Kia Forte Engine Problems by Year

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Yes. Owners have filed 1,208 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2009–2024 Kia Forte. For the Kia Forte, that's 0.67 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, 1.5× the median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2014, 2012 and 2015.

Engine complaints

1,208

Filed with NHTSA, 2009–2024 models

Per 1,000 sold

0.67

2015–2022 cohorts

Share of all complaints

46.8%

of 2,579 complaints for this model

Engine recalls

2

NHTSA campaigns, all years

Kia Forte engine complaints by model year

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.

Kia Forte engine complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year
Model yearEngine complaintsPer 1,000 soldShare of all complaintsCrash / fire / injuryEngine recallsEngine TSBs*
20091—100%0—0
201087—37.5%6—20
201151—31.5%6—13
2012WORST180—58.6%2020V7500007
2013122—57.8%1220V7500006
2014WORST221—49.7%2620V75000042
2015WORST1642.0862.6%1920V75000036
2016690.6749.6%6—44
20171561.3352%821V26000044
2018600.5944.8%321V26000041
2019380.426.2%3—18
2020180.2125.4%1—17
2021220.1932.8%0—10
202260.0624%0—4
20238—14.3%2—5
20245—22.7%0—2
  • Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
  • Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
  • Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
  • *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.

Common Kia Forte engine problems owners describe

We searched the narratives of all 1,208 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.

Engine failure, seizure or replacement405 · 33.5%
Knocking, ticking or rattling401 · 33.2%
Misfire or check-engine light286 · 23.7%
Stalling or shutting off while driving282 · 23.3%
Smoke, burning smell or fire191 · 15.8%
Oil consumption or oil leaks120 · 9.9%
Loss of power or limp mode93 · 7.7%
Overheating or coolant loss27 · 2.2%
Timing chain or belt18 · 1.5%

Kia Forte years to avoid for the engine

2014 Kia Forte

221 engine complaints (49.7% of the year's 445). Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement. Covered by engine recall 20V750000.

2012 Kia Forte

180 engine complaints (58.6% of the year's 307). Most often described: knocking, ticking or rattling. Covered by engine recall 20V750000.

2015 Kia Forte

164 engine complaints (62.6% of the year's 262), 2.08 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement. Covered by engine recall 20V750000.

Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Kia Forte years to avoid.

Kia Forte engine recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Kia Forte model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.

  • 21V260000 · 2021-04-13 · 2017–2018 models

    Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.

  • 20V750000 · 2020-12-02 · 2012–2015 models

    An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.

Related research

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2014 Kia Forte have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 221 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Kia Forte, 49.7% of all 445 complaints for that year. The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (77 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 20V750000. 26 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2012 Kia Forte have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 180 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 Kia Forte, 58.6% of all 307 complaints for that year. The most common description is "knocking, ticking or rattling" (86 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 20V750000. 20 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2015 Kia Forte have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 164 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2015 Kia Forte, 62.6% of all 262 complaints for that year, or 2.08 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (57 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 20V750000. 19 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Which Kia Forte years have the most engine complaints?

2014 (221), 2012 (180) and 2015 (164), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.

What are the most common Kia Forte engine problems?

In the 1,208 engine complaints, owners most often describe engine failure, seizure or replacement (33.5%), knocking, ticking or rattling (33.2%) and misfire or check-engine light (23.7%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.

Is this a engine failure rate?

No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.

How we count

Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Kia Forte model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.

Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.

These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

Sources

  1. NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  3. Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration