2019 KIA FORTE Electrical System Problems

I am writing to report a recurring and potentially dangerous issue with my Kia Forte. My vehicle has randomly failed to start on multiple occasions, requiring a jump start. More concerning, it has also shut off while I was driving, which is extremely alarming and could have resulted in a serious accident. These incidents have happened several times, and I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle. I suspect this may be related to an electrical issue, as I am also experiencing:     •    Intermittent failure of the backup camera     •    Headlights, brake lights, fog lights, and daytime running lights failing to operate correctly     •    General electrical irregularities throughout the vehicle I have checked for recalls related to Kia Fortes and found that other vehicles of the same make and model have had similar issues. However, there are no active recalls for my VIN, despite experiencing the same or more severe symptoms described in those recalls. This situation is extremely concerning and I believe it warrants further investigation. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue and consider whether additional recalls or safety investigations may be necessary for other Kia Forte owners experiencing similar electrical and engine issues. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I would appreciate any guidance on next steps or how to ensure my vehicle is properly inspected for these safety concerns.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, there was smoke coming from the front driver’s side headlamp, prompting the contact to have her son disconnect the headlamp wiring harness. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the wiring harness showed signs of burn damage. The headlamp warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V771000 (Exterior Lighting), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 105,000.

Mileage: 105,000

In a car accident I got into, my car’s airbags did not deploy like they should have and therefore I got greater injuries than I should have. I believe I hit the steering wheel and I did hurt my chest. Both my elbows were sore as well and as well as both my knees had big bruises on them. My right knee to this day still has a bruise/mark on it, which still does not feel the same since then. Very soon after my claims adjuster actually found out there was a recall on a huge amount of Kia’s because of their airbags not deploying and some type of electrical wiring not working properly or something that has to do with that. However, my year car (2019) was not included in this recall. But as you can see, it should have been. My car got totaled as a result from this accident and I did end up going to the hospital afterwards to get checked out. About two weeks or so before, my car just passed its yearly car inspection. And no, there were no messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to this all.

I’m having the exact same issues as the current recall on 2019 Kia fortes. Which is why I’m not sure why my car isn’t on the recall list. I have gone to the dealership for these exact issues with my car. Headlights not incorrectly going out as soon as they are replaced. going to the dealership several times because of my left tire not knowing what the actual reason is. Looks like it could be the front left. Axle. Also, my CarPlay has been acting up, randomly going out and also displaying the wrong speed in the GPS also glitching while driving not displaying the correct image.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the rear brake lights failed to illuminate while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the A/C was blowing hot air. Additionally, the front and rear passenger’s side windows were rolling down independently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously in a crash, and the frame was overheating. The contact confirmed that the vehicle did not have a Salvage Title. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,900.

Mileage: 100,900

So I've been going back and forth with Kia for a year now my car completely lost all capability of driving and reversing after taking it to the dealer at Perris kia they claimed it was my wiring harness and that I needed to pay $7,200 because I'm the second owner of the vehicle and it's not covered under their 60,000 mile warranty as I have 70,000 on my vehicle that was after 3 months of them having my car and I was not given a rental during this time and when I didn't have the 7200 fixed they threatened to put a lien on my car if I didn't tow it that day out of there so I went and got it and after further research that's the motor blower connector actually melted and messed up the wiring harness which I found on your website that Kia did acknowledge the fact that it is a defective part and how to fix it now I am trying to get my car fixed and they are not cooperating with me and saying that I'm out of warranty but it's not a warranty issue it's a defective part.

I bought this car in July of 2021 and ever since then the car has been burning oil like crazy. I’m talking 1500-2000 miles I am going through 2-3 quarts of oil. As this is a new car this should not be an issue. When my timing went out at 79,000 I mentioned this to the dealership about the tremendous amount of oil it was consuming they blew it off and acted as if it was normal. Also the forward collision warning camera obstructed has been a constant issue especially in the fact that when it happens and I’m going over 40 mph and it’s almost made me crash 2 times because it did it during icy conditions. The light also comes on during the summer on a hot sunny day.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the instrument panel, radio, and A/C were inoperable. The contact also stated that the steering wheel had become firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was a faulty wiring harness, steering, instrument cluster, and additionally the oil drain plug was leaking. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 1,100.

Mileage: 1,100

I have been having issues with my daytime running lights and brake lights going out and then coming back on randomly for almost 2 years . I have lost count of how many bulbs have been replaced. In May 2023, Deland Kia replaced the harness for the rear passenger brake light as they said it was melted, and 3 months later it is happening again. My radio changes stations by itself, my driver window would roll down by itself (window was fixed and hasn't given me any problems since). My forward collision light comes on at random and my car has slammed its brakes when I was nowhere near another car or anything obstructing. My steering wheel will jerk to the right on its own. These cars are death traps.

Alternator overheated and caught on fire.

My car was stolen from a busy street in front of an elementary school while I was in a restaurant eating dinner 100 ft away. The thief was able to break the window and apparently use an iPhone cable and disassemble the ignition to start the car and drive away. It was recovered later that night several miles away. The suspect will likely not be found. I have serious concerns about the ease with which they gained access to the car and their confidence they could do get away with it. The driver was also reckless causing damage to the side. I have not been contacted by Kia that there is anything wrong the car. I think this poses a risk to car owners and other people who use roads because of how easy it is to gain access, and how w recklessly they can be driven. I have strong concerns about the safety mechanism for preventing the car from being started without the key, that has lagged behind other similar cars and made this Kia Forte an easy target for theft. My only confirmation that my specific year could be a target for theft came last night when it was stolen- the company has said nothing to me.

Newer Kia models have such poorly designed security features and body that they have been targets for car thefts. In one year of having this car it has been broken into on two separate occasions and hot wired. Viral social media videos display how to steal Kia’s with ease. From breaking windows, picking locks, and taking the ignition out. Several insurance companies have now dropped Kia owners or raised their fees because of their easy accessibility and high chance of theft. Kia seems to have acknowledged this but I have yet to see a recall, warning, or any action taking for their faulty designs.

It has been a reoccurring problem where the car will suddenly shut off in the middle of driving. I have already taken it to Kia 4 times and the problem has not been fixed. There is a creaking noise and when I specifically turn left, it will trigger the oil light and it will flash. Recently, it has not been starting. It has definitely put my life and other at risk but I have no choice but to drive it because of work and school.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the message "Check Brake Lights" displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. However, upon inspecting the brake lights, her father noticed that the brake lights were operating as designed. The contact stated after her mother had parked the vehicle, her father inspected the brake lights for a second time and noticed that the brake lights had failed and the brake light bulbs had melted. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,100.

Mileage: 50,100

I HAVE LOST POWER PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, CAR HAS LOST ALL FUNCTION WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, 1 TIME WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT THE CAR LOCKED THE WHEELS AND SLAMMED IT ONTO A CURB. EVERY TIME THE SCREEN DISPLAY IN THE CAR GLITCHES. I HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKING APPLIED FOR NO REASON. HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR SHUT OFF (AT NIGHT) KIA HAS HAD THIS CAR MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. I FILED A REPORT WITH KIA CAUSE I WANT MY MONEY BACK AND THIS CAR SHOULD NOT BE SOLD TO AN INDIVIDUAL UNTIL THEY FIGURE IT OUT AND FIX IT. LAST WEEK THE MIRRORS QUIT WORKING AS WELL BUT THEY SAID IT NEEDED A MASTER SWITCH. ALREADY HAD SOME KIND OF COMPUTER RECALL AND TOOK IT IN TO BE REPLACED. CAR STILL SCARES ME TO DRIVE IT. I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM KIA AND WAS TOLD IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE LEMON LAW AS THEY SEEM TO HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT MUCH LESS GET IT TO DUPLICATE FOR A DIAGNOSIS. BUT THE STALLING, GLITCHING AND LOOSING POWER IS ALMOST ALWAYS AT TAKE OFF. ONE TIME I JUST KNEW I WAS GOING TO END UP IN THE HOSPITAL OR MORGUE AS IT WAS A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AT RUSH HOUR. 3 TIMES WAS ON TAKE OFF AND WHEN I WAS MAKING A TURN. SOMETIMES THE SCREEN/RADIO WON'T EVEN WORK OR CONNECT TO ANY DEVICES EITHER. KIA TOLD ME TO RECORD IT HAPPENING, THEY MUST BE CRAZY IT HAPPENS SO FAST ALL I CAN CONCENTRATE ON NOT GETTING INJURED OR KILLED OR INJURING OR KILLING ANYONE ALSO WHEN WE FIRST TOOK THE CAR HOME I NOTICED A BANGING UNDER THE CAR LIKE SOMETHING HITTING UNDER THE FLOOR BOARD TOOK IT TO KIA A FEW TIMES FOR THAT AS WELL AND SINCE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE IT THEY SAID I PROBABLY HAVE A SOMETHING UNDER THE SEATS DOING IT. BUT I TOLD THEM THAT MADE NO SENSE CAUSE COULD FEEL IT UNDER MY FEET WHILE DRIVING IT.

Mileage: 375

PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT,WORKS FOR A THEN GOES OUT

I'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FCW (FORWARD COLLISION WARNING) NOT WORKING PROPERLY OVER A YEAR. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WOULD CORRECT ITSELF, BUT THE PROBLEM BECAME MORE PREVALENT, AND WITH RESEARCH, OTHERS HAVE SAID THEY'VE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AS WELL. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I'VE BEEN MERGING ONTO AN INTERSTATE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 60-65 MPH NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED THE GAS. YESTERDAY WAS WHEN THE REAL ISSUES BEGAN. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET WHEN MY ENTIRE SYSTEM BLACKED OUT. I COULD SEE ANYTHING ON THE SCREEN, AND THIS WAS SURPRISING TO ME BECAUSE I HAD JUST TAKEN MY CAR TO A LOCAL KIA AND THEY SAID THEY HAD UPDATED THE SYSTEM. ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES LATER I VISIT A LOCAL STORE TO PICK UP A FEW ITEMS. THE CAR HAD TO BE OFF ONLY 2 OR 3 MINUTES, WHEN I RETURN AND STARTED TO START THE CAR IT SPUTTERED AND WOULD 'TURN OVER.' I ATTEMPTED A FEW MORE TIMES AND IT FINALLY DID SO. MY CAR ONLY HAD ABOUT 26,000 MILES, THERE IS NO WAY I SHOULD BE EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS AS SUCH, AND I GET IT SERVICED REGULARLY. LASTLY, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME AND I STOPPED AT A FAMILY MEMBERS HOUSE TO PICK UP SOME THINGS AND I PARKED ABOUT 10-15 FEET FROM THE HOUSE AND I LEAVE THE CAR IDLING IN PARK. BEFORE I EVEN WALK AWAY FROM THE CAR, I STOOD AT MY CAR DOOR TALKING FOR ABOUT A MINUTE OR 2. I'M IN THE HOUSE FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES THEM ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE IS A LOUD THUD OUTSIDE. MY CAR HAS MANAGED TO FALL OUT OF GEAR AND ROLL INTO MY FAMILY MEMBERS PORCH. IT SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE TO THE DRIVERS SIDE BUMPER AND FENDER. WITH MORE RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL AS WELL. THIS CAR IS BASICALLY A LEMON.

Mileage: 26,087

PROBLEM 1, LONG CRANK HARD START. HAVE TO CYCLE THE IGNITION KEY SEVERAL TIMES TO GET ENGINE STARTED. NO PCM CODES. HAD TO KIA DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES. CANNOT DUPLICATE ISSUE. PROBLEM 2, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES BLANK, RADIO GOES BLANK AND ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN.

Mileage: 62

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA FORTE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SOY BASED WIRING ATTRACTED RODENTS, WHICH CHEWED THE WIRES AND CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TO SHORT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOU FUSZ KIA (1025 N LINDBERGH BLVD, ST LOUISE, MO 63132, (3124) 595-4900) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE FACTORY OR EXTENDED WARRANTIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE DOWNSTREAM OXYGEN AND TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SENSORS, WHICH WAS A ONE TIME REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,200.

Mileage: 2,200

HIT A PARKING SPACE BUMPER WITH FRONT BUMPER, PASSENGER SIDE, LOWER EDGE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, DASH MSGS SAID I HAD STEERING PROBLEMS, ABS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE FAILURE AND TO SEE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. CALLED KIA ROADSIDE SERVICE AND REPORTED DASH MSGS AND THEY SAID NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND TOWED IT IN TO SALT LAKE CITY DEALER. DEALER REFUSED WARRANTY SVC BECAUSE OF BUMPER DAMAGE AND ADVISED WIRING HARNESS OUT, $4200 REPAIR OR $468. PATCH REPAIR. IS THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE WITH WIRING HARNESS ABLE TO BE KNOCKED OUT FROM HITTING A PARKING SPACE BUMPER WITH SLIGHT LOWER EDGE DAMAGE, THAT COULD ALSO BE CAUSED BY ROCK BOUNCING UP FROM HIGHWAY OR ANY OTHER ROAD MATERIAL THAT IS ENCOUNTERED EVERY DAY. MILEAGE WAS 11496 AT TIME OF TOWING IN TO JERRY SEINER, KIA DEALER CASE 13347285

Mileage: 11,496