FaultScore

Worst years for a KIA Forte

Owners have filed 3,596 complaints about the KIA Forte with NHTSA across model years 2009 to 2024. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2017 KIA Forte

432 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2024 KIA Forte

46 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every KIA Forte year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2024 C 46 11 0 Other & Unspecified
2023 C 97 16 7 30,000 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2022 C 42 5 1 12,800 Other & Unspecified
2021 C 95 14 0 21,234 Engine & Cooling
2020 C 101 12 2 7,000 Other & Unspecified
2019 D 216 22 4 10,403 Transmission & Drivetrain
2018 D 188 20 4 31,022 Engine & Cooling
2017 F 432 38 14 37,000 Engine & Cooling
2016 D 202 20 13 37,000 Engine & Cooling
2015 D 325 21 21 75,000 Engine & Cooling
2014 F 644 60 53 77,000 Engine & Cooling
2013 D 272 26 23 76,000 Engine & Cooling
2012 D 404 34 32 80,777 Engine & Cooling
2011 D 214 44 23 82,000 Engine & Cooling
2010 D 317 35 4 70,130 Engine & Cooling
2009 1 0 0 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a KIA Forte

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 1,175 32.7%

Worst in 2014

Worst in 2014

Worst in 2014

Airbags 292 8.1%

Worst in 2014

Brakes 218 6.1%

Worst in 2012

Worst in 2019

Lights 178 4.9%

Worst in 2017

Steering 160 4.4%

Worst in 2014

Worst in 2017

Worst in 2017

Worst in 2019

Worst in 2014

Tires 56 1.6%

Worst in 2010

Seat Belts 56 1.6%

Worst in 2014

Exactly what failed on a KIA Forte

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 72 41.4%
Warnings 31 17.8%
Automatic Emergency Braking 18 10.3%
Adaptive Cruise Control 11 6.3%
Pressure Monitoring AND Regulating Systems 9 5.2%
Assist 8 4.6%
Key/Sender 7 4.0%
Brake Lights 7 4.0%
Blind Spot Detection 6 3.4%
Catalytic Convertor 5 2.9%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every KIA Forte, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Aug 2009 peak 62 Aug 2026

KIA Forte problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the KIA Forte

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.