4 complaints reported

2021 Kia Forte Power Train

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

Reports
4
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Apr 2025

Transmission, yes it’s available. I was driving on the highway and the vehicle began jerking and revving, slowing down and then speeding up. It is at a service center now. Now lamps

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2025
Feb 2025

The transmission went out while driving, entering the highway. It was intermittently missing a gear or slipping in about 2nd or 3rd gear. I first noticed it going about 40 mph and trying to accelerate to highway speeds. It was during a winter storm and other vehicles behind me had to brake unexpectedly. I wasn't sure if I felt for sure, so I continued to drive through many inclines and declines. The inclines became more difficult and the inability to maintain consistent speeds. I drove gently to the nearest Kia dealership which was in Salt Lake City about 60 miles away, where they informed me that I needed a new transmission. The car had about 75,000 miles on it and I bought it as a certified Pre-owned Kia with about 4,000 miles on it. The dealership plugged in the diagnostic code reader. But there were no codes detected. The service tech drove the car and felt the issue. A warranty representative inspected it about a week later. There were no warning lamps while I drove (mostly coasting downhill) from Rock Springs, WY. When I arrived to Salt Lake City, the triangle warning light came on. I drove about 10 more miles and the engine light came on. Almost all mileage has been on highways and at highways speeds as I commuted 75 miles each way for work on a turnpike between eastern Oklahoma and Fayetteville, Arkansas. There was little city driving. I lived in a small town. So, I had to travel state highways for most all errands (groceries, medical, etc.). There were no mechanical issues with the car ever until this.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2025
Oct 2022

It seems the car may have a defect in the transmission(Dual Clutch). The car makes at times an abrupt stop, for like a second or two, after I press on the gas. When I'm driving, especially at low speeds I can hear the transmission's parts make a grinding sounds, loud clicks. When I'm breaking, it's not smooth at all; I feel the car pulling a bit when switching to lower gears during the breaking process. When I have the car on and not moving (i.e parked), I can hear sounds emanating from the bottom of the car, like parts grinding against other parts. I have not seen any indicator light turn on from the vehicle, to this day. I have taken it to the dealership before, more than once, but they haven't found any issues with it. Still I feel they have not done a full inspection of the car, and I feel something is off with the transmission, like there's something loose somewhere in the car.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2022
Jun 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate while the RPM increased. The contact pulled over to the side and notice the vehicle smoking but there was no fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,642.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2022

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Kia Forte has 4 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.