Model year record

2016 Kia Forte

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 235 owner complaints on file.

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.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Engine	81	74,000 mi
Electrical system	23	28,000 mi
Power train	18	17,310 mi
Unknown or other	18	19,044 mi
Air bags	15	50,000 mi
Vehicle speed control	15	2,000 mi
Exterior lighting	11	99,000 mi
Service brakes	11	118,167 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	8	11,300 mi
Wheels	6	38,000 mi
Steering	5	20,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)	4	30,000 mi
Structure: body	4	28,000 mi
Suspension	3	60,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking	2	—
Insert, padding	2	—
Visibility/wiper	2	—
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: immobilizer/proximity: key/sender	1	—
Engine and engine cooling	1	60,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline	1	5,000 mi
Seat belts	1	1,674 mi
Seats	1	—
Structure	1	2,865 mi
Tires	1	38,000 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.

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.