2018 Kia Forte · recalls
2018 Kia Forte recalls
NHTSA lists 3 recalls that include the 2018 Kia Forte. The newest, 22V-031, was filed Jan 25, 2022 for the airbags.
- 3recalls
- 3systems
- 136owner complaints
Newest recall or investigation Jan 25, 2022 · checked Sep 22, 2026
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN, and a finished repair drops it off the list. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Every recall, newest first
Air Bags
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: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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.
16 of the 136 owner complaints on this car cite the airbags.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Latch
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: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
4 of the 136 owner complaints on this car cite the latches/locks/linkages, 1 of them the same part of it (Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Latch).
What owners wrote about latch
“My trunk will not open at all, I have had this issue since July and received a letter about recalls on certain Kia fortes yet mine was not included in the recall.”
Filed Oct 21, 2021
A complaint on the same system is not proof of the recalled defect.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lubrication:Pump
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: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
5 of the 136 owner complaints on this car cite the engine and engine cooling. Symptom sheets that include this system: Engine stalls or loses power while driving (35).
Complaints with no recall behind them
The systems owners of the 2018 Kia Forte complain about most that none of these recalls covers, as of Sep 22, 2026. A problem can be widespread without being a safety defect NHTSA can order fixed.
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