2014 Kia Forte Problems, Recalls & Reliability
644 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2014 Kia Forte, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 98,696 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2014 Kia Forte sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2014 sits among all Forte years
What owners report
“Car has been serviced regularly and has only 120000 miles on it and the engine has started ticking. The engines bearing are worn out. This is not typical for a car at 120,000 miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forte
“Passenger side window won't work and if you tap on the turn signal the lights flicker in the car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forte
“Unknown had the car only 2 years and the air bag light came on and they have never has been deployed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forte
“Steering wheel is clicking or catching when initiating a turn. Problem is with the steering coupler.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forte
“The vehicle caught on fire. The fire began in the engine compartment while driving on the interstate going approximately 70 mph. Smoke was noticed first and the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road at which time the vehicle was exited and flames began consuming the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forte
“Driving to school and the engine started acting weird and took to Good Year mechanic and I received the attached invoice. Kindly refer to the invoice.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Forte
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 374 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 50,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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.
Fix: 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…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Forte and Forte Koup vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. This will allow the brake lights…
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Forte vehicles manufactured December 5, 2012, to April 17, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the cooling fan resistor may overheat and melt.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and for vehicles produced from December 5, 2012 to January 27, 2014, dealers will replace the cooling fan resistor and multi-fuse unit. For vehicles produced from January 28,…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Technical service bulletins
171 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2014 Kia Forte. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2014 Kia Forte reliable?
The 2014 Kia Forte drew 644 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2014 Kia Forte problems?
The top reported problems for the 2014 Kia Forte are engine (218 complaints), electrical (78), and airbags (63).
At what mileage do 2014 Kia Forte problems show up?
Owners most often report 2014 Kia Forte problems around 80,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 50,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2014 Kia Forte have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2014 Kia Forte. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.