Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (3)
Air bags
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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.
Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid, latch
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Engine and engine cooling: engine, oil/lubrication
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Canadian recalls (4)
Show 4 Canadian recalls
Airbag
2022-01-27 · campaign 2022-023
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a defect in the airbag control unit could cause the airbag warning light to turn on. If this happens, the airbag system may not work properly, and the airbags may not inflate in a crash.
Safety Risk:
An airbag system that does not work properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the airbag control unit software. If the airbag warning light is on because of diagnostic trouble code B1620, the dealer will replace the airbag control unit.
Structure
2021-08-10 · campaign 2021-504
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk compartment may not work properly. This could prevent a person that is trapped inside the trunk from opening it.
Safety Risk:
If a person is closed inside the trunk compartment, they may not be able to get out. This could create a risk of injury.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the trunk latch assembly.
Engine
2021-04-14 · campaign 2021-224 · 443 vehicles
Issue:
On certain vehicles, small metal particles that are not captured by the oil filter can build up in the oil pump. If this happens, the engine oil pressure may be reduced. This can cause engine wear and result in abnormal engine noise. The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and/or oil pressure warning light may also turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail. An engine failure can cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu MPI engine.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the oil pan with a new one that has two magnets to capture small metal particles.
Engine
2021-02-01 · campaign 2021-039
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu GDI engine.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Kia recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Kia advises you to immediately visit a Kia dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.
Owner complaints (136)
Owners filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Forte (13 crashes, 3 fires, 9 injuries reported). Among 16 model years of this model, it ranks #9 for the most complaints (median 150).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 57 | |
| Unknown or other | 30 | |
| Air bags | 16 | |
| Electrical system | 16 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 10 | |
| Power train | 8 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | |
| Structure | 7 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2018 Kia Forte.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2018 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD | 5★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2018 Kia Forte version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Forte 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 29 | 37 | 32 | $2,100 |
| Forte 2.0 L Manual 6-spd | 25 | 34 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Forte 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Forte 5 1.6 L Automatic (AM7) | 25 | 30 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Forte 5 1.6 L Manual 6-spd | 23 | 29 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Forte 5 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 25 | 34 | 28 | $2,400 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.