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2018 Kia Forte

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Kia Forte do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 141.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

51 reports with mileage · 85 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports3 fire reports8 injury reports

What owners actually said

136 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 9, 2024
Air BagsStructureUnknown Or Other

Trunk opens unexpectedly

NHTSA ODI #11571085

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2024
Air Bags

The airbag lights indicator on the dash are going on and off periodically as I used the vehicle

NHTSA ODI #11569646

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2024
Engine

The vehicle stalls while driving during inclement weather. It needs to be restarted for it to continue driving. I have taken the car to multiple dealerships and they cannot locate the problem. I have also taken it to general mechanic shops and they cannot locate the issue. There isn't a code that is shown or a recall, there i…

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The vehicle stalls while driving during inclement weather. It needs to be restarted for it to continue driving. I have taken the car to multiple dealerships and they cannot locate the problem. I have also taken it to general mechanic shops and they cannot locate the issue. There isn't a code that is shown or a recall, there isn't even a warning lamp showing on the dash. This is creating a significant safety concern for anyone that is driving behind me. I haven't been rear ended yet but it's only a matter of time. If multiple dealers cannot fix the issue I believe this is a defective car. I have tried to contact Kia for guidance and they have not been any help. Please help me get through to Kia that they have sold a defective car and it is a safety hazard on the road.

NHTSA ODI #11567808

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2024
Engine

The car stalled radomly when I was in a drive thru for only 10 mins

NHTSA ODI #11564527

Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2023
Structure

I have 4 recall notices on this vehicle, my trunk latch stopped working 3 days ago, after a trip to the grocery store. now the trunk will not close had to strap it down with bungee cords to the under carriage . The 2 Kia Dealers in my area of Riverside County California have said to me they’re not touching recall work, there’s t…

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I have 4 recall notices on this vehicle, my trunk latch stopped working 3 days ago, after a trip to the grocery store. now the trunk will not close had to strap it down with bungee cords to the under carriage . The 2 Kia Dealers in my area of Riverside County California have said to me they’re not touching recall work, there’s that excuse, I’ve requested 4 appointments online with both dealers and I’ve never gotten a call-back! They suggest scheduling appointments online because no one answers the phones. If they do answer a ringing phone they simply transfer me to another phone that nobody answers. Frustrating. No voicemail?! I’m getting no support from Kia! It’s illegal in California to drive with your trunk strapped down, it’s also a huge safety issue! Having to strap the trunk down is damaging my car paint job. Trying to do the right thing and getting no support. What do I do now? Allstar Kia in San Bernardino is where I bought my Kia and Riverside Kia in Riverside CA is where I was told they weren’t dealing with recall work. That’s why they don’t answer ringing phones. Help please!

NHTSA ODI #11553492

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 2023
Engine

Car with less than 100K in Miles requires a new camshaft and accuator. Kia will not replace as a warranty defect due to it being a second owner car. The car can stall and cut off due to this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11552138

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2023
Latches/locks/linkages

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the trunk latch failed to unlock the trunk. The contact stated that the trunk latch was previously replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.…

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The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the trunk latch failed to unlock the trunk. The contact stated that the trunk latch was previously replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11551601

Mileage unknown · Sep 20, 2023
Electrical SystemCrash

The car was stolen

NHTSA ODI #11545683

Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2023
Visibility/wiper

I am the 2nd owner. Mileage currently: 25,562 Mileage when purchased in August, 2020: Approx 15,500 Air Compressor Car was not driven for most of 2020 and stayed in garage (pandemic). Car has only been serviced at Kia. Service in May 2022: Dealer checked off all components, valves, hoses, etc. were fine (option boxes were gr…

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I am the 2nd owner. Mileage currently: 25,562 Mileage when purchased in August, 2020: Approx 15,500 Air Compressor Car was not driven for most of 2020 and stayed in garage (pandemic). Car has only been serviced at Kia. Service in May 2022: Dealer checked off all components, valves, hoses, etc. were fine (option boxes were green, yellow, red, red being needing service soon. They checked "green" for box being discussed. August 2023 Brought car in for 3 recalls. Several weeks prior I noticed that the AC wasn't functioning as well as it used to so I had them check. Coincidentally, warranty expired 2 months earlier in June. Paid for the diagnostics, results are that the air compressor is leaking which will cost $1700 less the $300 that I've paid (estimated). Not sure why this wasn't noticed in May 2022 when warranty may have covered some/all of this repair. The car is barely driven since I am underemployed. Additionally, the compressors should last 8-10 years, not under 5 years or 25,000 miles. Regardless, while AC is always nice on a hot day, have your ever tried to drive your car on a rainy day without a working AC? Try it. I bet your windows fog up really quickly. So yes, it is a safety issue. I've reached out to KIA USA for assistance as a good will gesture to meet me half way (not even asking for free, just to meet me half way). It has been almost 2 weeks and they keep stringing me along. I only have a small window with Kia Ventura to decide if they should finish this work before I lose out on the $300 that I've already paid. It's ridiculous.

NHTSA ODI #11545255

Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2023
Engine

The engine seizes under 100000 miles with no warning lights on and regular maintenance done. We were driving it and pulled up to a light it stopped running and would not come back on. We took it Kia and they confirmed that the engine was seized and that we needed to replace the engine. We were also then told that the warranty wo…

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The engine seizes under 100000 miles with no warning lights on and regular maintenance done. We were driving it and pulled up to a light it stopped running and would not come back on. We took it Kia and they confirmed that the engine was seized and that we needed to replace the engine. We were also then told that the warranty would not cover anything because we are the second owner. It was inspected at the kia dealership but not anyone else because we weren’t in an accident so neither our insurance nor our gap insurance will cover anything. There were no warning lights or signs of something wrong at all it litterally was driving great one moment and dead the next.

NHTSA ODI #11544148

Official recalls

3

22V031000 · Air Bags

Jan 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

21V622000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch

Aug 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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

21V260000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pump

Apr 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.