Second generation (YD)
2018 Kia Forte
The most reported problem on the 2018 Kia Forte is stalling, with 35 complaints, usually around 79,000 miles.
- 136owner complaints
- 3recalls
- 13involved a crash
- 41,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 2, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Forte doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2018 model year.
Is the 2018 Kia Forte reliable?
The 2018 Kia Forte has 136 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, below the median of 177 for 2018 sedans on this site. Of the 11 Forte model years since 2014, it has the 5th most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2017 and 2019
- At 15 complaints for each year on the road, the 2018 runs well under the 2017 (30) and below the 2019 (18).
- Top problem
- Stalling leads with 35 of the 136 complaints (26%), ahead of engine failure at 21. A quarter of the 12 owners who gave a mileage for stalling saw it by about 53,000 miles, and half by about 79,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 15 of the 136 complaints (11%) report a crash, a fire or an injury. The typical vehicle on this site sits at 6%, so this one runs well above it. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 13 reports mention a crash, 3 mention a fire and 9 people were hurt. The most crash reports, 8 of 13, fall under airbag.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- Stalling, the one problem here with enough reports to check, has a recall on the same system (21V-260). 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 2024 at 26 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 18. So far in 2026, 10 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: engine stalls or loses power while driving, 35 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
136 complaints is 2.0 times fewer than the median 2018 model on this site and 1.3 times fewer than the median 2018 sedan. Among the 6 Forte model years here it ranks 5th for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2018 Kia Forte
Kia filed 100 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2018 Kia Forte. 12 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 3 bulletins · 21 complaints
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2106) This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2018 MY Kia Forte vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod ...
OWNER NOTIFICATION This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2017-2018 MY Kia Forte vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter Nu GDI engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod ...
1 more on this problem
DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage ...
Check engine light or misfire 6 bulletins · 18 complaints
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304 AND/OR P219C00, P219D00, P219E00, P219F00 - This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) vehicles, produced from May ...
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSBENG208_R1: ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304 AND/OR P219C00, P219D00, P219E00, P219F00 This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) vehicles, produced from May 15, 2016 through July 27, 2018, which may experience a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) ON with DTC P0300, ...
4 more on this problem
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSBENG181_R1: SERVICE ACTION: IGNITION COIL OR COIL RFI SPRING REPLACEMENT FOR DTC P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, AND/OR P0304 (SA321) This bulletin provides the procedure to replace all four (4) ignition coils or replace all four (4) coil radio frequency interference (RFI) springs on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) 2.0L MPI vehicles, produced from May 16, 2016 through September 7, 2017, which ...
ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304 AND/OR P219C00, P219D00, P219E00, P219F00 This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) vehicles, produced from May 15, 2016 through July 27, 2018, which may experience a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) ON with DTC P0300, ...
ADAPTIVE VALUES RESET FOR DTC P0016 This bulletin provides the procedure to reset adaptive values on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) 2.0L MPI vehicles, produced from May 15, 2016 through June 22, 2018, which may experience a malfunction indicator lamp illumination with DTC P0016 due to a stuck ...
TSB - SERVICE ACTION: SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT (SA342) This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the spark plugs on some 2018MY Forte (YDm), produced from November 21, 2017 through April 12, 2018, and 2018MY Rio (SC) vehicles, both produced from November 22, 2017 through February 6, 2018, which may exhibit ...
Engine knocking or ticking 3 bulletins · 5 complaints
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI2106Y/Z) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published (PI2106) titled “Nu 2.0L GDI - Knock Sensor Detection System ECU Logic Improvement”.
SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI2106Y/Z) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published (PI2106) titled ¢Nu 2.0L GDI - Knock Sensor Detection System ECU Logic Improvement¢.
1 more on this problem
NU 2.0L GDI KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM (KSDS) ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI2106) - This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), in order to protect the engine from ...
Complaints filed by year
26 complaints came in 2024. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
Recalls that include the 2018 Kia Forte
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. 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 and remedy
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, 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 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door 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 and remedy
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 this recall is SC216.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.
Risk and remedy
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 number for this recall is SC210.
All 3 recalls on the 2018 Kia Forte, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2018 Kia Forte?
Stalling, with 35 of the 136 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 79,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2018 Kia Forte problems start?
Of the 56 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 22,000 miles and half by about 41,000.
Is the 2018 Kia Forte better or worse than the 2017 and 2019?
Counted per year on the road, the 2018 has fewer complaints than both the 2017 and the 2019: 15 a year against 30 and 18.
How many 2018 Kia Forte complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
15 of them (11%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for stalling on the 2018 Kia Forte?
Yes, NHTSA lists a recall on the same system: 21V-260. Its summary says which failure it covers, and that isn't always the one owners describe.