Model year record

2018 Kia Forte

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 230 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V031000

Air bags

Component
Air bags
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
410,619
Reported to NHTSA
2022-01-25
Owners notified
2022-03-21

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Manufacturer 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.

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V260000

Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pump

Component
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pump
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
4,069
Reported to NHTSA
2021-04-13
Owners notified
2021-08-16

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

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

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine7468,000 mi
Unknown or other3616,575 mi
Air bags1717,000 mi
Electrical system1741,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system105,929 mi
Vehicle speed control109,624 mi
Power train95,660 mi
Structure: body96,800 mi
Exterior lighting833,937 mi
Engine and engine cooling7100,300 mi
Service brakes628 mi
Steering66,800 mi
Latches/locks/linkages333,500 mi
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: immobilizer/proximity: key/sender2
Seat belts227,000 mi
Tires: tread/belt232,215 mi
Visibility/wiper2
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control1
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking1
Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch1
Seats1
Suspension1
Tires119,500 mi
Tires: sidewall1
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal11,462 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system1129,000 mi
Wheels119,000 mi

The 2017 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2019 model has roughly the same number of 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.