2022 Kia Forte Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Engine, brake, and structural issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on Author: Brian Jones | Reviewer: Sergei Lemberg

Updated on Author: Brian Jones Reviewer: Sergei Lemberg

The 2022 Kia Forte is a modern car in an era where sedans seem to be taking a back seat. To counteract this, the automaker claims it is “sleek and sporty.” However, this tagline isn’t helping customers with Fortes that have faulty brakes, serious engine problems, or structural issues.

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NHTSA Complaints for the 2022 Kia Forte

Complaint CategoryNumber of Complaints
Unknown Or Other
2
Back Over Prevention: Warnings
1
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
1
Service Brakes
1
Engine And Engine Cooling
1

Most Common Problems with the 2022 Kia Forte

Problems experienced by owners of the 2022 Kia Forte are varied. Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) mention 4 components and systems: back over prevention, brakes, and forward collision avoidance. Several are highlighted as safety issues.

Problems that complaints highlight range from engine damage caused by overheating to the fact that the Kia Forte doesn’t come with a spare tire.

While there are no complaints relating to steering for the sedan, there is a recall issued because some steering columns are not properly secured. As NHTSA Campaign Number 22V304000 points out, “Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.” The problem is that a bolt in the steering column may be unsecured. The danger is that the steering column could detach from the steering rack, which would be likely to result in a loss of steering control.

2022 Kia Forte Electrical System Problems

With a functional electrical system, most other flaws could be overlooked. On the other hand, when these systems fail, everything becomes cumbersome and annoying.

One Edmunds review points out a single aspect that is causing problems. “Infotainment system turns off after 10 minutes if engine isn’t running (listening to music during lunch break is a challenge).”

For now, Kia has remained quiet about electrical system issues. The automaker would rather keep the problems tucked away, hidden from car shoppers looking at the new model. However, customers are speaking louder than the advertisements and fake news about the Forte. The car might look “sleek and sporty,” but that’s as far as it ever goes. There are no brains behind the beauty.

Faulty Brake Problems

One of the indications that a vehicle might be a lemon is recurring problems that affect the use and safety of the vehicle.

The owner of a 2022 Kia Forte from Alabama states that “on multiple occasions, the car slams on brakes in the middle of traffic. It’s like it has a mind of its own. I can back up, and a car can be passing by all the way across the street, and the car will beep and slam on brakes.”

Sometimes while driving, “the car will just slam on brakes” even though there are no other cars nearby. “That has almost caused me multiple accidents and I’m afraid that one day it will. The safety feature on this car is very dangerous.”

Engine and Engine Cooling Problems

It seems that it isn’t only the bolts in the steering column that are a problem. A Forte owner from Connecticut had to have the engine replaced because of a faulty engine pulley bolt. The car in question had only 608 miles on the clock.

The complaint states that “while driving (at) approximately 65 mph the vehicle suddenly started revving without driver input. The battery and high engine temperature warning lights illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with engine damage due to the overheating caused by a faulty engine pulley bolt.”

The owner of the Forte was told that the engine needed to be replaced. The issue hadn’t been resolved when the complaint was filed.

Structural Problems

We realize that the Kia Forte is a reasonably priced sedan, but some issues seem to be related to cutting down on manufacturing costs. Here’s an example of problems with the structure from another NHTSA complaint.

Having bought a new, black 2022 Kia Forte FE/L on November 9, 2021, less than a month later, an owner from Texas was already having problems.

The AC stopped working, so he took it to the Kia dealership in Katy. “The supervisor said it had no Freon in it and it was safe to drive home.” He said “it was a structural design flaw that caused the problem.” So, he took it to the dealership he’d bought it from. They said the problem was due to a hole in the condenser that wasn’t covered by the warranty. The estimated cost for parts and labor was $1,351.13 + tax.

The complaint goes on to say that the “Kia dealership won’t fix it unless we pay $1,300+ saying it’s not covered under the warranty. It’s a brand new car (and the) parts manager in another Kia dealership says it was caused by a structural design flaw. But the Kia dealership where we bought the car says we have to pay to get it fixed. They claim a little rock or something from the road caused the damage. However, there is no way for a little rock to reach the AC condenser from the bottom.”

It isn’t just the customers taking notice that there are structure problems. Even the NHTSA is alerting customers to safety issues. During crash testing, there was an intrusion in the side barrier on the rear passenger side. This incident caused damage to the rear passenger dummy’s torso, which, had it been a real person, would have led to spine difficulties .

What to do if Your 2022 Kia Forte is a Lemon? Your Lemon Rights

If you think you have a lemon, you don’t have to live with it. Lemberg Law is a specialist consumer law firm, and we specialize in lemon law cases. If you think you’ve bought a lemon, we’ll be happy to assess your problems. That’s what we do, and we have successfully negotiated many buybacks, trade-ins, cash settlements, and replacement vehicles for our clients.

The law makes Kia pay, so you don’t have to worry about legal bills if we go to court. So, call our Helpline today.

Complaint Data

CategoryBack Over Prevention: Warnings, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Service Brakes
DateOct 06, 2022
StateAL
Description
Hi, on multiple occasions, the car slams on brakes in the middle of traffic, its like it has a mind of its own, I can back up and a car can be passing by all the way across the street and the car will beep and slam on brakes, sometimes while I'm driving and may not be close to a car, the car will just slam on breaks. That has almost caused me multiple accidents and I'm afraid that one day it will. The safety feature on this car is very dangerous.
CategoryEngine And Engine Cooling
DateMay 17, 2022
StateCT
Description
The contact owns a 2022 kia forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly started revving without driver input. The battery and high engine temperature warning lights illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with engine damage due to the overheating caused by a faulty engine pulley bolt. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 608.
CategoryUnknown Or Other
DateDec 29, 2021
StateTN
Description
My wife's older car needed a new engine, so we decided on buying a new car since her work requires a good deal of driving. One week after the purchase, we discovered there was no spare tire! This is a major safety issue, and although the car has many good safety features, this lack is really frightening. I read that aaa begged car makers not to get rid of this, but the brand we bought has had this at least since 2017. This affects all those who can least afford it, since the more expensive larger cars mainly have spare tires. Why hasn't this been a bigger issue? Other popular competitive makes still have the spare, and if we had known this problem we likely would have gone to another make, although our choices are limited. I can't believe that this has been going on with this car model since at least 2017 and that more people haven't complained.
CategoryUnknown Or Other
DateDec 02, 2021
StateTX
Description
Kia forte 2022 complaints a/c isn't working kia forte 2022 ac condenser we just bought a *new black 2022 kia forte fe/l on 09 nov 2021 already having problems the ac stopped working so we took it to the kia dealership in katy when it happens the parts dept. The supervisor says it has no freon in it and it was safe to drive home and it was a structural design flaw that caused the problem. So we took it to where we bought it to get it checkout they claim it was due to a hole in the condenser, not warranty recommend to replace condenser estimated parts, and labor is

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,351. 13+ tax. Kia dealership won't fix it unless we pay 00 ++++ saying it's not covered under the warranty it's a brand new car parts manager in another kia dealership says it was caused by a structural design flaw but the kia dealership where we bought the car says we have to pay to get it fixed. They claim a little rock or something from the road caused the damage however there is no way for a little rock to reach the ac condenser from the bottom. As you can see in the pictures the bottom is covered by a shield to prevent anything from getting in. If anything got in it's due to a structural design flaw due to the opening in the bumper design where there is an opening just below where they claim the damage is. I took picture of the car before taking it to the shop and the picture they sent us looks like a different vehicle. There was no residue or anything to show it was a leak. Then they had the nerve to charge me 2. 69 to get my car back the receipt says labor . 00 parts . 00 what parts did they replace? It's still broken. Then they even charged me tax on this is this how they treat customers who have bought several cars from them I hope someone gets their act together and do what's right and fix our car and refund me the 2. 69 and fix the problem so it won't happen again.

Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm

Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today!  There is no charge unless we win.


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Brian Jones

About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.

See more posts from Brian Jones
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