Complaint 2180481
2018 KIA FORTE • ENGINE • incident Jan 4, 2026
Complaint Summary
ENGINE
Owner Narrative
Recently, while my boyfriend was driving my vehicle, the engine suddenly lost power without warning. He had the accelerator pedal fully depressed, yet the vehicle would barely move. He was fortunate to safely maneuver the vehicle off the road. Upon inspection, he discovered there was no oil present in the engine. Critically, neither the low oil warning light nor the check engine light had illuminated prior to this failure, providing absolutely no warning of a severe mechanical problem. After adding oil and performing a proper oil change, the engine began violently shuddering and shaking upon startup, and only then did the check engine light illuminate. The vehicle was immediately towed to an authorized Kia dealership, where I was informed that the timing chain had failed.
Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.
Related
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Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
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