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2018 Kia Forte

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
32
combined

Open recalls on record

3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Recalls3
Complaints134
Safety
Fuel

Vehicle Summary

2018 Kia Forte

3 recalls
134 complaints
32 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Check all recalls are completed
Review consumer complaints
Verify no crash-related complaints
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
134
Complaints citing a crash
13

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalised by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 22V031000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS

    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.

  • 21V622000high

    Latches/locks/linkages · trunk lid · latch

    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH

    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."

  • 21V260000high

    Engine issue

    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP

    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.

Consumer complaints

134 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

134
Total
13
Crashes
3
Fires
9
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE63
  • OTHER23
  • AIR BAGS16
  • ELECTRICAL10
  • LIGHTING5

Notable Issues

134 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 9 reports involve injuries. 13 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)63
miscellaneous issues23
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)16

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Midsize Cars
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
2L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (S6)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

29

City

37

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual cost
$1,900
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Data sources

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Kia Forte years

Common problems

Kia Forte problems

1,080 owner complaints analysed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 22V031000

    Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 21V622000

    A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

  3. Recall

    Recall 21V260000

    A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.