2018 KIA FORTE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
185
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
37
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 KIA FORTE
The 2018 KIA FORTE has received a total of 185 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 9 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS. 37 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (56 complaints), Unknown Or Other (30 complaints), and Air Bags (16 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 KIA FORTE
NHTSA has recorded 9 recalls for the 2018 KIA FORTE, potentially affecting up to 2,567,381 vehicles.
Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 22V031000 — AIR BAGS
| 410,619 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V622000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
| 253,074 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Recall 21V622000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
| 253,074 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Recall 21V260000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP
| 4,069 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Recall 21V260000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP
| 4,069 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 KIA FORTE
185 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 KIA FORTE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 56 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 30 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkages | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systemignitionanti Theftimmobilizerproximitykeysender | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tirestreadbelt | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkagestrunk Lidlatch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tiressidewall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
While driving the car with the flow of busy traffic, the engine failed and the car stopped. It eventually turn back on (side of the road) but now drives with hesitation, a strange noise, and with the engine light on. This cycle continued until we arrived at the repair shop. And after much research, it seems that this experience is common for other Kia engines. Why was mine not included? Someone could have been badly injured!
While driving the car with the flow of busy traffic, the engine failed and the car stopped. It eventually turn back on (side of the road) but now drives with hesitation, a strange noise, and with the engine light on. This cycle continued until we arrived at the repair shop. And after much research, it seems that this experience is common for other Kia engines. Why was mine not included? Someone could have been badly injured!
Engine would run fast and then sound like was going to stop and then it would start shaking and rumbling while driving on highway and in town. Car would stall while at a stop. Gas smells inside the car. Did not feel safe driving. Had the car towed to an independent garage on February 7th and They did an oil change, change 2 Sensors, changed all the spark plugs and changed all 4 Cylinders and on the way home from Starks garage the car was doing the same as before going to the garage with gas smells inside the car, shaking, rumbling and stalling of the engine. And the car wanting to stall while on the highway speed limit of going 60 mph. the next morning My mom and stepdad had the car towed again to another mechanic close to them at Hudson Import Automotive -Napa Auto Care and they emailed a list of problems after inspecting the car. Attaching the list of codes from a diagnostic test from Auto Zone Store # 00791 , and the Estimate for Service from Hudson Import Automotive - Napa Auto Care. Have no paperwork from Starks mechanic shop.
Engine would run fast and then sound like was going to stop and then it would start shaking and rumbling while driving on highway and in town. Car would stall while at a stop. Gas smells inside the car. Did not feel safe driving. Had the car towed to an independent garage on February 7th and They did an oil change, change 2 Sensors, changed all the spark plugs and changed all 4 Cylinders and on the way home from Starks garage the car was doing the same as before going to the garage with gas smells inside the car, shaking, rumbling and stalling of the engine. And the car wanting to stall while on the highway speed limit of going 60 mph. the next morning My mom and stepdad had the car towed again to another mechanic close to them at Hudson Import Automotive -Napa Auto Care and they emailed a list of problems after inspecting the car. Attaching the list of codes from a diagnostic test from Auto Zone Store # 00791 , and the Estimate for Service from Hudson Import Automotive - Napa Auto Care. Have no paperwork from Starks mechanic shop.
Engine would run fast and then sound like was going to stop and then it would start shaking and rumbling while driving on highway and in town. Car would stall while at a stop. Gas smells inside the car. Did not feel safe driving. Had the car towed to an independent garage on February 7th and They did an oil change, change 2 Sensors, changed all the spark plugs and changed all 4 Cylinders and on the way home from Starks garage the car was doing the same as before going to the garage with gas smells inside the car, shaking, rumbling and stalling of the engine. And the car wanting to stall while on the highway speed limit of going 60 mph. the next morning My mom and stepdad had the car towed again to another mechanic close to them at Hudson Import Automotive -Napa Auto Care and they emailed a list of problems after inspecting the car. Attaching the list of codes from a diagnostic test from Auto Zone Store # 00791 , and the Estimate for Service from Hudson Import Automotive - Napa Auto Care. Have no paperwork from Starks mechanic shop.
Safety Rating for the 2018 KIA FORTE
The 2018 KIA FORTE received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 KIA FORTE
Kia America, Inc. has issued 37 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 KIA FORTE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
PI2106_OWNR_401 — ENGINE
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 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 Nu GDI engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. The...
PI2106_OWNR_301 — ENGINE
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2106) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting an important 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 bearing damage.
PI2106_OWNR_201 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 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 bearing damage. The update will...
CS2305B_OWNR2 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without...
SC264_OWNR — STRUCTURE
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign, as a preventive measure, to apply anti-corrosion material to the underbody components of certain 2017-2018 MY Forte vehicles manufactured from January 9, 2016 through July 27, 2018 and 2012-2017...
CS2305_TSB_R2 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2305) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the...
TSB_CHA085_R2 — STRUCTURE
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: SUB FRAME REPLACEMENT (SA323) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the sub frame on some 2018MY Forte (YD), produced...
SC203_OWNR — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
SC203_OWNR: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia America, Inc. is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to update the software programming on your vehicle's Engine Control Module. Kia has become aware that certain 2017-2018 MY Forte vehicles equipped with the 2.0L Multi-Port Injection (MPI)...
SC203_TSB — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: ECM UPDATE FOR OBD LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC203) - This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) vehicles equipped with the NU 2.0L MPI engine, produced from May 27, 2016 through June 27, 2018. While...
SC203_TSB — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: ECM UPDATE FOR OBD LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC203) - This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) on some 2017-2018MY Forte (YDm) vehicles equipped with the NU 2.0L MPI engine, produced from May 27, 2016 through June 27, 2018. While...
Showing 10 of 37 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 KIA FORTE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA FORTE
- 2013 KIA FORTE — 268 complaints
- 2014 KIA FORTE — 630 complaints
- 2015 KIA FORTE — 319 complaints
- 2016 KIA FORTE — 190 complaints
- 2017 KIA FORTE — 419 complaints
- 2018 KIA FORTE (current)
- 2019 KIA FORTE — 197 complaints
- 2020 KIA FORTE — 86 complaints
- 2021 KIA FORTE — 90 complaints
- 2022 KIA FORTE — 35 complaints
- 2023 KIA FORTE — 84 complaints
Other KIA Models
- KIA SORENTO — 13,451 total complaints
- KIA OPTIMA — 10,045 total complaints
- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints
- KIA RIO — 1,784 total complaints