6 complaints reported

2020 Kia Forte Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
6
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Aug 2025

My vehicle lost 3 quarts of oil between oil changes somehow. The engine is bad now and has to be replaced. Never did a check engine light or oil pressure light come on to alert me that my car was burning oil somehow and the oil was low. At the oil change a few weeks ago the techs underneath my car called out that everything was normal under the car. No leaks, no oil spots anywhere. My safety was put at risk because I drive a very busy highway to work every day. If I had been in heavy traffic at the time of engine failure I could have gotten into a wreck or caused a wreck. If a check engine light or low oil pressure light had come on, this whole situation could have been completely prevented. The issue has been confirmed by the dealership on 5/7/25.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2025
May 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,892.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2025
Jan 2025

The engine light went on and engine is burning oil mechanic said it needs to be rebuilt it’s currently under financing from kia and not sure if they cover this

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2025
May 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle began to lose motive power and the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart but the contact stated the accelerator pedal would not function properly after the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The contact was informed that the drain plug was missing and had caused the oil to leak out from the engine. 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 75,709.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light, and a message that Kia had been alerted of a failure was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to start the vehicle and drove back to the residence. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound before stalling. The contact called an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle on site and determined that the intake and exhaust cam shaft position sensors had failed and that metal shavings were found obstructing the cam shaft sensors. Additionally, the vehicle was very low on engine oil. The vehicle had received an oil change approximately 3-months prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2024
Oct 2022 Fire

While driving I heard a pop then the lights on my dash lit up my car came to a stop i.e cut off tried to start back up the engine caught fire burned the whole front end off total loss

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2022

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2020 Kia Forte has 6 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.