Home › Reliability › Kia › Forte › 2016

2016 Kia Forte Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 1 NHTSA recall and 138 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

D
47/100

High Reported Activity — 2016 Kia Forte

The 2016 Kia Forte shows high recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the issues below and have a thorough pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic.

Own or buying a 2016 Kia Forte?

Check your specific VIN free for recalls and specs. Full vehicle history report: one-time $4.99, no subscription, no auto-renewal.

1
NHTSA Recalls
1 recall on record
138
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
16
Crash Reports
6 fire reports
⚠️

NHTSA Recalls — 2016 Kia Forte (1)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Kia dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Latches/Locks/Linkages: Trunk Lid: Latch
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…
NHTSA #21V622000
💬

Most Common Problems — 2016 Kia Forte

Based on 138 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Engine
44
Electrical System
17
Power Train
16
Unknown Or Other
12
Air Bags
11
Exterior Lighting
7
Vehicle Speed Control
6
Service Brakes
5
📊

Kia Forte — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2016 model year is highlighted.

2010 232 complaints 2011 162 complaints 2012 306 complaints 2013 211 complaints 2014 445 complaints 2015 260 complaints 2016 138 complaints 2017 305 complaints 2018 136 complaints 2019 149 complaints 2020 78 complaints

→ Recently checked Kia Forte VINs — free recall, safety and specs report for any VIN.

→ Decode a Kia VIN — free Kia VIN decoder guide: where to find the VIN and what each part means.

⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2014 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2020 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

❓

Frequently Asked Questions — 2016 Kia Forte

Is the 2016 Kia Forte reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 Kia Forte has 1 recall campaign and 138 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How many recalls does the 2016 Kia Forte have?
The 2016 Kia Forte has 1 NHTSA recall. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Kia Forte?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2016 Kia Forte are: Engine, Electrical System, Power Train, Unknown Or Other. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2016 Kia Forte safe to buy?
The 2016 Kia Forte has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 1 recallis completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Kia Forte should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Kia Forte are: 2020. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2014.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.