20V750000
ENGINE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
VIN Lookup Result
KNAFU4A26C5552144
2012 KIA Forte GLS
Decoded via the official NHTSA Vehicle Identification Number database. Permanent shareable link.
Year
2012
Make
KIA
Model
Forte
Trim
GLS
Body Style
Sedan/Saloon
Drive Type
—
Engine
2.0L
Fuel Type
Gasoline
Transmission
—
Plant
HWASUNG, SOUTH KOREA
Vehicle Type
PASSENGER CAR
Manufacturer
KIA CORPORATION
Owner Complaints
293 filed Get Report →
Service Bulletins
70 on file Get Report →
Market Value
Buyer-paid data Get Report →
CarWhere Pricing
See KIA Forte prices →
105 verified KIA deals, 2.9% avg off MSRP
Safety
4 open recalls →
View recall details and remedy.
Open Recalls for This Vehicle
18V363000
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
17V773000
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Forte and Forte Koup vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. This will allow the brake lights to remain illuminated continuously. It can also allow the shift lever to be moved without depressing the brake pedal, or activate the engine management brake pedal override feature.
23V652000PARK OUTSIDE
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Known Issues — Factory Service Bulletins
The manufacturer has filed 70 technical service bulletins with NHTSA for the 2012 KIA Forte — factory-acknowledged issues with documented fixes, distinct from recalls. Top areas:
Equipment · 20Steering · 20Electrical System · 19Structure · 15Power Train · 12Engine And Engine Cooling · 7
CS2311_OWNR_PC201 — CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: POSTCARD OWNER RENOTIFICATION (CS2311) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. Kia has developed a new zinc-reinforced i
PS797 — PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the
TSB_TRA046_R5 — TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.
Owner-Reported Problems (NHTSA)
Owners have filed 293 complaints with the federal government (NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation) about the 2012 KIA Forte. Complaints are owner-reported issues — unlike recalls, they are not manufacturer-acknowledged defects, but they show where this model-year has real-world trouble spots.
Engine · 161Service Brakes · 52Air Bags · 37Electrical System · 32Exterior Lighting · 23Hydraulic · 21
About This VIN
VIN KNAFU4A26C5552144 identifies a 2012 KIA Forte GLS sedan/saloon. The first three characters (KNA) form the World Manufacturer Identifier — encoding country, manufacturer, and vehicle type. Characters 4-8 (FU4A2) describe the model, body, and engine. The 9th character (6) is the check digit. Position 10 (C) encodes the model year (2012). Position 11 (5) is the plant code — this vehicle was assembled in HWASUNG, SOUTH KOREA. The final six characters (552144) are the unique sequential production number.
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NHTSA vPIC database, decoded 2026-11-05
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