Known Recalls

Model year record

2016 Kia Forte

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 205 owner complaints on file.

Kia Forte, 2014–2018 generation
Pictured: the 2014–2018 generation. CapCase, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V622000

Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch

Component
Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
253,074
Reported to NHTSA
2021-08-09
Owners notified
2022-02-10

Defect description

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."

Safety risk

A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine6667,000 mi
Electrical system2128,000 mi
Power train1617,310 mi
Unknown or other1519,044 mi
Vehicle speed control142,000 mi
Air bags1350,000 mi
Exterior lighting1099,000 mi
Service brakes10118,167 mi
Fuel/propulsion system611,300 mi
Wheels638,000 mi
Steering520,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)430,000 mi
Structure: body428,000 mi
Suspension360,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking2—
Visibility/wiper2—
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: immobilizer/proximity: key/sender1—
Engine and engine cooling160,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline15,000 mi
Insert, padding1—
Seat belts11,674 mi
Seats1—
Structure12,865 mi
Tires138,000 mi

The 2015 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2017 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Other Kia Forte model years

2024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009

All Kia Forte recalls by year

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.