2013 Kia Forte Problems

What owners report

Nearly all of the 80 sampled complaints for this model year center on the engine: owners describe a ticking or knocking noise that appears during ordinary driving and then progresses to loss of power, stalling or a seized engine, with several mentioning smoke or fire in the engine bay. Brake complaints are the second most common theme, largely involving sticking pedals, brake lights that stay on and recall notifications. Most reports come in between roughly 40,000 and 140,000 miles.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine knock, stalling and seizure

   • 74 complaints (38%)
   • median 86,247 mi at 6.8 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,600 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe a light ticking or knocking from the engine bay that starts during ordinary driving or acceleration and grows louder over days or weeks, often said to be more noticeable at cold start. Many then report sudden loss of power at highway speed, sometimes with the engine unable to restart, and mechanics diagnosing rod bearing or piston ring damage and recommending full engine replacement. Several owners state the dealer confirmed the failure but declined to cover it, citing mileage, warranty status, second ownership or missing maintenance records. Spread from about 40,000 to 140,000 miles, with many reports in the 60,000-100,000 mile range during normal driving and highway speeds.

   Recall 20V7500004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for ticking or knocking at cold start and on light acceleration, and check for a smoke or burnt smell under the hood. Ask whether the DTC P1326 engine campaign work or any engine replacement was performed, and keep oil change records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought a 2013 in the year of 2014 it only had 2300 miles and at 61000 the motor was blown I call Kia and they said they could not help me because it was 6000 miles so I had to have a motor put in I had the motor put in about in december my car just stop I had it tow to Kia and they said it through a rod. Is there any help out there for me.”

   NHTSA complaint #11320441, filed 2020-04, 130,000 miles

   “The oil engine light came on while the car was at idle. Turn the engine off and it failed to restart. I had the car towed to the nearest dealer and after numerous times of them trying at starting the car, the car started up only to shut off. Then they checked it out again to find that the engine had lock up. Now I am being asked to pay for a new engine or get a new car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10776599, filed 2015-09, 46,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Sticking brake pedal and brake lights staying on

   • 29 complaints (15%)
   • median 77,672 mi at 4.7 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe the brake pedal sticking and needing a tap to release, and in some cases brakes engaging on their own or the pedal going to the floor. Others report brake lights staying on while driving, the shift lever moving without the pedal depressed, or abnormal shaking while braking. Dealers have pointed to the brake pedal stopper pad recall, a master cylinder, or have not diagnosed the cause. Reported from about 30,000 to 200,000 miles, during both city and highway driving.

   Recall 17V773000Recall 23V6520001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have someone watch the brake lights while you press and release the pedal to confirm they go out, and ask whether the brake pedal stopper pad and hydraulic control unit recalls have been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My brake peddle began to stick. I would have to tap on the brake peddle to get it to unstick. I took my car to the Kia dealer near me. They told me it could be due the the brake stopper recall. They wanted to do a diagnostic test then. Which I could not afford at that time. The problem got worse. The brakes actually started engaging on their own. One time I was on the hwy and had to pull over and tap on my brakes to get them to unengage . I took my car back tp the dealer had them do the diagnostics. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11311597, filed 2020-02, 79,979 miles

   “The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V773000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, other drivers were honking at him. The contact’s brother, who was following behind in another vehicle, alerted the contact that the brake lights failed to illuminate while the vehicle was stopping. Additionally, the transmission was able to shift gears while the vehicle was turned off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11510866, filed 2023-03, 94,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine bay smoke and fire reports

   • 25 complaints (13%)
   • median 95,200 mi at 8.3 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2024

   Owners report smoke or flames coming from the engine compartment while driving, while parked, or shortly after a stall. Several describe the vehicle being totaled by insurance after a fire, and some mention a burning odor or smoke coming through the vents before stopping. A number of these reports are paired with notices for engine and brake-system recalls, and several owners state the recall parts were not available or the work was not done. Mostly reported between roughly 70,000 and 200,000 miles, at various speeds as well as while parked.

   Recall 20V750000Recall 23V652000

   What to check: Check whether all open engine and brake-system recalls have actually been completed on the vehicle, with documentation, and look for melted or discolored wiring and residue in the engine bay.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Kia went on fire and I was never notified by Kia, I found out from carfax and set up appointment to have this recall fixed and found out there was 2 recalls. Set up the appt for saturday, while my car was parked and off I ran into the store came out and my car was on fire all of the dashboard all behind it. My car was totaled by insurance. 2 days after my car goes on fire I am suddenly getting red emergency recall notices in the mail. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11398959, filed 2021-03, 74,000 miles

   “The contact owned a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while parked, a passerby observed fire emanating from the engine compartment. The origin of the fire was unknown. The police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a lot where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11550633, filed 2023-10, 200,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a crash

   • 11 complaints (6%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2025

   Owners describe frontal airbags failing to deploy in collisions, including rear impacts and front-corner hits where the vehicle was totaled. Some mention an illuminated airbag warning light and a dealer diagnosis of a pretensioner or control unit fault, and several note their vehicle was not covered by the airbag control unit recall despite matching symptoms. Reported across a wide mileage range, roughly 34,000 to 120,000 miles, in crash situations at various speeds.

   Recall 18V363000

   What to check: Confirm the airbag warning light cycles off after start-up, and check by VIN whether the airbag control unit recall applies and was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was in an accident. I was sitting still when I was struck from the rear by a dully truck that was traveling greater than 40 miles per hour. I was pushed approximately 4 feet into the car in front of me. My airbag did not deploy and my seat broke. The seat is in the reclined position. The adjuster totaled the car due to damage.”

   NHTSA complaint #10889314, filed 2016-07, 76,000 miles

   “I received a letter from Kia dated july 27 regarding a recall on airbags. On july 28, I was in a car accident with a drunk driver, and my airbags did not deploy. The car is totaled, and I no longer have it. There is a police and collision report. - (recall related incident) ts”

   NHTSA complaint #11118949, filed 2018-08, 100,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Steering wheel sticking or binding

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the steering wheel sticking at the straight-ahead position, both while parked and while driving, with a feeling that something in the steering column is binding. Some also mention power steering assist dropping out during an engine failure. Reported from about 29,000 to 89,000 miles, at low speeds and while parked as well as in motion.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the wheel slowly through the straight-ahead position at a standstill and at low speed and feel for a notch or bind, and ask whether the steering column motor repair bulletin was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving on interstate I-70 md at 65mph when I heard a ticking sound and I wasnt getting any power. Car was struggling to move when all the sudden bang!!!! Smoke, plastic and metal went flying everywhere from the engine bay, ricocheting off the asphalt towards the sides of my vehicle and other cars trailing behind me. Cars swerved to avoid the debris from hitting their vehicles. Power steering went out and I struggled to move the car over to the shoulder across another lane. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11386011, filed 2021-01, 56,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, he depressed the accelerator pedal to change lanes and heard an abnormal knocking noise sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the knocking sound occurred whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine rod bearings needed to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11506629, filed 2023-02, 29,000 miles

Buying note. The sampled complaints for this model year are dominated by engine noise, stalling and engine replacement, so a pre-purchase inspection focused on engine noise and recall history is worthwhile. Confirm which open recalls have actually been completed and ask for maintenance records before deciding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.