My car was vehicle was driving on the highway over 200 miles away from home when I was driving about 65 mph the speed limit. When trying to accelerate on the Highway my vehicle would jump from 2,000 RPMs - 4,000 RPM not going faster. As I hit the gas my speed decreased and I pulled over the side of the road. When I tried to turn on/off my car the check engine light randomly appeared and I was…
2019 Kia Forte powertrain problems
moderate 46 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
46
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
When does it fail?
Of the 46 powertrain complaints filed for the 2019 Kia Forte, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Of the 13 model years of Kia Forte we track for powertrain problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 46.
Powertrain accounts for 32% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 8 categories tracked.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
Tl* the contact owns a 2019 Kia forte. While the vehicle was at an intersection, the contact released the brake pedal to depress the accelerator pedal and the rpms increased to 4; however, the vehicle failed to move. The contact placed the vehicle in park, turned the vehicle off, restarted the vehicle, and it resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to all star Kia of san bernardino (735…
I was driving my 2019 Kia forte at 75 MPH, then lowered my speed, then accelerated again. A loud screech/grinding sound happened, then the car stalled. I was able to coast to the roadside, and re-start the car. I was not able to drive the car over 15 MPH. Car was towed to the dealership the next day. They drove the car, but found nothing wrong with it. I insisted that there is a…
On 11/27, my wife was driving our 2019 Kia forte s with about 5,000 miles on it and said it was doing something really strange. She would push on the gas pedal like normal, but the rpms would soar and the engine would rev up but the car would barely move. We drove around the neighborhood when she got back and I noticed the same thing. We called the dealership in the area that night to bring it in…
I bought my car brand new in april 2019. I had it's 15,000 mile check up about 2 weeks ago and they said everything was fine. Right around that time I noticed that when I accelerated, my car would jump. The RPM would bounce between 1-2 rpms and when I brought it into the dealership they said everything was fine and even test drove it. I was sure something was wrong and we went out on another test…
I was driving north on ma 495 north near haverhill ma when all of a sudden my car was over-revving and no power was getting to the wheels. I had to pull over on a busy highway. I was lucky I made it to a rest stop. I talked to the tech at Kia and they are aware of this problem being a "common thing" and I need a new transmission. Thankfully it is under warranty still. I feel Kia's complete…
The ivt trans went bad with out warring I was doing 70 MPH on I 77 in nc with cruse on . Then the engine tacked up to 7000 RPM a fue times then I shifted to sport mode the rpms stoped jumping around till I got to hickory nc . When driving to dealer ship the car would not hardly pull its self/ no warring lights or any type of warring of lost of power. Other then high RPM on the engine. The…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2019 Kia Forte?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2019 Kia Forte?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 46 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 26 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 3,000 and 23,000 miles, with the median around 7,450. A quarter of owners report trouble before 3,000; a quarter make it past 23,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2019/Kia/Forte.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.