Kia Forte transmission failure problems

Filed May 15, 2026 · Transmission · 200,000 miles · MI

The contact leased a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle began to chug. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a transmission replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The contact eventually purchased the vehicle. After the purchase, the failure recurred. While driving, the vehicle began to chug without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Filed Apr 21, 2026 · Transmission · OH

I am reporting a transmission failure in my 2020 Kia Forte with approximately 54,000 miles. The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete transmission failure on March 19, 2026, on the highway from Cleveland to Cincinnati. after being owned for less than seven months. The vehicle is now at a dealership 2.5 hours away, requiring a full transmission replacement. This appears to be a premature failure and not consistent with normal wear and tear for a vehicle with this mileage. I am aware of a Technical Service Bulletin issued by Kia regarding IVT transmission issues in 2019–2021 Kia Forte models, which may be related to this failure. As well as legal investigations and lawsuits regarding said transmission models. Given the safety implications and potential for loss of power while driving, I am submitting this complaint for review.

Filed Oct 5, 2025 · Transmission · RI

My daughter was driving on the highway. She was driving at 65 mph and then the car started to jolt a couple of times. She kept driving and then it started to feel sluggish and lost some power. Would not accelerate over 45 mph. She was almost rear ended several times and people continually swerving in and out around her as she couldn’t maintain the car at a normal pace. It eventually wouldn’t go over 35 mph. Extremely DANGEROUS speed on a highway commute. She was able to finally get off highway. The car stalled. No warning lights ever lit. She was close to home at this point. Drove it home with barely any power. Got it towed to the dealer and transmission was blown and they will not cover it because it’s past warranty of 5 yrs (2nd owner). The car is a 2019 with 53k miles. It should not need a new transmission. Apparently this car is now having many transmission issues. There was a service campaign issued by Kia back in 2018, 2020, and 2022 for this exact problem. Clearly there is an ongoing issue with their transmission. But since it is not a recall, the consumer has no way of know this until after it’s too late. When a transmission just shuts down without any warning, this is a MAJOR safety issue as you no longer are able to properly drive the vehicle. This should be a RECALL. Not an in-house technical bulletin announcement. There’s an abundance of safety concerns associated with this. Let’s not wait for somone to get killed in a car crash because it’s not being corrected by doing a recall on these transmissions that is a continual ongoing issue.

Filed Sep 3, 2025 · Driver assistance, Transmission · 14,000 miles · IN · crash

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Forte GT. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH on an off-ramp and making a right turn, the lane assist feature had malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to steer and crash into the guard rail. During the incident, the passenger side of the vehicle was damaged along with the guard rail. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was driven away. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Previously, while driving, the vehicle had experienced transmission failures, causing the vehicle to jerk and shudder while attempting to accelerate. The RMPS failed to increase over 1.5 and failed to accelerate during normal mode however, in sports mode, the vehicle performed normally. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 14,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2025 · Transmission · NE

We were driving on vacation in the Nevada desert on a Sunday when the RPMs began to bounce between 2,000 and 4,000 RPMs causing the carto jerk back and forth when we were going up hill. This continued until it got to the point where the engine was going 8,000 RPMs but we were not moving forward. It felt like when driving a stick shift and you are out of gear. We pulled off and were towed to St. George, UT. The tow truck said it was the transmission and that we should go to a Kia dealer because it would be covered by warranty. No warning lights came on. Our mileage was 70,000 miles. The dealer said they could not find anything wrong and suggested it was bad gas. After paying $150 we were sent on our way back home through the mountains. We got about 20 minutes on the road when the car starting doing the same thing again as we went up hill. We immediately turned around and made it to the dealer in St. George. They checked the car again and found the transmission fluid was black instead of red. They eventually got approval from Kia for a new transmission. It ended up taking 5 days to finally get our car working. while the transmission installation was covered, we ended having to pay $2,000 in out of pocket expenses. Kia claims to have a Trip Interruption Policy to cover expenses when they have a failure covered by warranty when you are on vacation. At best, it only covers $100 per day for a maximum of 3 days ($300). But you have to have pre-approval before they will even pay that little amount. We made a mistake buying a Kia but it is one we will never make again. It was interesting to see how many similar transmission incidents with the 2020 Forte have happened when they hit 70,000 miles.

Filed Apr 11, 2025 · Transmission · IL

Transmission from the original factory failed on it. I was driving when the engine check engine light came on and my car started ringing at me to get it serviced. I got the transmission replaced and not even 2 days later a brand new transmission failed yet again. This time the transmission (new) was revving up and down while driving at a consistent speed for a few minutes. Then my car started slipping gears when I tried to accelerate. The check engine light then came on again after my car started slipping gears stating to get it serviced. It is currently having its THIRD transmission put in.

Filed Apr 7, 2025 · Engine · NJ

Hi I had my Kia forte GT 2022 for 3 years and my engine light has been on for about 3 months now . I get a check up and an oil change regularly. It comes on and goes off . I told my mechanic and he said I might have to get a new transmission. I only had this brand new car for 3 years . Is there a defect in these Kia forte GT or a recall .

Filed Feb 20, 2025 · Transmission · OK

The transmission went out while driving, entering the highway. It was intermittently missing a gear or slipping in about 2nd or 3rd gear. I first noticed it going about 40 mph and trying to accelerate to highway speeds. It was during a winter storm and other vehicles behind me had to brake unexpectedly. I wasn't sure if I felt for sure, so I continued to drive through many inclines and declines. The inclines became more difficult and the inability to maintain consistent speeds. I drove gently to the nearest Kia dealership which was in Salt Lake City about 60 miles away, where they informed me that I needed a new transmission. The car had about 75,000 miles on it and I bought it as a certified Pre-owned Kia with about 4,000 miles on it. The dealership plugged in the diagnostic code reader. But there were no codes detected. The service tech drove the car and felt the issue. A warranty representative inspected it about a week later. There were no warning lamps while I drove (mostly coasting downhill) from Rock Springs, WY. When I arrived to Salt Lake City, the triangle warning light came on. I drove about 10 more miles and the engine light came on. Almost all mileage has been on highways and at highways speeds as I commuted 75 miles each way for work on a turnpike between eastern Oklahoma and Fayetteville, Arkansas. There was little city driving. I lived in a small town. So, I had to travel state highways for most all errands (groceries, medical, etc.). There were no mechanical issues with the car ever until this.

Filed Feb 11, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · TX

I purchased this vehicle from Carvana, used, with 58000 miles. I have had all the oil changes and regular maintenance performed. However, this car has been very unreliable. One time in November 2023, all the electrical went out while I was driving down the highway going 50 mph. The power steering and all dashboard lights turned off and the car shut down. Were it not for the fact the road was straight and I could veer off slightly to stop on the side of the road, I could have experienced a crash. Others have pointed this out about KIA cars. More recently, I had to replace the entire transmission at 90,000 miles. I have never had a car that needed a totally new transmission under 100,000 miles or at all. The cost of all the unexpected repairs, design incompetencies, and consequences, including having to get a rental car, was around $4,500. The KIA cars from 2010 - 2021 also were not equipped with an engine mobilizer, which increased their rate of theft. This cost me a higher auto insurance bill as a result. It is clear KIA throws their cars together and puts anything they can on the market, then deny any responsibility and just say, "Oh, you don't have a warranty?" As if it's your fault for wanting a basic car to do basic things. Not having a car in the dead of winter with a big storm was pretty scary. That was me in Mississippi in January of 2025. The KIA dealership there in Brandon was almost incapable of repairing it, returning it to me three times and saying it was fine, with me driving off and a warning light coming on or the car saying the engine was now overheating. These are bad cars. They should not be sold to US consumers. This is a scam operation. I have the receipts for repairs and having to get a rental car, if needed.

Filed Jan 20, 2025 · Transmission · TX

My vehicle has 74,000 miles on it. While driving on the highway at 70 mph, the RPMs began fluctuating erratically, jumping from 2,000 to 3,000 and then from 2,000 to 5,000 before the car completely slipped into neutral. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere. Took it to the dealership and since it's out of warranty they quoted me 3500 American dollars to replace the transmission. Don't buy a Kia.