The 2019 Kia Forte has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,588 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 213 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN20V4590002020-08-05834 affected
Defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Forte vehicles. The left front axle driveshaft may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to break.
Consequence
A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began September 2, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC195.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The headlights may not have been manufactured with the correct low beam aiming. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps,…
Consequence
If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“While driving, the forward collision warning system activated unexpectedly without any apparent hazard or obstruction in front of my vehicle. Immediately after the warning appeared, the vehicle suddenly lost speed and became very slow to accelerate. I was unable to safely increase my speed while…”
“While driving, the forward collision warning system activated unexpectedly without any apparent hazard or obstruction in front of my vehicle. Immediately after the warning appeared, the vehicle suddenly lost speed and became very slow to accelerate. I was unable to safely increase my speed while…”
“While driving, the forward collision warning system activated unexpectedly without any apparent hazard or obstruction in front of my vehicle. Immediately after the warning appeared, the vehicle suddenly lost speed and became very slow to accelerate. I was unable to safely increase my speed while…”
“The contact owns a 2019 kia forte. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 mph, the contact had exited when the oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle rolled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and, upon inspection, noticed that an…”
“As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! It could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! Gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not! It gave me no warning either. This…”
“As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! It could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! Gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not! It gave me no warning either. This…”
“As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! It could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! Gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not! It gave me no warning either. This…”
“My car has cut off on me going down the road and it cut back on I have had where the car is slow at acceleration and trying to stall out on me and causing a car to almost hit me in the bumper cause of it the car only has 112,580 miles and have not been able to drive the car since march 13,2026 due…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2019 Kia Forte as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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