Kia Forte
Owners filed 2,532 complaints across 16 model years of the Kia Forte. The 2014 drew the most (440); the 2009 the fewest (1).
Model years16
Complaints2,532
Recalls34
Fires136
Deaths12
Every Kia Forte model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24 | 0 | — | 5 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2023 | 61 | 3 | 4 | 11 | Steering | Do not drive | |
| 2022 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2021 | 67 | 2 | — | 10 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2020 | 75 | 0 | 2 | 9 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2019 | 147 | 2 | 4 | 11 | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2018 | 136 | 3 | 3 | 13 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2017 | 301 | 3 | 9 | 23 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2016 | 135 | 1 | 6 | 16 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2015 | 259 | 1 | 20 | 16 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2014 | 440 | 3 | 36 | 32 | Engine | High concern | |
| 2013 | 195 | 5 | 13 | 16 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2012 | 291 | 4 | 22 | 20 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2011 | 153 | 3 | 12 | 28 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2010 | 221 | 3 | 4 | 21 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Engine | Routine |
Which Kia Forte years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2014 is the weakest year on record, with 440 complaints concentrated in the engine. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.