Is Ford or Kia more reliable?
Kia comes out ahead: Ford 3.89 vs Kia 3.32 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Kia owners filed 15% fewer complaints per vehicle sold than Ford owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Ford vs Kia at a glance
| Ford | Kia | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 3.89 | 3.32 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.16 | 0.29 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #19 | #16 |
| Models covered | 15 | 10 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 15,875,164 | 4,737,776 |
| Owner complaints | 61,721 | 15,719 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 89.2% | 91.4% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 28.4% · Powertrain / transmission 23.3% · Steering 9.4% | Engine 52.1% · Electrical system 12.2% · Powertrain / transmission 9.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 648 (40.7 million) | 148 (13.0 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Ford's count is driven most by 2015–2019 F-Series complaints about powertrain / transmission and steering (14,110, 22.9% of Ford's complaints). Other models with rates above Ford's overall 3.89: Escape (5.42), Explorer (4.85), Edge (5.52).
- Kia's count is driven most by 2016–2017 Sorento complaints about engine and powertrain / transmission (2,074, 13.2% of Kia's complaints). Other models with rates above Kia's overall 3.32: Optima (4.25), Telluride (4.56), Soul (3.80).
Ford vs Kia complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | 4.07 | 4.95 | 5.29 | 4.20 | 3.38 | 3.49 | 2.58 | 1.85 |
| Kia | 5.34 | 5.39 | 4.12 | 2.04 | 1.88 | 3.18 | 2.58 | 1.75 |
What Ford and Kia owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Ford
- Engine28.4% · 17,554
- Powertrain / transmission23.3% · 14,375
- Steering9.4% · 5,811
- Electrical system9% · 5,567
- Body structure8.3% · 5,120
- Fuel / propulsion6.9% · 4,253
Kia
- Engine52.1% · 8,188
- Electrical system12.2% · 1,916
- Powertrain / transmission9.9% · 1,562
- Fuel / propulsion6.5% · 1,015
- Lighting6.1% · 963
- Body structure5.4% · 844
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Three-row SUVs: Ford Explorer vs Kia Sorento
They are statistically close: Ford Explorer 4.85 vs Kia Sorento 5.35 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). The Explorer's most-cited area is body structure (24.2%); the Sorento's is engine (47.7%).
4.85 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 9,080 complaints / 1,871,370 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2008–2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2013–2017, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Body structure 24.2% · Engine 16.2% · Powertrain / transmission 13.4%
5.35 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,168 complaints / 778,652 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009, 2020
- Years to avoid:
- 2011–2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 47.7% · Powertrain / transmission 12.2% · Electrical system 11.6%
Compact SUVs: Ford Escape vs Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Ford Escape 5.42 vs Kia Sportage 1.76 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (46.5% and 55% of complaints).
5.42 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 10,289 complaints / 1,896,752 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2024
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 46.5% · Powertrain / transmission 17.4% · Body structure 10.5%
1.76 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,191 complaints / 676,704 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 55% · Electrical system 14.6% · Brakes 10.7%
Midsize cars: Ford Fusion vs Kia Optima
They are statistically close: Ford Fusion 4.23 vs Kia Optima 4.25 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). Engine is the most-cited area for both (37.2% and 61.2% of complaints).
Ford Fusion
4.23 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,237 complaints / 1,237,724 sold, MY 2015–2021 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 37.2% · Powertrain / transmission 20.6% · Electrical system 13.3%
Kia Optima
4.25 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,711 complaints / 637,247 sold, MY 2015–2020 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2021
- Better years:
- 2009, 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2011–2016
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 61.2% · Electrical system 13.2% · Powertrain / transmission 8.1%
Compact cars: Ford Focus vs Kia Forte
The Kia Forte has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Ford Focus 6.06 vs Kia Forte 1.47 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Focus's most-cited area is powertrain / transmission (50.7%); the Forte's is engine (46.7%).
Ford Focus
6.06 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,976 complaints / 656,177 sold, MY 2015–2019 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 50.7% · Engine 28.3% · Fuel / propulsion 19.6%
Kia Forte
1.47 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,167 complaints / 792,731 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 46.7% · Electrical system 13.7% · Powertrain / transmission 10.8%
Subcompact SUVs: Ford EcoSport vs Kia Soul
The Kia Soul has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Ford EcoSport 7.62 vs Kia Soul 3.80 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (86.5% and 72% of complaints).
Ford EcoSport
7.62 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,870 complaints / 245,343 sold, MY 2018–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 86.5% · Powertrain / transmission 12% · Fuel / propulsion 6.5%
Kia Soul
3.80 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,132 complaints / 825,073 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2019
- Years to avoid:
- 2012–2016, 2020, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 72% · Powertrain / transmission 10.2% · Electrical system 8.1%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Ford or Kia more reliable?
Kia comes out ahead: Ford 3.89 vs Kia 3.32 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Kia owners filed 15% fewer complaints per vehicle sold than Ford owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Ford or Kia?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Ford logs 0.16 per 1,000 sold and Kia 0.29. Those are 4% of Ford's complaints and 9% of Kia's.
Where do Ford and Kia rank overall?
Ford ranks #19 and Kia #16 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Ford and Kia owners complain about most?
Ford: engine (28.4%), powertrain / transmission (23.3%), steering (9.4%). Kia: engine (52.1%), electrical system (12.2%), powertrain / transmission (9.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Ford or Kia?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 648 Ford recall campaigns covering 40,676,062 vehicles and 148 Kia campaigns covering 13,045,671. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Ford Explorer more reliable than the Kia Sorento?
They are statistically close: Ford Explorer 4.85 vs Kia Sorento 5.35 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). Based on 1,871,370 and 778,652 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Explorer: 2011, 2013–2017, 2020. Years to avoid on the Sorento: 2011–2017.
Is the Ford Escape more reliable than the Kia Sportage?
The Kia Sportage has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Ford Escape 5.42 vs Kia Sportage 1.76 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 1,896,752 and 676,704 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Escape: 2008–2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020. Years to avoid on the Sportage: 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023.