2020 Kia Forte Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 16about this part
- Share
- 21%of 78 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 17,600miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 16 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2020 Kia Forte, 21% of the 78 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 17,600 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On september 1st, 2020, I was at a stop and needed to go northbound on a busy intersection. I saw the opportunity to go so I stepped on the gas but my vehicle would barely accelerate which put me in harms way of oncoming traffic. For a moment there I thought I was going to get t-boned. This issue needs to get resolved as soon as possible!”
NHTSA complaint #11353191, filed 2020-09, 4,200 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11637111, filed 2025-01“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11732868, filed 2026-04“While I am driving it is hard shifting and idling high, sometimes it doesn't want to pick up speed when starting from a stop. The wheels locked up going down a off ramp. There are no warning lights or anything on the dash. I will have it checked Monday but this started out of the blue. I have had regular maintenance on the vehicle and have all my receipts for proof. This is a serious issue especially with the wheels not functioning right and speed control is fluctuating.”
NHTSA complaint #11506820, filed 2023-02“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11668890, filed 2025-06Related service bulletins
- 11029037Feb 19, 2026VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC199 FL301) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Voluntary Service Campaign to…
- 11017172Apr 17, 2025TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
- 11004930Jul 11, 2024TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IVT OIL PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACEMENT: This bulletin provides information to replace the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) Oil Pressure Sensor…
- 11000787May 16, 2024This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission…
- 10238485Jun 12, 2023TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IVT SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT AND/OR IVT REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the Transmission Control Module (TCM) software…
- 10238222Jun 12, 2023VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: IVT SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT AND/OR IVT REPLACEMENT (SC199) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information…
- 10226555Nov 18, 2022TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity…
- 10217922Aug 18, 2022VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: IVT SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT AND/OR IVT REPLACEMENT (SC199) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information…
- 10216497Jul 21, 2022VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: IVT SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT AND/OR IVT REPLACEMENT (SC199) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information…
- 10210265Apr 7, 2022TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IVT SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT AND/OR IVT REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the Transmission Control Module (TCM) software…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 15% |
| 2023 | 8 | 12% |
| 2022 | 2 | 7% |
| 2021 | 7 | 10% |
| 2020 | 16 | 21% |
| 2019 | 48 | 32% |
| 2018 | 8 | 6% |
| 2017 | 12 | 4% |
| 2016 | 16 | 12% |
| 2015 | 17 | 6% |
| 2014 | 18 | 4% |
| 2013 | 10 | 5% |
| 2012 | 11 | 4% |
| 2011 | 18 | 12% |
| 2010 | 23 | 10% |
Other parts of the 2020 Kia Forte
26 complaintsEngine
20 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsForward collision avoidance
6 complaintsAir bags
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsLane departure
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2020 Kia Forte
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology