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2018 Kia Forte Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 3 NHTSA recalls and 136 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

D
46/100

High Reported Activity — 2018 Kia Forte

The 2018 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.

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3
NHTSA Recalls
3 recalls on record
136
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
13
Crash Reports
3 fire reports
⚠️

NHTSA Recalls — 2018 Kia Forte (3)

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

🔧 Air Bags
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,…
NHTSA #22V031000
🔧 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
🔧 Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Oil/Lubrication: Pump
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…
NHTSA #21V260000
💬

Most Common Problems — 2018 Kia Forte

Based on 136 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Engine
38
Unknown Or Other
22
Electrical System
14
Air Bags
14
Power Train
8
Exterior Lighting
6
Vehicle Speed Control
6
Engine And Engine Cooling
5
📊

Kia Forte — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2018 model year is highlighted.

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 2021 69 complaints 2022 28 complaints

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

✅ Best model years: 2020, 2021, 2022 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2018 Kia Forte

Is the 2018 Kia Forte reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2018 Kia Forte has 3 recall campaigns and 136 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 2018 Kia Forte have?
The 2018 Kia Forte has 3 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Kia Forte?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2018 Kia Forte are: Engine, Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Air Bags. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2018 Kia Forte safe to buy?
The 2018 Kia Forte has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 3 recalls are 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, 2021, 2022. 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.