- 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.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Kia Forte
Before You Buy
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 normalized 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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.
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.
Consequence
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 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."
Consequence
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 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.
Consequence
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Kia Forte.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.3%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2018 Kia Forte 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2018 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.3% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Kia Forte, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
29
City
37
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,900
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 279 g/mi
How this compares
At 32 MPG combined, the 2018 Kia Forte ranks 3rd of 24 midsize cars EPA rated for 2018 — 5.5 MPG better than the 26.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $1,900, $700 less than the $2,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $9,500, a $3,500 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 279 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
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
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Kia Forte, newest first.
- Recall
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Recall
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
- Recall
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
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
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Recall
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
- Recall
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.