2018 Kia Forte
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 136 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 16 Forte model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 13 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 9 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bagsJan 25, 2022
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 in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
Campaign 22V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchAug 9, 2021
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 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
Campaign 21V622000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, oil/lubrication, pumpApr 13, 2021
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.
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.
Campaign 21V260000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
136 reports, newest first.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 8, 2019
THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT ON THIS ISSUE #11186351... AS INDICATED IN THAT ORIGINAL COMPLAINT I TOOK MY FORTE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT SERVICED (OIL & FILTER CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION) AND HAD THEM CHECK OUT THE ISSUE I WAS EXPERIENCING; THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING (NOT SURPRISED) HOWEVER THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF KIA SERVICE ALERT TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS 'AGAIN'... I HAVE HAD THIS 2018 FORTE EXACTLY ONE YEAR NOW AND I AM ON THE SECOND SET OF SPARK PLUGS WHICH I FIND QUITE UNUSUAL TO PUT IT POLITELY.. I HAVE OWNED MANY, MANY NEW CARS AND I'VE NEVER HAD SPARK PLUGS REPLACED AT THIS RATE SO IMO THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO DO THE WAIT AND SEE.. AS FAR AS THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM I STILL HAVE IT DRIVING ALONG AND IT FEELS LIKE I RAN OUT OF GAS WHICH IS NOT TRUE I HAVE ALMOST A FULL TANK OF GAS AND I KEEP AN ELECTRONIC FUEL LOG TO MONITOR GAS USAGE AND THE VEHICLE IS GETTING ABOUT 29 MPH AROUND TOWN ON REGULAR GAS..
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 26, 2019
WHEN ACCELERATING THERE IS NO POWER AND IT IS GOING TO CAUSE THE ACCIDENT I WAS ON THE FREEWAY I WENT TO SWITCH LANES I HIT THE GAS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE JUST STOOD THERE AND RP M'S GOING UP
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Mar 13, 2019
THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED 2 TIMES THIS WEEK & ON 2 SEPARATE DAYS WHILE I WAS DRIVING & SINCE I ONLY DRIVE THIS CAR ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK THIS HAS ME CONCERNED.. THE CAR STARTED OK AND DROVE FOR A COUPLE OF MILES JUST FINE WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR FELT LIKE I WAS TRYING TO DRIVE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL & EVEN WITH MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR WASN'T GOING ANYWHERE.. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO GET OUT OF THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC & TRIED TO PUT THE SHIFT LEVER IN A DIFFERENT GEAR BUT IT WAS STUCK IN DRIVE EVEN WHEN MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, SO I TRIED TO 'JIGGLE' IT A LITTLE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT BUT THE SHIFT LEVER WOULDN'T REALLY MOVE SO I JUST SAT THERE.. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I MADE AN ATTEMPT TO SAFELY PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC & THE CAR HESITATED A LITTLE BUT THEN DROVE FINE.. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEK I IGNORED IT AND TREATED IT AS A 'ONE TIME ONLY' ISSUE, BUT THEN IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME SO I GOT CONCERNED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH CITRUS KIA FOR 3/15/19 TO HAVE THIS CHECKED OUT.. I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE IS EXPERIENCING THIS BUT FELT I SHOULD REPORT IT AND WILL UPDATE THIS AFTER THE KIA DEALER HAS A LOOK AT IT..
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 5, 2019
I HAVE HAD MY BRAND NEW KIA FORTE FOR 8 MONTHS STARTING IN APRIL. I CURRENTLY HAVE 16,581 MILES ON THE CAR. ABOUT A MONTH AGO MY ECO LIGHT CAME ON BY ITSELF AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO TURN IT OFF SO I HAD TO TAKE IT TO KIA WHERE THEY UNSCREWED MY BATTERY AND IT WENT OFF. NOW I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR NOT WANTING TO TURN ON AND AFTER TAKING A TRIP TO AUTO ZONE WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE 'CRANK SHAFT'. I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A BRAND NEW CAR THAT I HAVE ONLY HAD FOR EIGHT MONTHS. I WAS DRIVING WHEN MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I BECAME REALLY CONCERNED AND THAT'S WHAT FORCED ME TO HAVE TO GO TO AUTO ZONE TO SEE WHY MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON.
Air bags, Structure, Nov 21, 2018, crash
TAKATA RECALL. I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND CRASH HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BUT THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.
Vehicle speed control, Jun 27, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA FORTE. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE PEDAL FAILED TO RELEASE AND BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,462.
Air bags, Jun 25, 2018, crash
"TAKATA RECALL " I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. THE INITIAL IMPACT WAS THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I RAN A STOP SIGN AT APROX 35MPH AND TEE BONED A TRUCK. AFTER THE IMPACT I SPUN INTO A TELEPHONE POLE WHERE THE SIDE CURTAIN DID DEPLOY.
Service brakes, Jun 2, 2018
VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 28 MILES ON 4/10/2018. THE VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING NOISE UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES. IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT SPEED YOU ARE AT THE BRAKES GRIND IN REVERSE OR DRIVE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. KIA DEALERSHIP ALREADY REPLACED CALIPER SAYS IT'S NORMAL NOISE WHEN KIA FORTE IS STOPPED. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ANYONE EXPERIENCED SAME ISSUE
Power train, May 1, 2018
THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT # 11088519 ON 4/10/18.. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 4/25/18, I WAS TOLD IT WAS A BAD SPARK PLUG HUH ON A NEW CAR; WHAT WOULD BE NEXT.. IN ANY EVENT THE DEALER HAD TO ORDER THE SPARK PLUG ANOTHER HUH ON THAT TOO.. SPARK PLUG IS IN & I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW 5/2/18 TO REPLACE & REPAIR & NONE TOO SOON BECAUSE THE CAR SOUNDS & RUNS 'TERRIBLE'.. SITTING AT A LIGHT IT SOUNDS WORSE THAN THE 2016 FIESTA I TRADED IN TERRIBLE ROUGH IDLE & REALLY BAD WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A LIGHT WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS.. THIS KIA FORTE AT PRESENT HAS 465 MILES ON THE ODOMETER..
Power train, Apr 16, 2018
WELL AT PRESENT MY CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 400 MILES ON IT I ONLY PICKED IT UP ON 4/4/2018 & IT'S STARTING TO SOUND LIKE THE 2016 FORD FIESTA I TRADED IN.. WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT THE IDLE GETS ROUGH AND IF THIS WAS THE 1960'S I WOULD SAY IT HAD A BAD SPARK PLUG OR CARBURETOR ISSUES; HOWEVER, THIS IS 2018 SO NOT SURE BUT IT'S THE ONLY THING I CAN RELATE THE IDLE ISSUE WITH.. I SPOKE WITH THE SALESPERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE CAR BUT HE SAID HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT INNER WORKINGS OF CARS SO I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR 4/25/2018 SINCE I CANNOT GET THERE AT THE TIMES THEY WANT ME TO; AND UNTIL THEN I CAN ONLY MONITOR IT.. THIS ISSUE STARTED AFTER I HAD THE CAR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK; NOTHING LIKE FLORIDA CAR DEALERS SELECTING A CAR FOR ME OFF THEIR LOT THAT HAS ISSUES..
Vehicle speed control, Apr 6, 2018
I PICKED UP THIS 2018 KIA FORTE VEHICLE ON 4/4/2018 WHICH HAD APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES ON THE ODOMETER SO I'M NOT SURE IF THIS ISSUE IS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS STILL NEW OR BECAUSE I JUST TRADED IN A 2016 FORD FIESTA & JUST NOT USED TO THIS VEHICLE.. WHAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT THE GAS PEDAL STICKS A LITTLE & DOESN'T RESPOND RIGHT AWAY TO FOOT PRESSURE, BUT I'M A SMALL PERSON SO FOOT PRESSURE IS NOT AS HEAVY AS BIG PERSON.. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THIS ISSUE JUST IN CASE IT DOES BECOME AN ONGOING PROBLEM..