By providing a youthful subcompact sedan, Kia is tapping into a market we thought was dead. The 2021 Kia Forte is a unique car that has excellent styling, manages to undercut the price of nearly all rivals, and is very well equipped. It starts at $18,885 for which you get nearly all the standard features you get in much bigger cars. It is also fairly reliable according to most predicted reliability surveys, with maintenance costs projected at $1,526 for five years. There have been some common complaints though but the worst one was fixed with the 2018 Kia Forte engine recall. In its category, it competes against rivals like the Honda Civic, the Mazda 3, and the Volkswagen Jetta. Let us read more about the 2021 Kia Forte problems through this article.
2021 Kia Forte User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical problems:
- One customer had an issue with the brakes of the car making a squeaky noise after only using the car for about two months. In eight months, the brakes had to be changed twice even though it wasn’t yet time for the second set of brake pads. In another case, the brakes would constantly squeak when making a stop. And once, the brake pedal failed to respond for a customer and caused a crash. The squeaking issue seems to be common.
- There is one more complaint about the brakes of this car, which even though has ABS, locked up and caused the car to steer into a ditch. The car is very likely totaled.
- One owner has reported a complaint where the tires that are rated to be filled at 33 psi were instead inflated to nearly 52 psi which will cause accelerated wear. Another owner had both the tires exploding and tearing in half, having to replace the tires out of their pocket while it had only done six months.
- Another common one in the list of Kia Forte car complaints seems to be the engine failing to respond to driver input. One owner noted that the accelerator pedal did not respond when pressed and when it is pressed again, the car lurched forward quickly and the owner had to brake hard to avoid a collision. The issue reoccurred and this robs the owner of the confidence required to drive the car smoothly.
- There is one complaint about the engine consuming too much oil. The dealership found out that cylinders one and three had issues and the lower engine had to be replaced. The issue happened at 11,000 miles. This has been reported as a Kia Forte 1.6 SX problem by multiple owners on online forums.
Electrical system problems:
- One owner reports that there is a defect in the Kia Forte engine start and security system. The rear window can be broken without an alarm and the car can be started without a key, with something as simple as a screwdriver. This is a serious Kia Forte immobilizer problem and the manufacturer has to follow up with necessary updates to stop the issue. Several cars have been stolen and there have been class-action lawsuits trying to address the problem.
- There was one complaint about a car completely shutting down while drive mode was engaged on two separate occasions. It was later towed to the dealership. This complaint is followed up by other customers complaining the same.
Exterior problems:
- One owner reported that although the windshield glass appears clear when the sun is directly shining on it, there are severe distortions produced. It looks like there are multiple microbubbles on the glass and it affects the driver’s vision.
Safety problems:
- There was an incident where a car was totaled after being struck by lightning and crashing. However, despite the incident, the airbags failed to deploy and the owner could not be saved from injury.
- One owner has reported a head-on collision at 45 mph in which the airbags did not deploy despite the driver wearing a seatbelt. The driver had a head injury due to hitting the steering wheel.
- There is a complaint about the car suddenly pulling into the right in spite of the lane assistance being completely off. It behaves as if it is not turned off and causes the car to be confused with several inputs. Another owner has had an accident because the car pulled to one side and hit a cement barrier.
2021 Kia Forte Recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA Campaign Number |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
March 11, 2021 |
21V164000 |
Occupant detection system malfunction |
The occupant detection system may not detect a child restraint system in the front passenger seat and this can cause a safety concern. |
Should you buy the 2021 Kia Forte?
The Kia Forte scores high in terms of practicality and also value for money. It has a nice amount of equipment but does not feel quite as nice to drive when compared to its rivals. However, in terms of reliability, it is a decent bet even though there are some issues that require attention. Up until very recently, there were several Kia Forte transmission problems but the manufacturer seems to have solved them. Right now, there are a few common complaints but we do hope that they are resolved soon. It is a car we would recommend you buy in 2021.
