Kia
Kia Forte years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2014 and 2017. Best years: 2022 and 2024.
The 2014 and 2017 Kia Forte draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 418 complaints (32 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 302 complaints (30 for each year on the road), against a median of 15 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2014 is engine failure (101 reports).
- 1,396complaints
- 8recall campaigns
- 6model years with a page
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2014
Most reported: engine failure (101 reports, median 94,000 miles) and airbag (60 reports, median 83,400 miles).
2017
Most reported: stalling (67 reports, median 84,000 miles) and engine failure (57 reports, median 97,000 miles).
Best years
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2014 has the most complaints of any Kia Forte year here: 418 of 1,396 (30%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: engine failure from 2014 to 2015; stalling from 2016 to 2019. Pooled across the years, half of the 186 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 90,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 13% of Kia Forte complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 21 of its 135 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 4 of the 6 model years where owners report engine failure have a recall on the same system. The 2016 and 2019 have none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2021 at 213 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 138. So far in 2026, 76 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: DestinationFearFan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Second generation (YD)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 avoid | 418 | 32 | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (101) | 86,000 |
| 2015 | 258 | 22 | 1 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (73) | 75,461 |
| 2016 | 135 | 12 | 1 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (30) | 50,000 |
| 2017 avoid | 302 | 30 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (67) | 50,000 |
| 2018 | 136 | 15 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (35) | 41,000 |
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2020 (76), 2021 (68), 2022 (27), 2023 (63), 2024 (25).
Year by year
2019 Kia Forte
147 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (26 reports, median 42,000 miles), transmission failure (18 reports, median 10,000 miles) and engine failure (17 reports, median 90,000 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 20V-459 on the transmission and drivetrain and 18V-771 on the exterior lighting.
2018 Kia Forte
136 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (35 reports, median 79,000 miles), engine failure (21 reports, median 84,400 miles) and misfire (18 reports, median 101,000 miles). 13 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-260 on the engine and 22V-031 on the airbags.
2017 Kia Forte avoid
302 owner complaints, 30 for each year on the road (2.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (67 reports, median 84,000 miles), engine failure (57 reports, median 97,000 miles) and misfire (37 reports, median 90,000 miles). 23 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-260 on the engine and 22V-031 on the airbags.
2016 Kia Forte
135 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (30 reports, median 57,095 miles), engine failure (30 reports, median 92,000 miles) and misfire (15 reports). 16 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 1 recall: 21V-622 on the latches and locks.
2015 Kia Forte
258 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (73 reports, median 90,000 miles), stalling (53 reports, median 90,000 miles) and misfire (34 reports, median 101,000 miles). 16 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 1 recall: 20V-750 on the engine.
2014 Kia Forte avoid
418 owner complaints, 32 for each year on the road (2.1 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (101 reports, median 94,000 miles), airbag (60 reports, median 83,400 miles) and stalling (55 reports, median 105,000 miles). 27 reports involved a crash and 25 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-750 on the engine and 17V-773 on the brakes.
Recalls that cover several model years
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."
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.
Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.
An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Questions
What Kia Forte years should you avoid?
The 2014 and 2017 Kia Forte draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 418 complaints (32 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 302 complaints (30 for each year on the road), against a median of 15 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2014 is engine failure (101 reports).
What are the best years for the Kia Forte?
The 2022 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2022 has 27 (5 a year) and 2024 has 25 (8 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Kia Forte?
Engine failure, with 299 reports across the 6 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014 and 2015.
How many recalls does the Kia Forte have?
8 recall campaigns cover the Kia Forte model years 2014 to 2019 on this site. The widest, 21V-622 on the latches and locks, covers 3 model years.
How many Kia Forte complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
13% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Kia Forte?
On 4 of the 6 model years where owners report it: 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.