2020 Kia Forte problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 78 owner complaints about the 2020 Kia Forte, or 11.5 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.28, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #23 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 67% lower; against other Compact cars it is 48% 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 2019-09-22 and 2026-10-08. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 18.9 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 11.9 per year, about the same. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 15 complaints, 73% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (29.5% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (28.2%) and Transmission / powertrain (17.9%). 11 reports (14.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 50 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (41% of incidents). In the last 12 months 20 new complaints were filed, versus 15 in the 12 months before — up 33%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.28
- vs. other Kia models0.33
- vs. other 2020 models0.31
- vs. other Compact cars0.52
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (15)0.27
- #23 of 83 · 2020Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Transmission / powertrain · Unspecified or other · Electrical · Airbags & seat belts
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 9
- Fires reported: 2
- Injuries: 6
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 50 months
What owners report
While driving a 2020 Kia Forte on the expressway at normal speed, the vehicle was operating normally with no prior warning lights or known issues. Suddenly, the brakes began to feel weak, as if they were failing.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on a bend in the highway, a deer jumped over the barrier and landed on the top of the contact's front windshield.
During a day trip on 9/19/26 my 2020 Kia Forte (purchased new and well maintained) lost power and several of the dash board lights came on including check engine, traction/stability control, and collision alerts. The car entered what I was told is "limp mode".
My engine is failing due to excessive oil consumption despite having proof of regular oil changes and maintenance. My car has been inspected, and the dealer has stated this is due to a known manufacture defect.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bags warning light illuminated and then went off.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2020 · Compact cars
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Toyota Prius | 30 | 4.4 | 0.11 |
| 2020 Mazda Mazda3 | 32 | 4.7 | 0.12 |
| 2020 Volkswagen Jetta | 54 | 8.0 | 0.2 |
| 2020 Kia Forte | 78 | 11.5 | 0.28 |
| 2020 Subaru Impreza | 85 | 12.5 | 0.31 |
| 2020 Nissan Sentra | 206 | 30.3 | 0.75 |
| 2020 Honda Civic | 234 | 34.5 | 0.85 |
| 2020 Hyundai Elantra | 260 | 38.3 | 0.95 |
| 2020 Toyota Corolla | 313 | 46.1 | 1.14 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.