Im getting denied dued to engine failure but whoever had the vehicle before didn't follow up with the ksds update, I just purchased the vehicle on June 30th,2026, I need this fixed ASAP because I still owe on this car.
2016 Kia Forte engine problems
67 complaints (49% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 67,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 67
- of this car's complaints
- 49%
- typical mileage
- 67,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Kia Forte engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Kia Forte engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Knocking 18Engine failure 17Stalling 16Check engine light 15Loss of power 13
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2016 Kia Forte owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My 2016 Kia Forte had a recall that was never performed and I was never told anything about the car fax or any recalls from where I got the car from, it needs a engine repair.
Car runs fine at lower speeds. When traveling over 50 mph for ten minutes or more, then decelerating or stopping in traffic or at a stop light it stalls. It cranks right back up after you put it neutral and turn the key. We’ve almost been rear ended twice since this started. The car has only been driven about 3000 miles a year over the past 7 years and only about 45 mph. It has been to two shops and hasn’t been driven since May 15th.
Unknown it makes a ticking noise check engine light came on and oil isn't low. Recently bought it.
This Forte was not neglected and it was not abused. Nearly 90% of its miles came from highway commuting and interstate travel. It was completely stock, never modified, never driven hard. More importantly, it received fully synthetic oil changes every 3k-4k miles since new, well ahead of what Kia or the oil manufacturer even recommends, because I intended to keep this car long term. All of that is verifiable through Carfax. The engine failure came without meaningful warning. While driving, I noticed an unusual noise and pulled over as quickly as safely possible. I checked the dash expecting some kind of indicator and found nothing. No check engine light, no oil pressure warning. A nearby mechanic found the engine more than 2.5 quarts low on oil despite the vehicle being only about 3,300 miles into a fresh synthetic oil change. There were no external leaks. No oil spots at home, none at work. Nothing to explain where that oil went. After topping it off, the noise briefly stopped. With no warning lights on and the noise stopped, I thought we had caught it in time. I even felt confident enough to also have the mechanic change the transmission fluid as it was about due again. However, a few miles later, the engine suffered complete failure. Violent shaking, severe knock, then the check engine light came on. I shut it down immediately and pushed it home. Once home, I checked the oil again and found it had unusually darkened in an extremely short period of time. The vehicle has not been driven since and is currently inoperable. What troubles me most, beyond the financial loss, is that this vehicle gave me no real opportunity to save it. The oil pressure warning light never illuminated. More than two quarts of oil vanished within a single service interval with no external source and no indication whatsoever, even with checking the level periodically. I went above and beyond in maintaining this vehicle and still lost the engine. This could have been a catastrophe on the road
While driving on I-95 at 60mph the car began to jump as it attempted to shift gears and the speed stalled to where it slowed down to 20mph and would not go any faster. The car slowed while I was in the fast lanes of the highway and I had to work my way to the right to the slower lanes to avoid abusing traffic congestion or any accidents. It was scary. Separately, my engine light has been on for the last year. I recently had the MAPs replaced and the light went off for two days and came back. It’s a steady continuous light, no flashing. The analysis check gives some other reason for the light but when checked it doesn’t fix the issue.
Point 1)CVVT pin was sheared off. Not available for inspection, was replaced and discarded by KIA. Point 2)The vehicle had a rough start and stalled out while stopping. Had to have the car towed to the dealership. Point 3) UNKNOWN Point 4) No Point 5) The Check Engine Light would come on and off randomly. Code P0017 & P0016 would come up as pending when the engine light was on.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed and then stalled. The contact stated that the "Battery" symbol was illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine connecting rod bearings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
I purchased the 2016 Kia Forte on [XXX] from Bald Hill Kia in Warwick, RI. Within the first 30 days, there was a knocking noise which turned out to be the knocking sensor. I took the car to be checked on 11/1/2022 and paid to replace the knock sensor. On [XXX], the knock sensor acted up again so the knock sensor had to be replaced again. They also found a small evap leak and the charcoal canister was cracked and replaced. On 12/9/2022, the engine assembly was replaced. On [XXX], the check engine light came on and the O2 sensor was replaced. On 1/5/2023, the catalytic converter had to be replaced. On 1/16/2023, the canister purge valved was replaced. On 8/29/2023, the catalytic converter had to be replaced again. On 6/11/2024, the catalytic converter had to be replaced a third time! Over a year passed and on Saturday afternoon on [XXX] the check engine light turned on again and Kia was closed on Sunday so I took the car to Firestone for a diagnostic test and it turned out that it was the catalytic converter for the 4th time. I dropped off the car in 8/4/2025 and I'm waiting to see if the car can get looked at this week to confirm the problem for a 4th time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal to merge onto the highway, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an auto parts store, where it was scanned, and DTC: P1326; was retrieved. The contact stated that the code indicated a Knock Sensor Detection system failure. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the contact was informed that the manufacturer had advised the dealer not to diagnose the vehicle due to an incomplete oil change history. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
Questions about the 2016 Kia Forte engine
Does the 2016 Kia Forte have engine problems?
Owners have filed 67 complaints about the engine of the 2016 Kia Forte, 49% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2016 Kia Forte engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 67,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Kia Forte engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Kia Forte have bad engine?
The Kia Forte model years with the most engine complaints are 2014 (220 complaints), 2012 (167 complaints) and 2015 (164 complaints).
Other 2016 Kia Forte problems
Electrical 23Transmission 16Acceleration 14Airbags 13Lights 11Brakes 10Fuel system 7Driver assistance 6Wheels 6Body 5Steering 5Suspension 3Visibility 2Seat belts 1Seats 1Tires 1
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