165 of the 534 complaints about the Kia Forte (30.9%) concern Engine, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 1.4× the Engine share across all tracked vehicles.
165Complaints · Engine
30.9%Share of complaints
1.39×vs. all vehicles
52Last 12 months
5.5%Share involving a crash or fire
1Related recalls
Analysis
By model year, Engine complaints peak with the 2018 model (61, 45% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2022 model (6). 52 Engine complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 28 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
Owners most often describe: “engine”, “oil”, “light”, “check” and “change”. 9 of these reports (5.5%) describe a crash or fire, with 0 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
1 recall campaign relates to this area, most recently campaign 21V260000 (2021-04-13, model years 2018).
As I was driving on the turnpike the car engine literally just shut down on me! It could have caused a serious accident. This is the 3rd time when driving the car just stopped on its own on me! Gas tank full, oil good and battery good, but the engine is not!
Engine · 2026-04-07 · ODI 11729604 · Crash
Car caught on fire while driving down the highway. Had engine replaced with a remanufactured engine in January of 2026 and car engine seized again 30 days later.
Engine · 2026-04-06 · ODI 11729517 · Fire
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
Engine burning excessive oil over a quart in 1000 miles. Catalytic converter code P0420 because of the excessive oil burning. Oil was always changed within the specified dealer milage range.
Engine · 2026-08-23 · ODI 11758838
I experienced a check engine light and had the vehicle diagnosed with codes P0017 and P0014. The vehicle was taken to a Kia dealership, where the technician found that the exhaust camshaft was free-spinning without the phaser and that the pin connecting the…
Engine · 2026-08-20 · ODI 11758381
This malfunction started in August of 2025 within 12 months of buying this new vehicle. A airbag sensor was replaced, then a national bbb case found the same malfunction only this time it includes the whole safty system failure.
Engine · 2026-07-27 · ODI 11753181
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP Campaign 21V260000 · 2021-04-13 · Model years: 2018
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.
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.
Why modern engines burn oil, and what owner complaints revealThe design choices that make many recent engines consume oil, the warning signs owners describe, what counts as normal, and which tracked models draw the most engine complaints right now.
Frequently asked questions
How common are Engine problems on the Kia Forte?
165 of the 534 complaints about the Kia Forte (30.9%) concern Engine, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 1.4× the Engine share across all tracked vehicles.
Which Kia Forte model years have the most Engine complaints?
By model year, Engine complaints peak with the 2018 model (61, 45% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2022 model (6).
Is there a recall for Kia Forte Engine problems?
1 recall campaign relates to this area, most recently campaign 21V260000 (2021-04-13, model years 2018).