2016 Kia Forte koup problems
The Kia Forte, known as the K3 in Asia, the Forte K3 or Shuma in China and Cerato in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, is a compact car manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia since mid-2008, replacing the Kia Spectra. It is available in two-door coupe, four-door sedan, five-door hatchback variants. It is not available in Europe, where the similar sized Kia Ceed is offered (except for Russia and Ukraine, where the Ceed and the Forte are both available).
In some markets, such as Costa Rica, Australia and Brazil, the Forte is marketed as Kia Cerato, replacing its predecessor of the same name. In Colombia and Singapore, the name Cerato Forte was used for the second generation, while Naza Automotive Manufacturing of Malaysia has assembled the vehicle since 2009, selling it there under the name Naza Forte.
First generation (TD; 2008)
The first generation Forte was introduced in 2008. In North America, the Forte replaced the Kia Spectra, while the Forte retained the Cerato name in numerous markets. It shares the same platform as the Hyundai Avante/Elantra (HD), though employing a torsion-beam rear suspension in place of the Elantra's multilink design. Kia has stated that the Forte was specifically designed to target younger buyers attracted to sharper auto designs.
Succeeding the first generation Cerato or second generation Spectra, several elements of the interior and suspension were changed. The car received a wider (4 cm) and longer (3 cm) body, a longer (4 cm) wheelbase and a wider (7 cm) gauge. However, ground clearance was reduced by a centimeter, thereby reducing the height by a centimeter. At the same time, the design of the rear suspension was simplified, which instead of independent multilink thrust became semi-dependent double-lever, with an elastic beam, which made it more reliable and easy to repair and maintain.
Three body styles, which are compact 4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback, and a new 2-door coupe body style was introduced.
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Common 2016 Kia Forte koup problems
The Kia Forte Koup 2016, in general, is considered a reliable car, but there are some common problems that owners have reported. One issue that has been reported is engine knocking, especially at higher RPMs. This problem can be indicative of more severe internal engine damage, as evidenced by reports of metal flakes in the oil pan. Some owners have also reported engine fires, which pose significant safety risks to drivers and passengers.
Another common problem with the Kia Forte Koup 2016 is related to the throttle body. Some owners have faced problems with the throttle body, both the original and the replacement part. The vehicle intermittently fails to start after sitting for a while. The problem recurred even after replacing the throttle body.
The exterior lighting system of the Kia Forte Koup 2016 can also be problematic. Some owners have reported that all exterior lights may randomly malfunction for no apparent reason, which can be bothersome to deal with.
It is important to note that these problems are not universal to all Kia Forte Koup 2016 models, and many owners have reported no issues with their cars. However, potential buyers should be aware of these common problems and consider them when making a purchasing decision. It is also recommended to have any used car inspected by a trusted mechanic before purchasing.
Is 2016 a good year for Kia Forte?
The 2016 Kia Forte is one of our top recommended sedans. There are three different engines for the 2016 Kia Forte, two of which offer competitive power and acceleration.
What is the most common problem with the Kia Forte?
With proper maintenance and good driving habits, you'll have no trouble getting this car to over 200,000 miles. There are, however, some issues surrounding the Forte across various model years. Some of these include defective speakers, faulty ignition coils, lighting issues, and leaky interiors, among others.
Is the Kia Forte Koup reliable?
According to RepairPal, the Kia Forte Koup has a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0, making it the 11th most reliable compact car out of 36 automakers. With that said, below are the Forte Koup years to avoid due to the high number of complaints and known reliability issues (mostly the faulty engines).
What years did Kia Forte have engine problems?
The most severe problem with the Kia Forte is with the Theta II engine found in 2012 to 2015 models. This engine design is known to be highly problematic, with serious issues affecting Fortes equipped with the 2.0L or 2.4L engines. Engine problems include oil leaks, knocks, and complete engine failure.
2016 Kia Forte koup car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Kia Forte koup problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Engine problems
- Electrical system problems
- Power train problems
- Vehicle speed control problems
- Unknown or other problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2016 Kia Forte koup vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
Latest 25 complaints 2016 Kia Forte koup
The NHTSA has received 112 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2016 Kia Forte koup. Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for 2016 Kia Forte koup vehicles.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-08-17
- Number Of Injuries: 2
- Crash: 1
- VIN: KNAFK5A87G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: We used to have a 2016 Kia Forte5 LX hatchback we been having problems with this vehicle the car would stall and it was having electrical problems like my turn signals not working even when the bulbs were replaced and same thing to the brake lights prior after I noticed the problem with the car was going to take it in to get ot looked at and serviced when exiting my home with the car and turning left the vehicle stalled while in drive I did have my emergency flash on but the other cars didn’t seem to notice the vehicle got t boned and we got in to a accident when trying to get this issue resolved
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-04-09
- VIN: KNAFK4A61G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: When driving slow speeds such as driving through a parking lot my car stalls the radio plays without interruption and would not know it stalls except for the oil pan light and unable to accelerate because the car stalled all the leads me to believe the engine is at fault. When stalled at that point I pull over turn the key off then on starting the car back up (immediately starts without issue). I have searched for error codes and it is like the car doesn't know there is a problem. Below is one of the many forums complaining about the same issue. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-08-15
- VIN: KNAFK4A67G5
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
- Summary: In December 2023 the dashboard ABS, ESC and Brake Dashboard warning lights came on the car while driving. I checked for any ABS codes and noted a C2374 code. The car did not show any handling issues and I attributed it to a anomaly. However over 2024 the lights have come back on but they disapear when the car is turned off and then restarted. As this is happening frequently during the past 3 months I took it to two KIA dealers to have it reviewed. Both dealers say the HECU ( Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit) is failing. As the car now has 110,000 miles on it I was told by KIA that this is passed the warranty and not covered. I am surprised that a safety device is not covered and as this device requires no maintenance by the customer I attribute this to a premature part failure. I note there has been a related safety Recall Report 23E-073 issued for this part. I included the dealers diagnostic reports. If this vehicle is unsafe to drive then I need to be aware of that and KIA should investigate for similar occurrences.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-06-28
- VIN: KNAFK5A8XG5
- Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS,ENGINE
- Summary: VEHICLE ISSUED DTC'S P1326 AND CAR FAILED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY EXPRESSWAY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-07-16
- VIN: KNAFK4A6XG5
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
- Summary: I was two states away at conference for my side job. My car turned off without warning. No lights no nothing. I couldn't use my hazards or anything. It was dark outside already. I called AAA and the person with me called 911. Someone stopped and jumped me off. We got back to the hotel. The next day another consultants husband looked at my car and we discovered there was no oil in the engine. I had driven more than 450 miles to get to conference the day before by myself. The oil light had never came on during my trip. It only came on when my entire instrument panel lit up when the car cutoff. I am a female and was traveling by myself and put over 1100 miles on my car that trip. If it had turned off at any point on my trip before I had gotten to my destination I would have been alone and not known what to do. If I had not had AAA I would have possible had to pay a tow truck that night. I am disappointed that the light didn't give me a warning something was wrong or going wrong. Luckily, I didn't blow my engine
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-05-15
- VIN: KNAFK5A87G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Vehicle is having same symptoms as recalled Kia’s with Nu engine. My engine is consuming oil. I brought it to Kia dealership to have it diagnost and piston rings are not working as they should. This will lead to engine failure. This problem is what is occurring on the recalled Kia’s. I have not had the vehicle for long & am very disappointed in what is going on. I want something done & to have this reported for the other Kia’s who are experiencing the symptoms that don’t have their VIN called. I had my vehicle looked at Cartown Kia in Florence, SC. My tech was Robert & service rep was Kelcey.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-05-24
- VIN: KNAFZ4A81G5
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
- Summary: I have been on the freeway multiple times and tried to brake and I feel a fluttering from the brake pedal. The car won't brake, it feels like I'm sliding. I have to press the brake a few more times for it to actually brake. I had my brakes replaced and that didn't work. I took it to the Kia dealer and they said the problem was that I had after market brakes. I had them change them out and that wouldn't work either. They say nothing is wrong with my caliper.
SERVICE BRAKES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-05-17
- VIN: KNAFX4A67G5
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES
- Summary: My car was recalled and I took it in to KIA in June 2023 for brake line treatment to prevent deterioration/corrosion, May 2024 my brake lines now leak and car is not safe to drive. This preventative maintenance did not work for my vehicle and had it towed back to the KIA that handled the original recall 'remedy'.
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-04-23
- Crash: 1
- VIN: KNAFX4A67G5
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
- Summary: I was attempting to park in a parking spot that I use regularly at Dollar General. As it was coming to a stop, the brakes failed. I was pushing the brake pedal down. The car started to rev up and speed forward on it's own. It lunged forward jumping the curb and into the pillar. It wouldn't stop going forward. So I had to put it in reverse. As I did that, I put the brakes on as well as the ebrake. It was wanting to speed in reverse for a second. So I threw it into park and turned it off. My family and I went into the store to let the car settle down. Then we was able to drive it home and park it. So it's currently sittling in our driveway here at home.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-01-25
- VIN: KNAFZ4A83G5
- Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- Summary: I was slowly pulling into a parking spot with my foot on the brake and the vehicle suddenly accelerated. I hit the brake hard and the car eventually stopped but it did go onto the sidewalk before stopping. In the past, when I started the car, the engine would sometimes rev too much and I had to step on the gas while in park to get it to stop, but this is the first time it suddenly accelerated while driving. I am contacting the dealer about the problem tomorrow so it has not been inspected yet. I read online that other Kia models have this problem and that a recall is being considered.There were no warning lamps before the problem occurred. My car is available for inspection.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-11-30
- VIN: KNAFK4A6XG5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Was fixing to head and get my oil changed even though i still had about 570 miles left before i absolutely had to change the oil, my 2016 kia forte LX with the 1.8l engine with 79996 as of currently; lost power at around 15mph and started lugging after leaving my neighborhood gas station, luckily i was about 1/8 mile away from a kia service center so i drove it to the service dealer so i could hear, "We only have lube technicians because all the maintenance technicians quit so we cant check your vehicle for mechanical failure, and we are booked until march 2024." So i parked my car and called kia customer service where they told me that the recall is only applicable to the 1.6l and the 2.0l engine, the 1.8l is only warrantable to 60k miles being i am the second owner and the car is passed the 60k mile marker I was told "we would be happy to take a look at it but it will be an out of pocket expense being insurance doesnt cover an engine. This is the second time this year this specific incident has happened to me and i will not be buying another kia or hyundai vehicle ever again. Let this be known to all kia buyers these are cheap cars you get what you pay for.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-10-01
- VIN: KNAFX4A62G5
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: My headlights blank on and off like a christmas tree. I put them on auto or the running lights and they do the same things. The dashboard lights do the same things inside the car. It also happen when I turn my turn signal on or put my car on bright or dim them.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-10-18
- VIN: KNAFK4A65G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal made an abnormal grinding sound, and the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine rod was knocking, and the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-05-05
- VIN: KNAFX4A66G5
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE
- Summary: I am writing to express serious concerns about the safety and performance of my Kia vehicle. Over the past few months, my car has been exhibiting abnormal behavior, jeopardizing the safety of myself and other road users. One of the most alarming issues is the unpredictable acceleration and deceleration of my vehicle, especially on the highway. There have been numerous instances where it failed to respond to acceleration while changing lanes, putting me in stressful situations where I feared a potential collision. Even more troubling, my car has shut off unexpectedly multiple times during both city driving and while navigating driveways and hills. This sudden engine shutdown has exposed me to hazardous situations and increased the risk of accidents. There is also a loud knocking sound coming from the car, accompanied by sluggish driving. To my dismay, the vehicle now starts and immediately cuts off, forcing me to wait for a period of time and multiple attempts to restart the engine before it finally starts. Seeking a resolution, I took my vehicle to the Kia Service center, where they advised me that I needed a new engine, attributing the problem to sludge build-up. However, I maintain a diligent oil change schedule every three months and can provide evidence of this fact. Despite filing a claim with Kia of America, they regrettably denied my request for assistance in obtaining a new engine, placing the financial burden solely on my shoulders. This not only presents a financial hardship for me but also underscores a broader issue with Kia vehicles' quality and reliability. I am deeply concerned about the safety of Kia vehicles, and I believe that they should be subject to a thorough investigation and, if necessary, a recall. I understand that KIA has experienced problems with design of this or similar engines, causing recalls of those products, and I request NHTSA to investigate these concerns regarding the 2016 KIA Forte. My Car is available to inspect once more
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-07-11
- VIN: KNAFK4A63G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Always had correct maintenance and the engine just randomly blew coming home from work and Kia Corp is not wanting to replace motor. I’m out thousands of dollars now
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-07-07
- VIN: KNAFX4A69G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: A portion of the air intake system was rubbing against the front driver side wheel and wore a hole causing damage to the engine and is knocking at very low RPM. The car was in one of Kia’s dealerships for a headlight repair and a reference was made about a strange noise coming from the wheel but they did not advise of a problem and said the brake pad life is fine.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-06-08
- VIN: KNAFK4A6XG5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Was driving and car lost power and shut off while in traffic car would not restart
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-06-28
- VIN: KNAFX4A61G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Wednesday night I departed work, I was in the 4th lane of the 10Fwy when my car shut down. All dashboard lights came on. I turned on my 4ways and managed to change lanes to the service Lane on the right. I attempted to restart the vehicle..nothing. I started looking through my insurance papers for the tow service and thought to try and restart the vehicle one last time. It started I departed the freeway and used the streets instead of the fwy to make it home. The next morning I drove the car to AutoZone for spark plugs and a diagnostic check. The clerk printed it out and it said no issues. I drove back to the house and as I was pulling into my driveway it shut down again, no clicking sounds this time. Friday I had it towed to pepboys. They were replacing faulty shocks that were under warranty new brakes and rotors all the way around and a full oil change all items were inside the vehicle I pretty much only had to pay for maintenance except for the faulty shocks the manager called me as I was on my way to work. My engine is blown. I saw my engine check light come on Wednesday night when the car stalled no oil light ever came on in the car except when you initially started and then it disappeared. My complaint is why wasn't I notified by the vehicle that there was no oil in the pan that's the whole purpose of the oil light indicator. Now am stuck with a 3500.00 engine repair bill which was the cheapest I found online for a used 1.8 liter engine. I want my dashboards computer checked. I have the AutoZone diagnostic paper the attendant gave me.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-05-09
- VIN: KNAFX5A89G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: I have a 2016 KIA Forte that I bought 6 months ago. I'm a subsequent owner. The dealership where we brought it from told me that it's in good condition. My partner was driving it when it started making knocking noises and would not accelerate past 20 mph. The engine failure happened 5 months of using it (the car only has 92000 miles). I had a mechanic came to check it, even changed the oil again to see if the problem is in connection with the oil. We never had the oil light prior to the knocking noises, not even the engine light. The engine light only came on with the knocking noises. It was completely out of nowhere. Changing the oil did not solve the issue at all. My mechanic found metallic shards in the oil and was also just as confused as we were. He said that it's possible that the connecting rods under the engine have been worn out. My mechanic said that it could've blown up, and thankfully, my partner and his friend were not harmed when the incident happened. There were no recalls regarding my car. I wasn't informed of the KSDS update either because I'm a second owner. We're still paying for it and its insurance even when we cannot use it.
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-05-25
- VIN: KNAFZ4A88G5
- Components: POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
- Summary: On May 25th 2023 I was driving on the highway when I experienced extreme loss of power and the infotainment screen displayed "possible engine condition". Considering I was driving 70 mph on the highway it was super dangerous because there were several 18 wheelers driving on the highway alongside me it could have been deadly for many of us. Thankfully I was able to get to the shoulder to assess the situation. I have been unable to get my vehicle to a dealership since I was traveling and had to leave my vehicle 150 mi from where I live. If Kia knew there was some sort of issue with engine failure and extreme loss of power they should have issued notification before other than have people possibly die on the highway from engine failure.
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-03-04
- VIN: KNAFZ4A87G5
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
- Summary: Engine failed due to rod knock at 127,000 miles, this is a known defect with the car. Kia is refusing to replace the engine even though they know they are designed poorly and fail. Knock sensor and flashing engine light came on, had all the qualifications for the replacement but Kia is making excuses and denying it. I have all the paperwork and maintences done on time and they still won’t cover it. My corroded brake lines were supposed to be fixed under the recall and they have had them on back order since September of 2022. Dealership has no loaner cars to provide.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-11-24
- VIN: KNAFZ4A85G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Engine blew twice on the vehicle, Kia replaced the first blown engine. Then that engine blew again at 160k miles. First engine blew at a 105k miles.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-02-24
- VIN: KNAFK5A87G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Pulling out into traffic, without warning my car lost power and shut down! The car had to be towed to the dealership who advised that the engine had a catastrophic failure and needed to be replaced. I was told by the dealership that KIA would not cover the repair for two reasons: 1) I was beyond the warranty period (the car has 60,264 miles on it and apparently as the second owner I am only covered up to 60,000 miles not the 100,000 that comes with the car), and 2) despite acknowledging that they engine had a defect, KIA did not issue a recall to fix the problem. Instead, they issued a performance improvement notice. KIA also acknowledged via a phone call on 3/10/23 that they have mailed these notifications to the previous owner rather than to me. I have on a number of occasions conducted recall searches on www.nhtsa.gov/recalls which does not list the known engine defect! It seems underhanded for KIA to recognize a defect and instead of reporting it as such and issuing a recall, they hid the problem behind a deceptive "performance improvement" label. It's not a performance improvement!! It's a known defect that if not fixed, it will result in a blown engine and COSTLY bill for the owner!!! The NHTSA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY ISSUE A RECALL AND REQUIRE KIA TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ENGINES IN THESE CARS. THEY SHOULD ALSO REQUIRE KIA TO REIMBURSE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ENGINES NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY!
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-10-11
- VIN: KNAFK4A67G5
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: My car has been broken into twice due to the manufacturer not having proper ignition safeguards put into place, received no help from manufacturer , this is a known issue
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-12-18
- VIN: KNAFX4A85G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: My car has had 2 engine failures in the last 2 years. The first time the repair was performed by Jeff Wyler Superior KIA in Cincinnati, Ohio a little over a year ago. Currently it's at Jeff Wyler KIA in Fairfield, Ohio awaiting repair. There diagnosis is another engine failure. There were no warning lamps before either engine failure. The first time the engine made noises so I stopped driving it and had it towed to the dealer. The second time it wouldn't start when I came out in the morning to go to work.
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2016 Kia Forte koup problems:
2016 LX Engine Issue | Kia Forte Forum
Sep 23, 2016 ... The car will shake after a cold / hard start. If it shakes a lot due to spark plug misfire, it will throw a code and you will get a check engine ...
2016 Kia Forte Reliability - Consumer Reports
Owner Reported Trouble Spots · Climate System · Paint And Trim · Steering And Suspension · Engine Major · Transmission Major · Fuel System/Emissions · Brakes · Drive ...
2015 - 2018 Forte Reliability | Kia Forte Forum
Jan 13, 2019 ... On the 2014 Koup, nothing to report, other than regular maintenance. The 2015 had one minor problem fixed under warranty, the foldable mirror ...
I'm having issues with a misfire. It's a 2015 Kia Forte Koup
Jun 29, 2020 ... Its common for a coil thats worn out or slow to respond would only misfire at the higher RPMs when faster spark energy is needed. i would ...
Engine died on 2016 Kia forte but still $13,763 left to pay : r/kia
Nov 13, 2023 ... The 1.8 is known for problems. There was several class action lawsuits. Get back on the phone with KIA.
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