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2018 Kia Forte

Gas
Midsize Cars
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
78 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA136
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA32 mpg
202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 Kia Forte is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forte, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 136 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
ForteGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl293732$1,950
ForteGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl253428$2,250
ForteGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl253328$2,250
Forte 5GasFWD2.0L 4-cyl253428$2,250
Forte 5GasFWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,300
Forte 5GasFWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo232925$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38933, 38934, 38935, 38941, 39064, 39065.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Kia Forte is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

SC226
410,619 vehicles
ProblemKia 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.RiskAir bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V031000reported Jan 25, 2022Kia Motors America
●moderate

Latches/Locks/Linkages

SC216
253,074 vehicles
ProblemKia 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."RiskA person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V622000reported Aug 9, 2021Kia Motors America
▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

SC210
4,069 vehicles
ProblemKia 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.RiskA damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.FixKia 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V260000reported Apr 13, 2021Kia Motors America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
136complaints filed

13 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 9 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 7 · 2019: 15 · 2020: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 22 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 26 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 10

Most-cited components

Engine57
Unspecified30
Air Bags16
Electrical System16
Vehicle Speed Control10
Power Train8

What owners describe

“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…”Sep 14, 2022 · Tires · NHTSA owner report
“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…”Aug 16, 2022 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“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…”Aug 16, 2022 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆10%
5 HB FWDnot ratednot rated★★★★★★★★★☆10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Forte model years

A

2024 Kia Forte

0 recalls · 24 complaints

D

2023 Kia Forte

3 recalls · 61 complaints

A

2022 Kia Forte

1 recalls · 26 complaints

B

2021 Kia Forte

2 recalls · 67 complaints

A

2020 Kia Forte

0 recalls · 74 complaints

B

2019 Kia Forte

2 recalls · 147 complaints

C

2017 Kia Forte

3 recalls · 301 complaints

A

2016 Kia Forte

1 recalls · 137 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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