA, WE HAVE ABOUT 95 VEHICLES RIGHT NOW IN USE THAT ARE FORTE MODELS BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2010-2017. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND VEHICLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OF OURS OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE LAST TIME WAS THE KIA FORTE 2015, AND NOW THIS TIME IT IS THE KIA FORTE 2014. THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES MISALIGNED WITH THE WHEELS AND EVENTUALLY THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY OF WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN IS FALLS DOWN COMPLETELY INTO YOUR LAP AND YOU LOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WE TOOK THE 2015 VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT, NOW THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN WITH THE 2014. THE SPECIFIC PART WHICH FAILED IS CALLED THE "REINFORCED BEAM"- KIA. IT IS THE BAR ASSEMBLY WHICH CONNECTS THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. THE METAL FROM THE BEAM WHICH SECURES THE STEERING COLUMN TEARS, AND CAUSES THE STEERING COLUMN TO BECOME UNSECURED AND IT FALLS, LEAVING NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE WHETHER IT IS IN MOTION OR AT A STANDSTILL. ALSO, IT BLOCKS THE BRAKE WHILE DRIVING. THE PREVIOUS 2015 FORTE LUCKILY FELL APART IN A PARKING LOT WHILE AN INSTRUCTOR WAS TEACHING PARKING AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. THIS WEEK THE 2014 DRIVER (ONE OF OUR INSTRUCTORS) WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH A STUDENT WHEN SHE STARTED NOTICING THE DISCONNECT. SINCE IT SOUNDED FAMILIAR WE TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE SAME FAILED PART AGAIN. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. RETAIL IT IS ABOUT $2,000 TO FIX. IT'S ABOUT $500 FOR THE PART, AND $1,500 FOR THE LABOR. THANK YOU.