Kia Forte Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Kia Forte drew the most (72; most-reported area: powertrain) and the 2022 the fewest (15).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 35 mpg combined, arrived in 2019. Includes the Forte5 hatchback and the Forte Koup.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2019 Forte Most reported: powertrain	72	147	2
2017 Forte Most reported: engine	68	302	3
2023 Forte Most reported: steering	48	62	3
2021 Forte Most reported: engine	36	68	2
2018 Forte Most reported: engine	34	136	3
2016 Forte Most reported: engine	32	137	1
2020 Forte Most reported: engine	19	76	0
2022 Forte Most reported: engine	15	27	1

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	34 mpg Gas	0	25
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	34 mpg Gas	3	62
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	1	27
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	2	68
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	0	76
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	2	147
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	3	136
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	3	302
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	1	137

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2019: 147 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Kia Forte
Model year	Complaints
2016	137
2017	302
2018	136
2019	147
2020	76
2021	68
2022	27
2023	62
2024	25

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 30 to 35 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2024); highest in 2019.

2024: gas 34 mpg

Show as a table

Kia Forte best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	30
2017	32
2018	32
2019	35
2020	35
2021	35
2022	35
2023	34
2024	34

Questions

Which Kia Forte years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2019 (72) and 2017 (68) drew the most.

Which Kia Forte years have the fewest problems?

The 2022 (15) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024 is not ranked yet: it has had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Kia Forte years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2019 and the 2017, against 35 complaints in a typical Kia Forte year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.

Which Kia Forte years have the most recalls?

The 2017, 2018, and 2023 have the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (3 each). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. Two recalls tell owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-649 (2023 models) and NHTSA 24V-244 (2023 models).

What are the most common Kia Forte problems?

Of the 980 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2024 models, the areas named most are engine (37%), electrical system (15%), and powertrain (12%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Kia Forte year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 35 mpg combined, first reached by the 2019 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.