Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Forte, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine57
- Unknown or other30
- Air bags16
- Electrical system16
- Vehicle speed control10
- Power train8
- Fuel/propulsion system8
- Structure7
- Exterior lighting6
- Steering5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 96 2018 Forte vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 57 people died inside them, and 6 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2018 Kia Forte failed the safety check 2.78% of the time — 69% more often than the average 2018 passenger car (1.65%). Median odometer at inspection: 55,842 miles.
10,949first inspections
2.78%failed on safety
55,842 mimedian odometer
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.3 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 7.1–8.7 L/100 km (about 27–33 mpg US), CO₂ 168–207 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forte (MPI) · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 8.0 | 6.1 | 7.1 |
| Forte · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 6.8 | 8.3 |
| Forte (GDI) · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.0 | 8.3 |
| Forte 5 · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.0 | 8.3 |
| Forte 5 · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.9 | 8.7 |
| Forte 5 · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 7.3 | 8.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2018 Kia Forte.
| 2022023 27 Jan 2022 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, a defect in the airbag control unit could cause the airbag warning light to turn on. If this happens, the airbag system may not wo… |
| 2021504 10 Aug 2021 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk compartment ma… |
| 2021224 14 Apr 2021 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, small metal particles that are not captured by the oil filter can build up in the oil pump. If this happens, the engine oil pressu… |
| 2021039 1 Feb 2021 | Engine Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an eng… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
22V031000 · Air bags25 Jan 2022 · 410,619 vehicles
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.
21V622000 · Latches/locks/linkages9 Aug 2021 · 253,074 vehicles
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."
21V260000 · Engine and engine cooling13 Apr 2021 · 4,069 vehicles
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Kia told its dealers about the 2018 Kia Forte: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010515 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI2106Y/Z) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published (PI2106) titled Nu 2.0L GDI - Knock Sensor Detection System ECU Logic Improvement. Specifically, this bulletin provides instructions on which procedures to follow if, after installation of the KSDS, any on |
| 11001596 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2014-2018MY Forte (YD), 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm), and 2019-2021MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced within the dates outlined in page 13, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. |
| 11000787 | This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced. |
| 10252731 | PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2106) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2018 MY Kia Forte vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. The update will be done free of charge and will only involve the addition of newly developed computer software for the Engine Control Unit ("ECU"). |
| 10245167 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2014-2018MY Forte (YD), 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm), and 2019-2021MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced within the dates outlined in page 13, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. |
| 10240560 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. This software upgrade will be available to the customer free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of the original letter. When the software upgrade is complete, Kia will also provide the customer with window stickers that can be applied to the vehicle to |
| 10239715 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2014-2018MY Forte (YD), 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm), and 2019-2021MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced within the dates outlined in page 13, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer |
| 10238479 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN - APPLICATION OF ADDITIONAL ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL (SC264): This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to apply additional anti-corrosion material to the underbody components on certain 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) and 2017-2018MY Forte (YD/YDm) vehicles produced within the date ranges shown below and originally sold or currently registered in one of the 28 states where heavy amounts of road salt are used. The 28 states where heavy |
| 10238218 | PITSTOP: SRS DTC B176200 AND/OR B168400 - This pitstop has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this pitstop are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This Pitstop provides information regarding a possible mismatch of a SRSCM (Supplemental Restraint System Control Module) and driver seat belt buckle that may set the SRS DTC(s) B168400 and/or B176200 on the models listed below. When diagnosing a vehicle that has been in an accident and/or has recently had a superseded SRSCM replaced, it may be necessary to inspect and replace the driver seat belt buckle |
| 10236657 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: APPLICATION OF ADDITIONAL ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL (SC264) - This bulletin provides information to apply additional anti-corrosion material to the underbody components on certain 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) and 2017-2018MY Forte (YD/YDm) vehicles produced within the date ranges shown below and originally sold or currently registered in one of the 28 states where heavy amounts of road salt are used. The 28 states where heavy amounts of road salt are used are: AK, CT, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT, WI and WV. Co |
| 10236656 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign, as a preventive measure, to apply anti-corrosion material to the underbody components of certain 2017-2018 MY Forte vehicles manufactured from January 9, 2016 through July 27, 2018 and 2012-2017 MY Rio vehicles manufactured from June 21, 2011 through March 31, 2017 that were originally sold in or are currently registered in one of the 28 states with high road salt usage. |
| 10236651 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2014-2018MY Forte (YD), 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm), and 2019-2021MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced within the dates outlined in page 13, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. |
| 10236371 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign (SC264). |
| 10236370 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign, as a preventive measure, to apply anti-corrosion material to the underbody components of certain 2017-2018 MY Forte vehicles manufactured from January 9, 2016 through July 27, 2018 and 2012-2017 MY Rio vehicles manufactured from June 21, 2011 through March 31, 2017 that were originally sold in or are currently registered in one of the 28 states with high road salt usage. |
| 10236369 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign, as a preventive measure, to apply anti-corrosion material to the underbody components of certain 2017-2018 MY Forte vehicles manufactured from January 9, 2016 through July 27, 2018 and 2012-2017 MY Rio vehicles manufactured from June 21, 2011 through March 31, 2017 that were originally sold in or are currently registered in one of the 28 states with high road salt usage. |
| 10235406 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2014-2018MY Forte (YD), 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm), and 2019-2021MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced within the dates outlined in page 10, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. |
| 10235093 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. This software upgrade will be available to the customer free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. When the software upgrade is complete, Kia will also provide the customer with window stickers that can be applied to your vehicle to discourage a |
| 10235092 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. This software upgrade will be available to the customer free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. When the software upgrade is complete, Kia will also provide the customer with window stickers that can be applied to your vehicle to discourage a |
| 10234597 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on certain 2014-2018MY Forte (YD), 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm), and 2019-2021MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced within the dates outlined in page 10, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. This logic upgrade will add anti-theft ignition start logic to the vehicle's system operation. |
| 10226555 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced, refer to applicable vehicles in the chart starting on page 2. |
| 10226554 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR: COMPRESSOR FIELD COIL ASSEMBLY INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding A/C Compressor Field Coil Assembly inspection and replacement on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) and 2019-2023MY Forte (BDm) vehicles. |
| 10220346 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.This bulletin provides information on setting the "Service Interval Reminder" feature available on most 2014-2023MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 2). If the service interval reminder is set, the customer will be informed to have the next maintenance service performed, which can positively affect vehicle longevity and performance. Refer to TSB ENG241 for 2023MY~ vehicles equi |
| 10214887 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: SUB FRAME REPLACEMENT (SA323) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the sub frame on some 2018MY Forte (YD), produced from August 31, 2017 through September 4, 2017, and some 2018MY Forte (YDm) vehicles, produced from October 10, 2017 through October 23, 2017, which may experience a squeak noise at the sub frame area when driving. |
| 10210583 | SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI2106Y/Z) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published (PI2106) titled Nu 2.0L GDI - Knock Sensor Detection System ECU Logic Improvement. Specifically, this bulletin provides instructions on which procedures to follow if, after installation of the KSDS, any one of the subject vehicles below return to the dealer with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1326 (Knock Signal Range/Performance). |
| 10209455 | PITSTOP: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACEMENT AND MILEAGE SETTING WITH KDS - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This pitstop provides the KDS service procedure for mileage setting on the models listed below with newly replaced instrument clusters. Certain models allow for mileage setting with the KDS, which prevents the need to send out the instrument cluster to a 3rd party for mileage adjustment (refer to PS264). After a new cluster is installed, cluster (variant) coding may also ne |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)