{"id":"2018_kia_forte","make":"Kia","make_slug":"kia","model":"Forte","model_slug":"forte","year":2018,"url":"/kia/forte/2018/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":38933,"model":"Forte","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":29,"hwy":37,"comb":32,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Midsize Cars","co2":279,"fe_score":7,"ghg_score":7,"fuel_cost":1950,"save_spend":1500,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2017"},{"id":38934,"model":"Forte","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Manual 6-spd","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":25,"hwy":34,"comb":28,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Midsize Cars","co2":314,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2250,"save_spend":0,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2017"},{"id":38935,"model":"Forte","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":25,"hwy":33,"comb":28,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Midsize Cars","co2":318,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2250,"save_spend":0,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2017"},{"id":38941,"model":"Forte 5","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":25,"hwy":34,"comb":28,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Large Cars","co2":317,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2250,"save_spend":0,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39064,"model":"Forte 5","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM7)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":25,"hwy":30,"comb":27,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Large Cars","co2":332,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2300,"save_spend":-250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39065,"model":"Forte 5","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Manual 6-spd","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":23,"hwy":29,"comb":25,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Large Cars","co2":353,"fe_score":5,"ghg_score":5,"fuel_cost":2500,"save_spend":-1250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"}],"vclass":"Midsize Cars","segment":"Midsize car","epa_certified":true,"recalls":[{"campaign":"22V031000","component":"AIR BAGS","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2022-01-25","owner_notified":"2022-03-21","units":410619,"summary":"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 number for this recall is SC226.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC226","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"21V622000","component":"LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2021-08-09","owner_notified":"2022-02-10","units":253074,"summary":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC216","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"moderate"},{"campaign":"21V260000","component":"ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP","mfr":"Kia Motors America","reported":"2021-04-13","owner_notified":"2021-08-16","units":4069,"summary":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC210","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":3,"critical_count":0,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":78,"grade":"C","complaints":{"count":136,"crash":13,"fire":3,"injured":9,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Engine",57],["Unspecified",30],["Air Bags",16],["Electrical System",16],["Vehicle Speed Control",10],["Power Train",8]],"by_year":{"2018":7,"2019":15,"2020":12,"2021":9,"2022":22,"2023":17,"2024":26,"2025":18,"2026":10},"excerpts":[["2022-09-14","Tires","The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte equipped with Nexen Tires, Tire Line: N 'Priz AH8, Tire Size: 195/65/R15, DOT Number: E025. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair and the mechanic noticed that all four tires had started to crack in the center of the tire with rotting to the tr\u2026"],["2022-08-16","Engine","last fall my car would turn off while i was parked or driving at low speeds, i brought it to my Kia dealership and they could not find an issue, it happed a few more time in the winter, then in this summer it started happing more and more, including when i was driving at low speeds, my car would turn off, the battery a\u2026"],["2022-08-16","Air Bags","The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH, the contact stated he rear-ended the vehicle in front of him causing damage to the front end of his vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. The contact had several cuts and bruises, but no medical attention was required and he stated that n\u2026"]]},"investigations":[],"ncap":[{"desc":"4 DR FWD","overall":5,"frontal":4,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.103,"seats":5,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null},{"desc":"5 HB FWD","overall":null,"frontal":null,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.103,"seats":5,"fcw":"No","ldw":"No","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":999,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":32,"ncap":5,"complaints":136},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 06:27 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}