2024 Kia Forte — Known Issues & Recalls

Your car suddenly accelerated on its own while you were slowly pulling into your carport, and the brakes didn't stop it. The engine kept revving even after the crash, and you had to shift into Park and press the power button to stop the car. No warning lights appeared on your dashboard before or during the incident.

Your car randomly loses power while driving, forcing the engine to become unresponsive even when you press the gas pedal. After a few seconds, power returns and the car accelerates normally again. This dangerous intermittent power loss has put you in unsafe situations with other vehicles on the road.

Your car was targeted in a theft attempt where suspects were found inside with the engine running, attempting to drive away. The thieves appeared to be using a USB cord found on your car's floor to start the vehicle. A police report was filed, and the suspects were apprehended before successfully stealing your car.

Your check engine light comes on repeatedly and only turns off temporarily when you release the gas cap multiple times. The dealer replaced the oxygen sensor in February 2025, but the problem returned within two weeks. You've identified fault codes related to the oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, and emission system all failing, suggesting multiple emission components may need replacement or the vehicle may have a deeper underlying issue.

Your check engine light turns on and off intermittently, and you've noticed it stays off temporarily when you release and re-tighten the gas cap multiple times. The dealer replaced the O2 sensor in February 2025, but the problem returned within two weeks. You've read diagnostic codes indicating failures in the O2 sensor, catalytic converter, and emission exhaust system. Fixing this will likely require diagnosis and replacement of one or more emission system components, possibly including a new catalytic converter and O2 sensor.

Your car makes a grinding noise when you accelerate, downshift, or drive in reverse. The engine is revving higher than it should, and the transmission isn't shifting gears at the right times—sometimes it gets stuck in one gear. This could indicate internal transmission damage or a control issue that needs professional diagnosis.

Your car has exposed electrical wires and is showing airbag system failure codes, which may prevent the airbags from deploying in a crash. You're also experiencing brake issues with voltage malfunctions that could affect braking performance. These problems pose serious safety risks and require immediate professional inspection and repair of the electrical system, airbag components, and brake system.

Your car's safety system unit has failed, and you have evidence of a voltage problem. However, the dealership has refused to repair it. This involves issues with your electrical system, airbags, and wipers all being affected by the same underlying problem.

Your car's airbag system is experiencing chronic electrical power supply problems, affecting the airbag control unit and sensors. This means your airbags may not deploy properly in a crash, or warning lights may stay on. The issue likely requires replacement or repair of the airbag control module and related electrical connections.

Your 2024 Kia Forte is shutting down unexpectedly while driving, with more than 10-15 incidents occurring primarily on the freeway. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the problem during their test drives (10-20 miles), though you've documented the issue with videos and note it happens regularly during your wife's daily driving. Kia has refused to buy back the vehicle based on the dealership's inability to duplicate the fault. Resolving this will likely require extended diagnostic testing under real-world driving conditions to identify the electrical or engine system fault causing the shutdown.

Your 2024 Kia Forte has experienced multiple dangerous failures including sudden engine shutdowns while driving, failure to start, and poor acceleration — with no warning lights beforehand. The engine has shut off completely at least twice while in traffic, nearly causing accidents and resulting in one minor collision. Despite being at the dealership for over a month and having the water pump replaced and engine reprogrammed, the dealership has been unable to identify or fix the root cause. Resolving this will likely require comprehensive engine diagnostics, fuel system testing, and potentially replacement of the fuel pump or engine control computer.

While making a right turn at 25 mph on an off-ramp, your car's lane assist feature unexpectedly steered the vehicle into a guard rail, causing passenger-side damage. Your car has also experienced transmission jerking and shuddering during acceleration in normal mode, though it performs normally in sports mode. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of either issue. Diagnosis and repair of the lane assist system and transmission control module may be needed to prevent future incidents.

During a severe T-bone collision on the driver's side, none of your vehicle's airbags deployed despite the force of the impact and significant damage to the door and frame. Additionally, your seatbelts sometimes get stuck or freeze when you try to pull them out, requiring you to release and pull again to secure them properly. Both issues pose safety concerns in a crash situation. A diagnostic inspection of the airbag system and seatbelt retractor mechanism will be needed to identify why these safety features failed to function.

Your car's front radar, which is used for collision avoidance safety features, needs calibration and isn't working properly. This is a safety hazard while driving, and your dealership can't see you for months. You'll need to contact the dealership or a qualified technician to recalibrate the front radar system, which typically involves specialized equipment and professional service.

Your lane assist system stopped working correctly and pulled your car toward the guardrail, resulting in a crash. This is a serious safety issue involving both the steering control and the lane departure warning system that needs immediate diagnostic and repair.

Your car has had repeated transmission problems even after multiple repair attempts on the clutch assembly, clutch plate, and flywheel. You're experiencing grinding noises and difficulty shifting into gears—particularly first and reverse—and the transmission sometimes skips gears or automatically shifts to third gear when you're trying to select first. Kia is aware this is an ongoing intermittent issue affecting multiple vehicles but hasn't been able to resolve it. Fixing this will likely require a complete transmission rebuild or replacement, or further diagnosis of the clutch system and gear selection mechanism.

Your headlights shut off while driving at night after the car hit a small dip in the road. You heard a sound similar to the key-on startup sound, and noticed the dashboard information screen reset itself. After stopping and cycling the headlights several times, restarting the car restored the headlights. The problem recurred on the freeway when driving over road dips at overpasses. This suggests an electrical connection issue that may be triggered by vehicle movement or suspension compression.

Your driver's door requires a hard slam to close properly. If you don't slam it hard enough, the door appears closed but isn't fully latched—yet the vehicle will still lock, trapping the door shut. When you try to unlock the car, the door won't open and you'll have to force it open with your body weight. This can prevent you from accessing items left inside the car. The issue occurs because the locks engage even when doors aren't fully closed, causing them to jam. A dealer may need to adjust or replace the door latch mechanism to ensure it seats properly and prevents locking until fully closed.

The owner reported an engine issue but did not provide details in the complaint text itself, referencing only an attachment that is not available here. Without specifics about the symptoms or behavior, the exact nature of the problem cannot be determined. The owner should contact Kia support or a certified technician to have the engine thoroughly inspected.