The 10-year extended warranty program is something you can’t take for granted these days with Kia vehicles, especially when they come up with brand new models. You know you will need it when you realize that half of the powertrain complaints on the Kia Forte required a transmission replacement sooner or later in the car's life. Even though we see a reasonable drop in figures from the previous generation, 2 recalls and 78 complaints are still enough to raise concern chiefly so when you know that your car has one of the most unreliable transmissions in recent history. So would you pay $17,790 for this Kia when slightly more cash could get you the best-in-class cars like the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla or even possibly its sister car the Hyundai Elantra? Let’s take a look.
2019 Kia Forte User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Transmission/CVT- Transmission failure has been a widespread issue on the 2019 Kia Forte. Nearly half the complaint registered on the NHTSA has been related to faults with the powertrain and at least 17 instances of owners requiring a transmission replacement have been recorded officially. The most noticed precursors to this failure are slip when accelerating, hesitation on part throttle, engine free-revving when on drive mode, intense jerking when slowing, and stalling when stopping in drive mode.
Electric System complaints
- Headlights- The low beam lights on the car stop working. Though NHTSA has only a couple of issues recorded, it has been a rather common occurrence. Poor illumination capacity of these lights has also been a major complaint. Though Kia fixes the latter issue under recall (ID- 18V771000), the former complaint is still fixed on a customer basis by the dealer.
Structural Complaints
- Steering- Grinding noise from the steering has been a common fault on the Kia Forte. Even though the symptoms were the same, owners found replacing different components to fix their issues which included the steering shafts, bearings, or even the motors in some cases. Even though Kia did initiate a recall for a suspected faulty drive shaft, no service bulletin on the steering issue was released.
Safety Complaints
- Forward collision avoidance system- Though NHTSA reported only 7, complaints about faulty collision detection and emergency braking system have been pretty widespread on the 2019 Kia Forte. The system triggers an ‘imminent crash’ detection warning and engages the brakes even though the traffic in the vehicle’s vicinity is at a safe speed and distance from it. The dealers are aware of these issues and the only current way out of it was by switching the entire system off.
- Airbags- The airbags on certain batches of the 2019 Kia Forte fails to deploy in the event of a crash. NHTSA has 4 such instances recorded with 2 reported cases of personal injury. Though the automaker is made aware of this issue, no statements have been released on this problem from their side.
2019 Kia Forte Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
5th August 2020 |
20V459000 |
The front axle driveshaft may break. |
The left front axle driveshaft may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to break resulting in a sudden loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began on September 2, 2020. |
|
2 |
31st October 2018 |
18V771000 |
Incorrect low-beam aiming. |
The headlights may not have been manufactured with the incorrect low beam aiming, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2018. |
Should you buy a used Kia Forte?
We have always liked the Kia Forte for what it has been in the segment for years, which is being the most value-oriented sedan one could get. Although the new Forte has been prone to CVT issues, as seen from the owner’s experience, Kia’s warranty programs have been hassle-free and seamless for most. So if you find yourselves in a situation, Kia has got you mostly covered with packages that are far better than what any other competitors have to offer. This car won’t get our highest recommendations, but if you are looking for an entry-level sedan that gets you the most for what you pay, the Kia Forte is still a worthy option to take a look at.
