NHTSA has received 136 owner complaints about the 2018 Kia Forte, or 15.5 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.38, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #27 of 76 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 56% lower; against other Compact cars it is 29% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2018-04-06 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 16 days.
136Complaints
15.5Complaints per year on the road
0.38Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls
11.0%Share involving a crash or fire
14Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 18.9 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 22 complaints, 74% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (44.9% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (10.3%) and Electrical (8.8%). Engine complaints are 2.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 15 reports (11.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 9 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 58 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (46% of incidents). In the last 12 months 14 new complaints were filed, versus 20 in the 12 months before — down 30%.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.38
vs. other Kia models0.44
vs. other 2018 models0.33
vs. other Compact cars0.71
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (22)0.26
Unknown. Fire was located under in the engine compartment area and fire was visible from below the engine under the car.
Engine · 2025-09-05 · ODI 11685190 · Fire
I got into a car accident and my air bags never deployed and the seat beat didn’t lock so I cause me to get jerked and my head hit the side door and I messed up my left shoulder and arm in the process of holding myself from hitting the steering wheel and my…
There is an issue with the fuel pump where it would stall or shut off while driving or at a stoplight
Fuel system · 2026-09-02 · ODI 11761532
The contact's son owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with the oil pressure warning light and several other unknown…
Engine · 2026-08-31 · ODI 11761101
Have to replace running lights every 4-6 months on both of my headlights. Happened every 4-6 months since I got the car in 2017
Lighting · 2026-04-27 · ODI 11734041
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: 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.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Summary: 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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP Campaign 21V260000 · 2021-04-13
Summary: 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.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
