2014 Kia Forte problems and complaints
Owners have filed 440 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Forte. The most-reported areas: Engine (214), Steering (63), Air Bags (62).
Key takeaways
- 440 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 32 involve a crash, 36 a fire, 29 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 214 | 49% |
| Steering | 63 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 62 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 56 | 13% |
| Unknown Or Other | 50 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 28 | 6% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 24 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 5% |
| Power Train | 18 | 4% |
| Structure | 18 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 14 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Kia Forte 5 HB FWD | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Steering - filed 2026-08-31
There is a bad flexible steering coupler. Caused steering wheel to click and lose responsiveness, shakes going over bumps. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by the dealer Vehicle was inspected by dealer There were no warning signs other than the wheel click and losing responsiveness.
Power Train,vehicle Speed Control,engine - filed 2026-08-12
The systems affected appear to be engine, powertrain, and vehicle speed control. My 2014 Kia Forte, VIN [XXX] has approximately 118,000 miles. Since purchase in November2025 from Wondries Toyota, the vehicle has had repeated high RPM, poor acceleration, and loss of power when entering freeway on-ramps and driving uphi...
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-07-23
I was getting into my car when I noticed that it was full of smoke, I then opened my hood and trunk. My trunk was on fire from a wire that had came down. I was only about to pull it out and put it out. Insurance said it will most likely be deemed a total loss.
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More for the 2014 Kia Forte
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.