Reliability & cost of ownership
Kia Forte Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kia Forte? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Kia Forte problems by model year
34 recall entries and 2533 owner complaints on file across 16 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Forte | 0 | 24 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Forte | 3 | 61 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 Forte | 1 | 26 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2021 Forte | 2 | 67 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2020 Forte | 0 | 76 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 Forte | 2 | 147 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Forte | 3 | 136 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Forte | 3 | 301 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 Forte | 1 | 135 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Forte | 1 | 259 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Forte | 3 | 440 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2013 Forte | 5 | 195 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Forte | 4 | 291 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 Forte | 3 | 153 | 4.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 Forte | 3 | 221 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 Forte | 0 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kia Forte, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine1120 complaints
- unknown or other323 complaints
- electrical system319 complaints
- air bags292 complaints
- service brakes219 complaints
- power train216 complaints
- exterior lighting176 complaints
- steering162 complaints