Kia Forte years to avoid
Every Kia Forte model year on file (2012-2024), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2017
Worst year on file
133.4
Severity index
Engine
Most-reported system
2019
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017 Kia Forte | 133.4 High | 301 | Engine |
| 2 | 2012 Kia Forte | 133.2 High | 291 | Engine |
| 3 | 2013 Kia Forte | 128.5 High | 195 | Engine |
| 4 | 2023 Kia Forte | 128.1 High | 60 | Steering |
| 5 | 2014 Kia Forte | 118.0 High | 440 | Engine |
| 6 | 2015 Kia Forte | 104.2 High | 258 | Engine |
| 7 | 2020 Kia Forte | 90.2 High | 74 | Unknown Or Other |
| 8 | 2021 Kia Forte | 89.2 High | 67 | Engine |
| 9 | 2018 Kia Forte | 86.0 High | 136 | Engine |
| 10 | 2022 Kia Forte | 75.4 Medium | 26 | Unknown Or Other |
| 11 | 2024 Kia Forte | 71.7 Medium | 24 | Unknown Or Other |
| 12 | 2019 Kia Forte | 68.4 Medium | 147 | Power Train |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Kia Forte complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 291 | 4 | 20 | 22 | 133.2 High | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 195 | 5 | 16 | 13 | 128.5 High | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 440 | 3 | 32 | 36 | 118.0 High | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 258 | 1 | 16 | 20 | 104.2 High | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 301 | 3 | 23 | 9 | 133.4 High | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 136 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 86.0 High | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 147 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 68.4 Medium | POWER TRAIN |
| 2020 | 74 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 90.2 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2021 | 67 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 89.2 High | ENGINE |
| 2022 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 75.4 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2023 | 60 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 128.1 High | STEERING |
| 2024 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 71.7 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.