NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 136 owner complaints for the 2018 Kia Forte.
Recalled components: air bags, latches, locks and linkages, and engine and cooling. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (29 complaints, 21%). Most-reported area: engine (57 complaints, 42%; median mileage when it happened: 67,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Forte year
The 2018 drew 34 owner complaints in its first three years, against 35 for a typical Forte year.
Years to avoid: 2019; best year: 2022. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
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 2.0L Nu MPI engine.
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.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Kia Forte.
What owners report
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Forte. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 67,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
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
2010
232
2011
162
2012
307
2013
211
2014
445
2015
262
2016
139
2017
305
2018
136
2019
150
2020
78
2021
69
2022
28
2023
66
2024
26
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
2010
3
2011
3
2012
4
2013
5
2014
3
2015
1
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.
In the 136 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Kia Forte, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (29), engine failure or replacement (19), and the check engine light coming on (16). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
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.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Kia Forte?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Kia Forte.
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 Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
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.