2021 KIA FORTE Engine Problems

I am writing to report a serious safety concern involving my Kia vehicle. Shortly after getting an oil change, my car began making unusual noises and then suddenly stopped working in the middle of a busy intersection. This unexpected stall created a dangerous situation for both myself and other drivers. After having it towed to the dealership, it comes down to an engine malfunction which was not covered by my warranty since it just hit 70,000 miles. I have since learned that other Kia owners have experienced similar issues, and I am concerned this may be related to a larger defect or recall issue. I wanted to report this incident to ensure it is properly documented and investigated.

2021 Kia Forte VIN# [XXX] 107,000 miles While driving my Kia Forte on [XXX] i experienced a sudden noise without warning just 2 months to the exact date after an oil change. The vehicle became unsafe to operate and could not accelerate properly. In some cases it would no have it would feel like it was losing power and creating a scary and dangerous situation. A certified mechanic diagnosed there was no oil in my vehicle which matches the oil consumption defect identified in Kia's Theta II GDI engine recalls and nationwide class action settlement. Kia has acknowledged in public filing that is defect poses a risk of engine seizing and fire. Although my VIN is not currently listed under any active recall, my vehicle exhibits the exact same defect pattern as recalled vehicles, including sudden loss of power at highway speeds which is a significant safety hazard. Manufactures Response: I contacted Kia Corporate to request an engine replacement consistent with the recall and the settlement remedies and they refused to cover the repair solely because my VIN is not included in the recall list despite the defect being identical. Safety Concern: The sudden loss of power creates a risk of rear-end collisions, loss of control and potential fire. This defect can be life threatening and should not be excluded from recall coverage simply due to VIN range. Requested Action: I am requesting that NHTSA investigate why vehicles with identical engine defects, including mine have been excluded from recall coverage and compel Kia to provide a no-cost repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 2021 Kia forte GT is currently sitting in my driveway, undriveable. It started about 3months or so ago I had realized I was getting more and more frequent oil changes to the point where the car would be consuming a quart of oil in at least a week or less. Fast forward to this previous week, I now had a hard knock/rattle within my engine. The engine gave way on my way home which is a significant safety issue to myself and those who were driving around me. I have contacted Kia customer as they have had previous complaints as well as a lawsuit on the engine for the excessive engine oil consumption leading to possible engine failure. There’s no reason why an only 4 year old car should have a blown motor. I am thankful that I am personally ok and didn’t hurt anyone else while in the midst of driving my vehicle home.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cylinders and pistons had failed, and the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,532.

Mileage: 93,532

On Saturday, March 1, 2025, I took my 2021 Kia Forte LXS for a routine oil change. I had NO PRIOR issues, warning lights or anything with my vehicle. The oil change was performed. I then drove my vehicle less than 20 miles, the vehicle would then not accelerate and started to bog down. I was able to get my vehicle off the major I-4 interstate, however eventually the vehicle then shut down. The vehicle now will still start however is making this terrible clicking noise. I have had video of the engine running looked at by several mechanics who states the engine is blown. I have contacted Kia who clearly has known engine issues on several of their Fortes however Kia continues to state since mine is not currently on recall, they are not taking responsibility. Kia know they have several recalls due to engine issues. I cannot get a mechanic to work on my vehicle due to the recalls as mechanics only want to put in brand new engines due to Kia engine recalls. A new engine will cost upwards of $10,000. Again, Kia knows and had several recalls with engine issues

This car was sold to me without disclosing that the manufacture failed to have a engine security system on the car to at least "deter" auto theft.If the key to the car was programmed/chipped like other cars, it would provide at least some level of protection. I've already stopped car thieves from trying to steal it once by pure luck, but I'm like the thousands out there constantly worried that someone's going to try to take it in lieu of the social media challenges.The horrible settlement that out government gave us was to upgrade the software which provides NO help with deterring thieves from breaking in and trying to steal it.The reimbursement provided in the settlement is complete joke, and doesn't offer to properly repair or reimburse for after-market security systems.This is evident from the fact that insurance companies still won't insure this car, even after the software upgrade. The insurance companies are telling me that they still won't insure the car even with upgrade because it doesn't stop thieves from breaking into the car and causing comprehensive damage to the car.I can only find a few insurance companies that will insure the car, and the premium cost is twice as much as I pay to insure a car that's worth twice as much money! If our government or NHTSA was truly concerned, they would have demanded that the manufacture make significant change to the ignition/engine starter, i.e., changing out the ignition switch system with a programmed/chipped key, and/or engine starter kill without said key. If the manufacture and the government made this change a required "recall" to properly fix and advertised it nationwide, THEN thieves would at least be less inclined to cause damage, and insurance companies would feel more comfortable about taking the risk. This ongoing expense/problem for me has me seriously considering if anyone in my family should every purchase another KIA/Hyundai product again. Stand behind your product with some INTEGRITY.

I get regularly scheduled oil changes but the car is making a noise like a rod knock

I purchased this care new, and the manufacture did not disclose that the vehicle was NOT made with an engine immobilizer, or any theft prevention outside a basic door lock. (Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, No. 8:22-ML-3052 JVS(KESx) (C.D. Cal.). I've already stopped the theft once and scared away the thief's, but now I can't find insurance companies to insure the vehicle. The 2 companies that I did find for insurance, charge 15% of the value of the vehicle for comprehensive and collision coverage. Even with the useless class action lawsuit settlement to upgrade the software, this is NOT stopping the thieves from breaking into the cars, and NOT impressing the insurance companies either as they won't insure this expensive asset. I've never seen so much deception in the automotive industry. The government should mandate a recall to install a KIA or aftermarket security system in this car with a starter kill & visual blinking lights to stop the theft. They should also be required to make national awareness messages to communicate that all affected vehicles will have security systems installed and theft will no longer be possible. This would STOP the problems and continuing extreme costs to the customers.

While driving on the interstate, multiple dash lights came on, the engine started knocking and shutting down. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and was found that the oil plug had fallen out, causing the oil to drain out and ruin the motor.

Transmission overheating and dragging… weird smell and noise and scrubbing sound when turning the steering wheel. Only 50k miles on car

Service engine light turns off then comes back on. Get message engine failure. Scanner at dealership scanned 15 codes relating to misfires on all cylinders. Positive battery terminal caked up real bad causing arcing and melting plastic. Last I heard from dealership was possibly a engine replacement.

My Kia forte 21 that I owned for less than 2 years, stalled out while driving on 20 April 23. The engine light came on. I checked the oil and there was none , despite having regular maintenance being performed. No light indicators appeared informing me that my vehicle had no oil left. My vehicle had 21,234 miles when the engine failed. Kia has yet to contact me or assist me with this matter. I could’ve possibly died while driving on the highway and my car randomly stalling out.

Mileage: 21,234

Engine is very noisy for quite some time before getting quiet. 40000 miles. Lifters making a lot of noise. Possibly a failing oil pump.

My main issue is concerning a critical design flaw that has been found due to a social media challenge called the Kia Challenge where people are able to start up and steal a Kia after only using a USB cord adapter (found near the key start on the steering wheel) without needing a key. This has caused a concerning increase in the theft of Kias across the country which has also affected my insurance rates. After repeatedly trying to contact Kia for two days on August 2nd and August 3rd, I was finally able to get in contact with customer service concerning the recent issue with Kias (model years of 2011 to 2021 with manual key start steering wheels) that are being stolen by just using a USB cord to turn on the car without a key. After waiting on hold for an hour, the customer service agent was extremely rude and uncaring about my concerns as my area is also being affected by these recent car thefts. My insurance rates have also gone up due to the overall riskiness of owning these cars and their likelihood of being stolen because it has a key start for the engine. After doing research on the information available to me, I found out that Kia higher-ups approved measures to cut the costs by not including automobile immobilizers that have been the industry standard for a little over 20s years. It makes no sense that my older 2018 model Camry has industry standard parts but my 2021 Kia Forte does not. I am highly aggravated that I am stuck having to pay for a vehicle that has a higher likelihood of being stolen all because the company wanted to save a few dollars and not include immobilizers on their cars until the 2022 models. I am highly upset that Kia, their reps, and dealers have displayed an abhorrent lack of concern in trying to fix this issue as this prevents me from having to go to important job sites for work. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Link to story https://www.insider.com/tiktok-kia-challenge-using-usb-cables-to-steal-cars-2022-7

While driving down the highway, the entire crank pulley system fell out from under the car and onto the highway.

Ticking sound under hood at 35000 miles

Car completely shut down while in drive on 2 separate occasions leading it to be towed to dealership.