There are 42 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2018 Kia Fortein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
No warning lights/ indicators at all. Well taken care of vehicle 84,400 miles on the vehicle second owner. Had an oil change and my husband noticed bad blow by, had it diagnosed by a mechanic. They said we need a whole new engine. Dont understand how this would happen unless some manufacturer defect. No recalls apparently for this vehicle. Seems to be a common issue. Really sucks that I dont even have 100000 miles and need a new engine. We got screwed over as first time buyers with a huge loan ended up paying nearly 30000 dollars for this vehicle and the engine is already no good. I hope something comes of this because people are tired of getting screwed around by major corporations. Theres no reason why my engine should be no good with only 84400 miles and well maintained. Luckily my husband noticed when he did because who knows what would have happened if it had gone out while driving with no indicators that anything is wrong whatsoever. Could have been a bad crash for all I know.
Recently, while my boyfriend was driving my vehicle, the engine suddenly lost power without warning. He had the accelerator pedal fully depressed, yet the vehicle would barely move. He was fortunate to safely maneuver the vehicle off the road. Upon inspection, he discovered there was no oil present in the engine. Critically, neither the low oil warning light nor the check engine light had illuminated prior to this failure, providing absolutely no warning of a severe mechanical problem. After adding oil and performing a proper oil change, the engine began violently shuddering and shaking upon startup, and only then did the check engine light illuminate. The vehicle was immediately towed to an authorized Kia dealership, where I was informed that the timing chain had failed.
MY VEHICLE IS USING ALOT OF OIL AND WILL NOT START THE WARNING COMES UP IS CONCERNING THE OIL PUMP.
While driving on U.S. 69 highway in Overland Park, Kansas, the engine in my 2018 Kia Forte suddenly failed without warning. I was entering the northbound lanes from the 95th Street on-ramp and was accelerating to merge at about 50 mph. There had been no prior warning lights or messages. Just after getting into the right lane to merge with traffic, the engine lost power and the car began slowing down quickly. I had vehicles behind me that were still moving at highway speed. I had to react immediately, and fortunately the driver behind me was able to brake. I turned on my signal and coasted as best I could to the shoulder of the highway. Only after the failure did the check engine light come on. The engine never restarted and the vehicle had to be towed. This incident created a serious safety risk to me and to other drivers on the highway. A car entering the highway and then immediately losing power is not something other drivers expect, and I could have been hit from behind. There was no prior warning or symptom before the failure. The vehicle has since been diagnosed by a Kia dealer as needing an engine replacement.
the engine was burning oil unknown to me. You had an oil change completed at 101k miles and 106k miles and there was no oil left in the engine per mechanic. This caused the check engine light to turn on. Upon running the engine scans the code for a crankshaft error was discovered. P0017 The mechanic has now stated that a new engine is required due to the damage done to the engine because of the oil loss.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was discovered that the engine oil level was extremely low. The dealer kept the vehicle for nine months and performed an oil change. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who replaced the oil gasket cover, but the failure recurred with the engine making knocking sounds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
Same defective engine issue as other saftey recalls for other vehicles.
Oil pressure problems blew the engines. Yes it’s available to look at at this time Car stalled multiple times while driving Has been confirmed by two mechanics Oil light went on when stalled
While I was driving, the check engine light, oil pressure light and battery light came on and my engine shut down in the middle of the road multiple times. Right before the lights came on my engine started making a weird noise that sounded like puttering. I used a car scan tool that showed the camshaft senser B needed to be replaced. We replaced it and the issue wasn't resolved. I then checked online for any recalls and there is a recall SC210 that describes the exact issue I'm having. This recall should be reinvestigated. I will be calling the KIA Roadside Assistance number to have this fixed.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 45 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull into a nearby gas station. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to Priddy Automotive, where the engine was taken apart, and the mechanic diagnosed that the engine had seized. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
In January 2025, Shortly after an oil change (6-7days after), the vehicle first slowed down abruptly while driving and had a clinking sound. The vehicle was then pulled into a parking spot, refrained from driving due to the clinking sound. It was then towed to a Kia dealership in Jacksonville NC, diagnosed as engine failure at the cost of over $9000. The vehicle has been at the lot since January of 2025 because we can't afford the cost. Similar Kia vehicles have been recalled, and we would like this particular vehicle investigated. We purchased the vehicle in November of 2022 from a used car sales lot.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the engine was running unusually rough. The oil warning light was illuminated. In addition, the engine seized. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer two days prior to the failure and the dealer confirmed there were metal shavings in the oil pan. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
Check engine light came on, engine started vibrating while driving on highway and lost power. Could not continue driving, vehicle was towed to service workshop.
My vehicle has 90,000 miles on it. I was leaving from work when I started to drive it, it was making a noise so I checked before leaving the parking lot I didn’t see anything wrong. As I drove home the noise got worse and the car was having problems accelerating. The noise turned into a thumping and the car slowed even more. When I got home I realized the engine is knocking and there’s a recall out but not for my VIN. It’s having the same issue as other 2018 Kia fortes with engine malfunctions.
While driving my car it just dies. I put a new battery in it I've checked the alternator I've done all of those things and I have no check engine light nothing no kind of warning or anything. I know there is a recall for this happening but my VIN number is not showing that I have a recall for it.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 35, the vehicle slowed down, there was an engine misfire, and the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The vehicle stalls while driving during inclement weather. It needs to be restarted for it to continue driving. I have taken the car to multiple dealerships and they cannot locate the problem. I have also taken it to general mechanic shops and they cannot locate the issue. There isn't a code that is shown or a recall, there isn't even a warning lamp showing on the dash. This is creating a significant safety concern for anyone that is driving behind me. I haven't been rear ended yet but it's only a matter of time. If multiple dealers cannot fix the issue I believe this is a defective car. I have tried to contact Kia for guidance and they have not been any help. Please help me get through to Kia that they have sold a defective car and it is a safety hazard on the road.
The car stalled radomly when I was in a drive thru for only 10 mins
My car stalled in the middle of a busy road at 80k miles on the way to get an oil change. Never had any issues or lights on with the vehicle prior and oil maintenance was performed regularly. My safety was impacted due to not being able to get of of car in the middle of the street and could have caused a major accident or gotten killed on that road from cars speeding past. My car has been at the Kia service center for 4 months with no confirmation of when this can be resolved due to my specific engine being on back order. Kia has been known to produce bad engines and has a prior lawsuit out for other models, I believe this model should be included as well since it did the exact same thing as previous models that are no longer sold due to engine failures.I have reached out to Kia corporate several times a week since December and have had no success in persuading them to take this matter more seriously. I have explained not only my personal concern but also the safety concern to multiple people in the corporation and have had no relief emotionally about this and have been placed in an even tighter situation not being provided a replacement or rental in the meantime. I am also put in a financial bind due to being out of a car for this long and having to spend thousands on transportation, car payments, and car insurance on a car that hasn’t been in my possession due to a system failure that was out of my control and Kia’s known problem of engine malfunctions. Thank you in advance for your assistance and time spent listening to my concerns I hope to have all of this resolved for me and current/future Kia owners.
Car with less than 100K in Miles requires a new camshaft and accuator. Kia will not replace as a warranty defect due to it being a second owner car. The car can stall and cut off due to this issue.
Showing 1–20 of 42 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026