Kia Forte 2010–2013 problems by year and mileage
1st generation (TD)
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026910 complaints, 592 with mileageMethod
A DO NOT DRIVE recall covers part of this generation — check the VIN before driving it home.
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2010 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 75,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 232
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2010
- Engine80 reports · median 101,000 mi
- Airbag system42 reports
- Transmission and driveline23 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2010: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Air bags — air bag/restraint control module; Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2011 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 76,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 161
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2011
- Engine48 reports
- Airbag system36 reports
- Transmission and driveline19 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2011: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Air bags — air bag/restraint control module; Power train — automatic transmission. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2012 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 82,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 306
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2012 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2012
- Engine174 reports · median 95,000 mi
- Airbag system38 reports
- Electrical system33 reports
4 recall campaigns name the 2012: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Engine; Air bags — air bag/restraint control module. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2013 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 80,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 211
- Recalls naming this year
- 5
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2013 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2013
- Engine119 reports · median 85,000 mi
- Electrical system27 reports
- Brakes24 reports
5 recall campaigns name the 2013: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Engine; Air bags — air bag/restraint control module. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. † marks a year whose median likely understates the mileage: much of its reporting came after 2020, when most complaints stopped recording an odometer reading. The 2012 reports latest and the 2010 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2010 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2010–2013 Kia Forte reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 80,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 143,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 592
- Recalls
- 7
Most reported
- Engine46.3% of complaints · median 93,000 mi
- Airbag system14.7% of complaints · median 78,000 mi
- Electrical system10.5% of complaints · median 74,000 mi
Owners filed 910 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010–2013 Kia Forte; the engine leads with 46.3% of them, and half of the 592 that record an odometer reading came by 80,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 43,000 and 112,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2010–2013 Kia Forte last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2010–2013 Kia Forte, half of the 592 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 80,000 miles and 90% by 143,000 miles.
53 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 13 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Forte reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Kia Forte 2010–2013 · 592 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 54 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 13 complaints (2.2%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 11,753
- 25%
- 43,000
- Median
- 79,989
- 75%
- 112,000
- 90%
- 143,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 54 | 9.1% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 29 | 4.9% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 28 | 4.7% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 25 | 4.2% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 36 | 6.1% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 32 | 5.4% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 48 | 8.1% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 44 | 7.4% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 53 | 9.0% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 42 | 7.1% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 46 | 7.8% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 36 | 6.1% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 26 | 4.4% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 28 | 4.7% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 12 | 2.0% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 17 | 2.9% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 8 | 1.4% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 9 | 1.5% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 4 | 0.7% |
| 200,000+ | 13 | 2.2% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Forte problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Kia Forte 2010–2013
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Transmission and driveline64 reports62,00024,000–100,000Transmission and driveline: 64 reports, median 62,000 miles, middle half 24,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Exterior lighting62 reports65,00046,000–90,000Exterior lighting: 62 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 46,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Brakes83 reports66,00030,000–93,000Brakes: 83 reports, median 66,000 miles, middle half 30,000 to 93,000 miles.
- Electrical system96 reports74,00049,000–100,000Electrical system: 96 reports, median 74,000 miles, middle half 49,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise57 reports77,00024,000–115,000Problems owners could not categorise: 57 reports, median 77,000 miles, middle half 24,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Airbag system134 reports78,00032,000–108,000Airbag system: 134 reports, median 78,000 miles, middle half 32,000 to 108,000 miles.
- Engine421 reports93,00067,000–120,000Engine: 421 reports, median 93,000 miles, middle half 67,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 421 | 46.3% | 93,000 | 67,000–120,000 |
| Airbag system | 134 | 14.7% | 78,000 | 32,000–108,000 |
| Electrical system | 96 | 10.5% | 74,000 | 49,000–100,000 |
| Brakes | 83 | 9.1% | 66,000 | 30,000–93,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 64 | 7.0% | 62,000 | 24,000–100,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 62 | 6.8% | 65,000 | 46,000–90,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 57 | 6.3% | 77,000 | 24,000–115,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 54 | 5.9% | 115,000 | 77,000–173,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 39 | 4.3% | 45,000 | 15,000–75,000 |
| Steering | 38 | 4.2% | 69,000 | 28,000–94,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 80,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 46.3% of complaints (421 reports, 279 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 93,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 67,000 and 120,000 miles.
A single system taking 46.3% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The airbag system accounts for 14.7% of complaints (134 reports, 78 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 78,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 32,000 and 108,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.5% of complaints (96 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 74,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 49,000 and 100,000 miles.
The brakes account for 9.1% of complaints (83 reports, 51 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 66,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 93,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.0% of complaints (64 reports, 51 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 62,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 24,000 and 100,000 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 6.8% of complaints (62 reports, 34 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 46,000 and 90,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2010–2013 Forte
Anti-Theft/Security 2011–2013
No engine immobilizer on keyed-ignition trims. Vehicles started with a steel key can be hot-wired via the steering column ignition cylinder, the basis of the widely publicized 'Kia Challenge' theft wave. Kia's remedy is a dealer-installed anti-theft software upgrade or, for ineligible vehicles, a physical theft deterrent device. Immobilizers became standard from MY2022.
Engine 2010–2013
Theta II engine connecting rod bearing wear leading to knock and seizure is the family-level defect for Kia's Theta II engines and is covered by the Kia engine class settlement; the Forte and Forte Koup 2.4L Theta II MPI applications fall within that settlement's scope.
Before you buy a 2010–2013 Forte: the 3-minute check
Generated from 592 mileage-tagged complaints, 7 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 7 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check anti-theft/security on 2011–2013 cars. No engine immobilizer on keyed-ignition trims. Vehicles started with a steel key can be hot-wired via the steering column ignition cylinder, the basis of the widely publicized 'Kia Challenge' theft wave. Kia's remedy is…
- Check engine on 2010–2013 cars. Theta II engine connecting rod bearing wear leading to knock and seizure is the family-level defect for Kia's Theta II engines and is covered by the Kia engine class settlement; the Forte and Forte Koup 2.4L Theta II…
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 43,000 and 112,000 miles, with a median of 80,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and the airbag system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 78,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Forte problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi34% below | At 90k mi59% below | At 120k mi80% below | At 150k mi91% below | At 200k mi98% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 67,000–120,000 | later | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Airbag system | 32,000–108,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 49,000–100,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Brakes | 30,000–93,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 24,000–100,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Exterior lighting | 46,000–90,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 24,000–115,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Kia Forte 2010–2013 · 592 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 34% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 59% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 80% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 91% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 98% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 98%: the remaining 2.2% of reports (13) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2010–2013 Kia Forte recalls (7)
NHTSA records 7 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
1 of these carry a severe advisory — NHTSA's do not drive or park outside warnings, which the agency applies only when it considers the risk immediate. If you own one of these vehicles, that is the first thing to check by VIN.
The campaigns cluster around the hydraulic brake circuit (2), the engine (1), the airbag system (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Sep 2023 · 2010–2013 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic park outsideAn engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The defect. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The…
What can happen. An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The free fix. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of…
Dec 2020 · 2012–2013 · EngineAn engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
The defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
What can happen. An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
The free fix. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free…
Jun 2018 · 2010–2013 · Air BagsIf the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the…
The defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags…
What can happen. If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these…
The free fix. Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector…
Dec 2017 · 2012–2013 · Service Brakes, HydraulicIf the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed…
The defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Forte and Forte Koup vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. This will allow the brake lights to…
What can happen. If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to following…
The free fix. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at…
May 2016 · 2013 · Seat BeltsIf a retaining plate breaks during a crash, pieces of the plate could strike the occupants, increasing risk…
The defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2013 Forte vehicles manufactured September 10, 2012, to October 31, 2012. The screws that hold the front seatbelt retractor retaining plates may not have been properly tightened, and as a result, the…
What can happen. If a retaining plate breaks during a crash, pieces of the plate could strike the occupants, increasing risk of injury.
The free fix. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace both front seatbelt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. The recall began…
Feb 2016 · 2011 · Power TrainIf enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may stop…
The defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011 Forte vehicles manufactured August 27, 2010, to November 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a transmission fluid cooler hose that may have been improperly manufactured, resulting in a…
What can happen. If enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission cooler hose, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number…
Apr 2013 · 2010 · Exterior LightingFailure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could…
The defect. Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009…
What can happen. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the…
The free fix. Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 910 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 86 (9.5%)
- Fires
- 54
- Injury reports
- 63
- Fatality reports
- 6
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Forte problems by model year
The 2012 drew the most complaints of this generation, 306, most of them about the engine, and the 2011 the fewest, 161. A typical year drew about 222.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 232 | 160 | 75,000 | Engine (80) | 3 |
| 2011 | 161 | 104 | 76,000 | Engine (48) | 3 |
| 2012 | 306 | 192 | 82,000† | Engine (174) | 4 |
| 2013 | 211 | 136 | 80,000† | Engine (119) | 5 |
What Forte owners reported
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed an abnormal sound for approximately five minutes, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then became aware of a fire underneath the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and extinguished the…
2012 · 135,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
The contact owned a 2011 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, a bystander went into the contact's place of employment and stated that there was a fire inside the vehicle in the parking lot. The contact became aware that his vehicle was the one on fire. No warning lights were…
2011 · 300,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to a dealer for several recall repairs, and repair under Manufacturer Recall Number: SC165A. After the recall repairs were performed, while driving approximately 60 MPH on the highway with the clutch engaged and the vehicle in gear, the…
2010 · 157,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte with a five-speed transmission. The contact received notifications for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V363000(Air Bags) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulics), as well as other manufacturer recalls. The contact made an appointment at a dealer and had the vehicle…
2010 · 167,000 miles · Engine
Built from 592 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Forte generations
- Forte 2014–2018 660 reports with mileage, most about the engine
- Forte 2019–2024 111 reports with mileage, most about the engine