Complaint 2221873
2012 KIA FORTE • SERVICE BRAKES • incident Jun 9, 2026
- Complaint ID
- 2221873
- Make
- KIA
- Model
- FORTE
- Model Year
- 2012
- Component
- SERVICE BRAKES
- Incident Date
- Jun 9, 2026
- Date Received
- Jul 2, 2026
- Data As Of
- Sep 1, 2026
Complaint Summary
SERVICE BRAKES
Owner Narrative
My vehicle is a 2012 Kia Forte EX. The vehicle experienced a corrosion-related brake line failure that affected braking performance and created a safety concern. The brake pedal became soft/sank, and the vehicle had unsafe braking behavior, requiring repair at a Kia dealership. The failed component was a brake line, which is a safety-critical part of the braking system. The repair was completed at customer expense after Kia declined goodwill or reimbursement assistance. Kia Customer Care case number: 2622663. My concern is that this does not appear to be ordinary wear only. This vehicle had prior Kia underbody corrosion campaign history under SC141, titled âApplication of Additional Anti-Corrosion Material.â Kia confirmed to me that SC141 involved applying additional anti-corrosion/undercoating/cavity wax material to certain underbody components to help protect against corrosion. Kia also confirmed that SC141 was completed on my vehicle before the brake-line repair. Kiaâs position is that SC141 did not cover brake lines or brake replacement, and that brake-line corrosion is normal maintenance/customer-pay because the vehicle is out of warranty. I understand Kiaâs warranty position, but my complaint is about the safety issue and possible design-related corrosion vulnerability. The failed brake line appears to be routed in an underbody area exposed to corrosion risk, possibly near hardware, brackets, covers, or areas where salt/water can collect. In my view, this may represent a corrosion-trap design issue involving the routing/location of a safety-critical brake line, rather than simple routine maintenance. I am filing this complaint because corrosion-related brake line failure can result in reduced braking ability or loss of braking, and I believe this issue should be documented and reviewed for potential safety-defect trends involving this vehicle/platform.
Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.