You are looking at a 11-12 year old car. I hate giving advice on old used cars, especially one I can't look at, because it could turn out to be a good car or it could blow the engine tomorrow...

You need to look at it if you know cars or take it to a professional to have it looked at. At this point you should be able to just look at it to know if it was well-taken care of.

My Granddaughter is driving what was once my daughter's 2010 Kia Forte EX. My Daughter bought it used from a Kia dealer at 26,000 miles in 2011. The AC compressor just went out and was replaced professionally - other than that - the car WAS PHENOMINAL for 11 years -- only had to replace tires, shift cable bushing and brake switch bumper. No engine or tranny problems. Daughter drove it from Florida to Illinois multiple times and from Illinois to Florida to Arizona multiple times - so they can be good for local or long-distance driving - if your daughter will be mostly driving local it would be best at its' age now.

 

Agree on a pre-purchase inspection. Have the mechanic use a scan tool to find any hidden problems.

My philosophy on used cars is to set some money back to bring the car up to spec. Wouldn't be surprised for the car to need brakes, tires, spark plugs, a coolant flush, etc. Might as well get those done immediately for safety and to improve the longevity of the car.

 

I think the price is a bit high for a 11 year old car but the market is so awful right now that might be what an SX is running for. I wish my EX was an SX for the slightly larger motor, 17" wheels and heated seats(if it's a tech package).

Kia Fortes, particularly this generation and the 2nd generation, are VERY particular about oil changes. I'd highly recommend looking for engine sludge unless the previous owner has a very detailed log of oil changes. If you buy it I personally recommend oil changes every 3500 miles. It's pretty easy to work on(outside of the window regulator). Currently at 110K on my engine and 203K on the car(engine failure due to an incompetent shop). I love the car and find it to be slightly sporty but not sporty enough to get me a ticket in.

 

Thanks for the responses!
I have been searching and reading threads from the past on your forum and honestly I have not found repeating chronic problems relating to this model/trim. I thought the 2.4 engine failures would be a major, much discussed issue. It was factory machining debris clogging oil ports which caused rod knock/failure I read. Was that an overblown thing (npi) in the "auto press"? I know Hyundai did a recall and Kia offered extended warranty coverage etc.
As far as I can tell, this particular Forte's vin is not listed as having any recalls and at 117k would be out of warranty. I'd love to know for sure if 2011 Forte5sx is included in the problem engine grouping. But the used car dealer(not kia dealership) is offering it as pre-owned certified with 90 days or 4500mi, extendable up to 6 yrs/120k( for a price of course). I got the carfax and it shows good maintenance
We really like the car "on paper", have not driven it yet and will have a mechanic check it out.
Thanks again and I will follow up. Pet-peev: unresolved threads where skilled forum members spend time and effort helping newbies with their unsearched issues and said newbies never close the thread with a solution or end fix.
Although a smaller forum than Cruzetalk.com, I can tell you are a dedicated group, respect.
Oh but also, where do you all buy genuine Kia parts? dealer, rockauto, amazon?

 

Thanks for the responses!
I have been searching and reading threads from the past on your forum and honestly I have not found repeating chronic problems relating to this model/trim. I thought the 2.4 engine failures would be a major, much discussed issue. It was factory machining debris clogging oil ports which caused rod knock/failure I read. Was that an overblown thing (npi) in the "auto press"? I know Hyundai did a recall and Kia offered extended warranty coverage etc.
As far as I can tell, this particular Forte's vin is not listed as having any recalls and at 117k would be out of warranty. I'd love to know for sure if 2011 Forte5sx is included in the problem engine grouping. But the used car dealer(not kia dealership) is offering it as pre-owned certified with 90 days or 4500mi, extendable up to 6 yrs/120k( for a price of course). I got the carfax and it shows good maintenance
We really like the car "on paper", have not driven it yet and will have a mechanic check it out.
Thanks again and I will follow up. Pet-peev: unresolved threads where skilled forum members spend time and effort helping newbies with their unsearched issues and said newbies never close the thread with a solution or end fix.
Although a smaller forum than Cruzetalk.com, I can tell you are a dedicated group, respect.
Oh but also, where do you all buy genuine Kia parts? dealer, rockauto, amazon?

Just to be clear on this 2.4 issue- the debris in the engines was for engines built in the USA. The 10-13 Fortes were built in South Korea. My wife's 2010 Forte SX (2.4L - purchased in April 2009) was absolutely trouble free and we traded it for an Optima in 2017. We still have the Optima and it has the 2.4L built in the U.S. No problems and Kia gave us a lifetime warranty on it... letter is in the glovebox...

 

Yes for sure, it is starting to normalize a bit but in northeast prices are excessive.
Absolutely on the oil changes! Sludge check would be great but it is at a car dealer lot. Can I see in the oil fill? I don't have a scope. pcv valve removable easily?
Forgive the Cruze talk but I learned a lot about maintenence with this engine, 1.4Turbo. I don't mess with internals but have diyd everything external but the factory turbo. PCV is the # 1 issue beat to death on cruzetalk forum and every 1st gen 1.4t engine has had or will have the pcv check valve fail causing oil leaks, turbo probs, intercooler probs, cat fail... I had no cel, just noticed oil consumption and worsening fuel use so I caught it early. The pcv "valve" ( a tiny orange rubber disc) is integrated into the intake manifold. GM fix= valve cover( pressure regulating disc fails form crankcase pressure) and intake manifold replacement. Disc is not serviceable. I just passed 190k and did my 2nd pcv fix but this time I installed a "fixkit" from cruzefix.com. It externalizes the pcv valve with a robust serviceable valve outside the engine. attached- original pcv check valve from my chevy cruze 1.4t
Sorry enough non kia talk and thanks for common sense viewpoints and advice. Dave

 

Yes for sure, it is starting to normalize a bit but in northeast prices are excessive.
Absolutely on the oil changes! Sludge check would be great but it is at a car dealer lot. Can I see in the oil fill? I don't have a scope. pcv valve removable easily?
Forgive the Cruze talk but I learned a lot about maintenence with this engine, 1.4Turbo. I don't mess with internals but have diyd everything external but the factory turbo. PCV is the # 1 issue beat to death on cruzetalk forum and every 1st gen 1.4t engine has had or will have the pcv check valve fail causing oil leaks, turbo probs, intercooler probs, cat fail... I had no cel, just noticed oil consumption and worsening fuel use so I caught it early. The pcv "valve" ( a tiny orange rubber disc) is integrated into the intake manifold. GM fix= valve cover( pressure regulating disc fails form crankcase pressure) and intake manifold replacement. Disc is not serviceable. I just passed 190k and did my 2nd pcv fix but this time I installed a "fixkit" from cruzefix.com. It externalizes the pcv valve with a robust serviceable valve outside the engine. attached- original pcv check valve from my chevy cruze 1.4t
Sorry enough non kia talk and thanks for common sense viewpoints and advice. Dave

I hate the PCV valve on the Cruze. The shop I worked in had those in every other week with that issue. PCV isn't an issue on the Forte usually. The VCMA is probably one of the top issues the 2.0/2.4L has. My engine hasn't had it fail in the near 60k miles I've had it in the car. I think it's about a 2hr replacement in book time and probably $200 in parts. It will throw a code when it goes out or stops working correctly. I wouldn't mess with it until it goes out if you get the car.

You can see down the oil fill, just need a decent flashlight. The engine sludge starts from the top on these cars and is very obvious. Look at the top of the oil fill cap as well.

 

Welcome to the club.

Buy & use OEM/factory sensors & modules. Don't buy from over the counter chinesium made from Autzone, O'Reilly's, Napa, carquest, Pepboys, advance auto. Non oem/factory sensors & modules will cause more problems. This includes seatbelts & their buckles.

Oem/factory engine oil filters. They're cheap & have anti back flow. There's Wix engine oil filters that sme use here.

Radiator fluid is your choice. Just make sure it's for your vehicle. The search bar is your friend. Going to the local Kia/Hyundai dealership for info/help does help.

Other fluids is up to you. Just make sure it's for your vehicle use.

Tires, rotors, brakes, brake calipers, fuses, relays, or over the counter parts can be purchased from Autozone, O'Reilly, Ebay, Amazon/online.

Visiting the local junk/salvage yard for that oem/factory need it now parts helps.

If the vehicle came with it's owner manual, read it. It has very useful info. If it didn't you can buy from the dealership or on Ebay/Amazon.

Replace your glass/incandescent lights with LEDs. Especially your rear combination brake lights, reverse & turn/blinker lights. Glass/incandescent lights will eventually cause the light sockets to get brittle, weak & make the metal contacts to either burn out, not function properly or having to replace the light socket with a new one.

You can visit for info, parts, parts #, fitment to use on non oem Kia/Hyundai site.
Kiapartsnow.com
Mykiaparts.com
Kiaparts.com

Visiting your local Kia/Hyundai dealership for parts, pricing & printouts for parts from the parts department is helpful.

The search bar is your best friend. If the answers can't be found or have questions, post a question.

If in the future if you're going to DIY, repair/fix or upgrade. Take before, middle & after pics.It helps out the forteforums community.

Post interior & exterior pics of your Forte5.

Hope this helps.

 

Hi all, we have decided to back off from the forte 5 sx purchase. Daughter felt uneasy with the age and I got uneasy vibes from the salesperson. Thanks for the knowlegeable welcome and I will prob lurk and read threads because you all are discussing cool issues and the forum has a great history.
Keep the car on the road! Dave
@ForteGT2