2014 Kia Forte Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 443 owner complaints for the 2014 Kia Forte.

Recalled components: engine, brakes, and electrical system. Most-described problem: engine failure or replacement (69 complaints, 16%). Most-reported area: engine (216 complaints, 49%; median mileage when it happened: 92,900).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

Includes the Forte5 hatchback and the Forte Koup.

3 safety recalls for the 2014 Kia Forte

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2014 Kia Forte; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 443 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Forte. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Engine failure or replacement69 · 16%
  Median 87,400 miles at failure, from 40 reports with mileage
• Check engine light49 · 11%
  Median 86,400 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
• Smoke or a burning smell42 · 9%
  Median 92,800 miles at failure, from 32 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off40 · 9%
  Median 110,500 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
• Airbag warning light or airbag fault37 · 8%
  Median 93,000 miles at failure, from 25 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode34 · 8%
  Median 112,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration24 · 5%
  Median 73,000 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
• Headlight or exterior light problems21 · 5%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine216 · 49%
  Median 92,900 miles at failure, from 132 reports with mileage
• Steering64 · 14%
  Median 60,100 miles at failure, from 27 reports with mileage
• Air bags63 · 14%
  Median 83,000 miles at failure, from 42 reports with mileage
• Electrical system58 · 13%
  Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Brakes28 · 6%
  Median 66,800 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system25 · 6%
  Median 86,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Exterior lighting22 · 5%
  Median 74,500 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other50 · 11%
  Median 65,000 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Kia Forte recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2014 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Forte drew the most (72) and the 2014 drew 57.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2014 Forte MPG

Questions