Engine developed a “ticking” sound, oil consumption has increased and vehicle will periodically stall at low speeds when driving especially towards the end of the oil change interval. All periodic maintenance has been performed since I have owned the car. Previous owner indicated the same. This has the 1.8l engine which I understand can exhibit these same problems but thus far has been at least partially left out of any recalls although that isn’t entirely clear.
2014 Kia Forte: engine stalls while driving
30 of the 444 complaints about the 2014 Kia Forte describe engine stalls while driving.
- owner complaints
- 30
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical mileage
- 105,000
- recalls
- 1
Engine stalls while driving by model year
What owners say
The engine is failing. I took my Kia Forte into the dealership in March of 2025 for a blinking engine light and loss of power. It is under a warranty for engine replacement but Kia has done everything in their power not to help their own customer out. This engine issue can cause life threatening issues such as engine fires or stalling on busy roads which could lead to accidents. I will be getting further help from an attorney if the issue is not resolved.
My 2014 Kia Forte experienced random stalling/loss of speed. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic multiple times- the crank shaft sensor was replaced, new batteries were put in, and a starter was replaced. When starting the vehicle sometimes it would not turn over or click a few times to start. A ticking noise was noted aswell and relayed to the mechanic-mechanic could not find any issues. The oil light began coming on and off-especially when stopped the light would stay on, when starting to drive if would go off. Took the vehicle to the closest mechanic-the mechanic said he has diagnosed another Kia with the same issue. He said to look up recalls. I found out that my car is experiencing the exact same issues as other Kias listed as the federal safety agency Recall Number: 20V750- It was diagnosed at a Kia dealer in which they noted the rod is coming lose in the engine and that the whole engine would need to be replaced. When calling Kia I was told I was not going to qualify because I have a 1.8 Liter engine, however the symptoms of the car are identical to the recall listed above. The car needs a whole new engine replacement. I tried multiple times to get my car diagnosed and was told by a few mechanics that nothing was wrong with the car. I do not feel that it is fair that this car is not included in the recall. It is a 2014 Kia Forte, and other 2014 Kia fortes are listed in the recall. The cost of repair is more than what the car is currently valued at. The car has just recently hit 104,000 miles. All the maintenance on the car was routinely taken care of and inspections/emissions have always been up to date.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that in 2021 the engine was replaced under an unknown recall. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts on each occasion. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the vehicle not having an oil change. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the oil was changed every 5,000 miles. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V705000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started making an abnormal sound. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the sound persisted prior to the vehicle stalling. The contact stated an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a piston misfire. The vehicle could not be restarted. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. The VIN was not provided.
Car shuts down while driving. ABS and traction control light comes on, cruise control shuts off, power steering light comes on and no power steering, screens and radio stop working, no a/c or heat, car finally completely shuts down.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine stalled. The contact pulled safely off the road. The contact stated the check engine light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and attempted to drive it home. The contact said that the engine began to make a knocking noise and again stalled. The contact had the vehicle towed to her house and then to the dealer. The dealer mechanic started the vehicle and smoke began to issue out from under the hood. The mechanic turned the vehicle off, no more smoke or fire was noticed after the hood was opened. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH a knocking type noise was suddenly present coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle suddenly stalled and shut off causing the vehicle to abruptly reduce speed. The vehicle was restarted but the failure continued to occur. While examining under the hood black smoke was present coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number 20V750000 (Engine). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 53 MPH at night, the vehicle started shuddering and then stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The vehicle was then towed to the used car dealer where it was purchased. The used car dealer diagnosed that the catalytic converter was misfiring. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving five months later. The vehicle was taken back to the used car dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter was misfiring. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the used car dealer three more times. The used car dealer provided the same diagnostic and repaired the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,800.
On November 2nd of 2020 my vehicle could barely make it up a highway incline, the RPM's would go high but, vehicle could get no speed or shift gears. My car actually cut off on me with no warning and at that time I was not in the slow lane which was dangerous. So I coasted off the exit and the car would not start. The car was towed to dealer and was checked out and repaired for a catalytic converter. Now on November 5th 2022 the vehicle started doing the same exact thing as before. Keep in mind its only been barely over year since converter was replaced. The engine again stalls out while driving and would not start. So, on 02/07/2022 I had a flex pipe put on the car. On 02/09/2022 I took it to an exhaust shop to have it checked. Once again they had to replace the converter due to it being clogged. The repair shop stated that this is a problem with GDI engines and that's it burning more oil causing the converter to clog. So this is unsafe to the consumer where it either stalls out or cuts off without notice. There is a problem because now I'm on my 2nd converter in little more than a year.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle was shaking violently and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who stated that the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle taken to an independent mechanic where she discovered that the vehicle had a defective O2 sensor. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 40 mph, the vehicle began to stall upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled the vehicle into a parking lot and called her husband for assistance. The contact's husband attempted to jump-start the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact then purchased a new battery however, the failure persisted. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where they diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked her failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, her vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta/kappa engines
- Product improvement campaign: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2002Y/z)
- Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2002Y/z)
- Partial repair of c-mdps motor, ECU, worm gear and/or steering column housing
- Maintenance reminder feature
- Partial repair of c-mdps motor, ECU and/or steering column housing
- SC180
- Voluntary emissions service campaign - nu 2.0L GDI sulev catalyst heating logic improvement (SC180)
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
- Risk
- An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Recall number 20V750000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2014 Kia Forte stalling
Is engine stalls while driving a common problem on the 2014 Kia Forte?
30 of 444 owner complaints about the 2014 Kia Forte (7%) mention engine stalls while driving. The model year with the most reports is 2017.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2014 Kia Forte?
There is 1 recall and 27 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2014 Kia Forte
Knocking 90Engine failure 61Check engine light 59Fire or smoke 38Airbag light 35Oil consumption 23Steering noise 20Loss of power 18Headlights 17Won't shift 17No deployment 16Jerking 12Tire blowout 9Won't start 8Adaptive cruise 7Hesitation 7ABS 6Misfire 6Power steering loss 6Fuel pump 5Fuel smell 5Warning lights 5
VIN decoder
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