2018 Kia Forte: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
134
Complaints
3
Recalls
13
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
9
Injuries
106.0
Severity index
Severity index 106.0 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Kia Forte ranks 19 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 84% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 57 | 42.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 30 | 22.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 16 | 11.9% |
| AIR BAGS | 16 | 11.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 10 | 7.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 8 | 6.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 7 | 5.2% |
| STRUCTURE | 7 | 5.2% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 57 of 134 complaints (42.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 8 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V031000 | 25/01/2022 | AIR BAGS | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result |
| 21V622000 | 09/08/2021 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of F |
| 21V260000 | 13/04/2021 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.