NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 136 owner complaints for the 2018 Kia Forte.
3Safety recalls
136Owner complaints
13Complaints citing a crash
3Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: air bags, latches, locks and linkages, and engine and cooling. Most-reported area: engine (57 complaints, 42%; median mileage when it happened: 67,000). Includes the Forte5 hatchback and the Forte Koup.
3 safety recalls for the 2018 Kia Forte
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup 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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles.
0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.
NHTSA listing: FORTE. Kia campaign SC210.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 136 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Forte. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine57 · 42%
Median 67,000 miles at failure (17 reports)
Air bags16 · 12%
Electrical system16 · 12%
Speed control10 · 7%
Fuel and propulsion system8 · 6%
Powertrain8 · 6%
Body structure7 · 5%
Most named: body (7)
Unknown or other30 · 22%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Forte recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Forte drew the most (72) and the 2018 drew 34.
Owner complaints
2018: 136 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2018: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Forte
Model year
Recalls
2016
1
2017
3
2018
3
2019
2
2020
0
2021
2
2022
1
2023
3
2024
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Forte 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.3%
Kia Forte 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk 10.3%
Not rated
Not rated
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Forte problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (57), air bags (16), electrical system (16). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2018 Kia Forte safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Kia Forte earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Forte has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: FORTE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.