Kia Forte 2014–2018 problems by year and mileage
2nd generation (YD)
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,277 complaints, 660 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2014 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 78,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 443
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2014 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 2014
- Engine216 reports · median 93,000 mi
- Steering64 reports
- Airbag system63 reports · median 83,000 mi
3 recall campaigns name the 2014: Engine; Service brakes, hydraulic — pedals and linkages; Electrical system. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2015 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 75,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 259
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2015 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 2015
- Engine157 reports · median 86,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise31 reports
- Electrical system29 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2015: Engine. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2016 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 44,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 137
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2016 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 2016
- Engine68 reports
- Electrical system21 reports
- Transmission and driveline16 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2016: Latches/locks/linkages — trunk lid. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2017 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 40,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 302
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2017 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 2017
- Engine145 reports · median 70,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise49 reports
- Electrical system46 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2017: Air bags; Latches/locks/linkages — trunk lid; Engine and engine cooling — engine. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2018 Kia Forte
Close- Median failure report
- 34,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 136
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2018 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 2018
- Engine57 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise30 reports
- Airbag system16 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2018: Air bags; Latches/locks/linkages — trunk lid; Engine and engine cooling — engine. 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 2014 reports latest and the 2018 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2014 has had 4 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2014–2018 Kia Forte reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 65,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 137,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 660
- Recalls
- 6
At least 40% of this generation’s complaints were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading, so the median likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported
- Engine50.4% of complaints · median 85,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise13.7% of complaints · median 48,000 mi
- Electrical system13.3% of complaints · median 52,000 mi
Owners filed 1,277 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014–2018 Kia Forte; the engine leads with 50.4% of them, and half of the 660 that record an odometer reading came by 65,000 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 30,000 and 101,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2014–2018 Kia Forte last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2014–2018 Kia Forte, half of the 660 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 65,000 miles and 90% by 137,000 miles.
44 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 6 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Forte reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Kia Forte 2014–2018 · 660 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 = 82 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 6 complaints (0.9%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 6,200
- 25%
- 30,000
- Median
- 65,000
- 75%
- 100,601
- 90%
- 137,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 82 | 12.4% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 42 | 6.4% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 39 | 5.9% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 44 | 6.7% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 39 | 5.9% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 46 | 7.0% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 55 | 8.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 56 | 8.5% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 51 | 7.7% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 32 | 4.8% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 33 | 5.0% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 26 | 3.9% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 30 | 4.5% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 24 | 3.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 17 | 2.6% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 18 | 2.7% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 11 | 1.7% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 3 | 0.5% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 4 | 0.6% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 200,000+ | 6 | 0.9% |
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 2014–2018
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.
- Fuel and propulsion system78 reports44,00012,000–88,000Fuel and propulsion system: 78 reports, median 44,000 miles, middle half 12,000 to 88,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise175 reports48,00019,000–75,000Problems owners could not categorise: 175 reports, median 48,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 75,000 miles.
- Exterior lighting93 reports50,00035,000–75,000Exterior lighting: 93 reports, median 50,000 miles, middle half 35,000 to 75,000 miles.
- Electrical system170 reports52,00027,000–89,000Electrical system: 170 reports, median 52,000 miles, middle half 27,000 to 89,000 miles.
- Steering87 reports52,00012,000–70,000Steering: 87 reports, median 52,000 miles, middle half 12,000 to 70,000 miles.
- Airbag system133 reports64,00028,000–98,000Airbag system: 133 reports, median 64,000 miles, middle half 28,000 to 98,000 miles.
- Engine643 reports85,00057,000–120,000Engine: 643 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 57,000 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 | 643 | 50.4% | 85,000 | 57,000–120,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 175 | 13.7% | 48,000 | 19,000–75,000 |
| Electrical system | 170 | 13.3% | 52,000 | 27,000–89,000 |
| Airbag system | 133 | 10.4% | 64,000 | 28,000–98,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 93 | 7.3% | 50,000 | 35,000–75,000 |
| Steering | 87 | 6.8% | 52,000 | 12,000–70,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 78 | 6.1% | 44,000 | 12,000–88,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 71 | 5.6% | 58,000 | 10,000–88,000 |
| Brakes | 62 | 4.9% | 58,000 | 9,500–118,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 60 | 4.7% | 28,000 | 5,500–90,000 |
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 65,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 50.4% of complaints (643 reports, 308 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 57,000 and 120,000 miles.
A single system taking 50.4% 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.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 13.7% of complaints (175 reports, 67 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 48,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 75,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 13.3% of complaints (170 reports, 86 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 52,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 27,000 and 89,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 10.4% of complaints (133 reports, 83 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 64,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 28,000 and 98,000 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 7.3% of complaints (93 reports, 45 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 75,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 6.8% of complaints (87 reports, 41 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 52,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 70,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2014–2018 Forte
Engine 2014–2018
2.0L Nu connecting rod bearing wear. Kia's remedy is the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software campaign, which monitors engine vibration for the onset of excessive rod bearing wear and alerts the driver at an early stage — before bearing failure progresses to seizure or an engine compartment fire. Delivered as a free dealer software update.
Anti-Theft/Security 2014–2018
Keyed-ignition trims lack an engine immobilizer, leaving them vulnerable to the same steering-column hot-wire theft method as the first generation. Eligible for Kia's anti-theft software upgrade.
Before you buy a 2014–2018 Forte: the 3-minute check
Generated from 660 mileage-tagged complaints, 6 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 6 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine on 2014–2018 cars. 2.0L Nu connecting rod bearing wear. Kia's remedy is the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software campaign, which monitors engine vibration for the onset of excessive rod bearing wear and alerts the driver at an…
- Check anti-theft/security on 2014–2018 cars. Keyed-ignition trims lack an engine immobilizer, leaving them vulnerable to the same steering-column hot-wire theft method as the first generation. Eligible for Kia's anti-theft software upgrade.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- 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 30,000 and 101,000 miles, with a median of 65,000. 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 problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 48,000, 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 mi44% below | At 90k mi69% below | At 120k mi83% below | At 150k mi93% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 57,000–120,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 19,000–75,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 27,000–89,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Airbag system | 28,000–98,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Exterior lighting | 35,000–75,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Steering | 12,000–70,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 12,000–88,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Kia Forte 2014–2018 · 660 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 — 44% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 69% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 83% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 93% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.9% of reports (6) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2014–2018 Kia Forte recalls (6)
NHTSA records 6 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.
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.
Jan 2022 · 2017–2018 · Air BagsAir bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The defect. 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.…
What can happen. Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The free fix. 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…
Aug 2021 · 2016–2018 · Latches/Locks/LinkagesA person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The defect. 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…
What can happen. A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The free fix. 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…
Apr 2021 · 2017–2018 · Engine and Engine CoolingA damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. 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.
What can happen. A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. 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…
Dec 2020 · 2014–2015 · 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…
Dec 2017 · 2014 · 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…
Jan 2015 · 2014 · Electrical SystemIf the cooling fan resistor overheats and melts, there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire.
The defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Forte vehicles manufactured December 5, 2012, to April 17, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the cooling fan resistor may overheat and melt.
What can happen. If the cooling fan resistor overheats and melts, there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire.
The free fix. Kia will notify owners, and for vehicles produced from December 5, 2012 to January 27, 2014, dealers will replace the cooling fan resistor and multi-fuse unit. For vehicles produced from January 28…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,277 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 100 (7.8%)
- Fires
- 74
- Injury reports
- 64
- Fatality reports
- 3
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 2014 drew the most complaints of this generation, 443, most of them about the engine, and the 2018 the fewest, 136. A typical year drew about 259.
The first year of the generation, 2014, drew more complaints than a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 443 | 264 | 78,000† | Engine (216) | 3 |
| 2015 | 259 | 149 | 75,000† | Engine (157) | 1 |
| 2016 | 137 | 61 | 44,000† | Engine (68) | 1 |
| 2017 | 302 | 135 | 40,000† | Engine (145) | 3 |
| 2018 | 136 | 51 | 34,000† | Engine (57) | 3 |
What Forte owners reported
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to operate. The contact stated that the steering wheel would knock from left to right and would unexpectedly seize. Due to the failure, the steering became difficult to control. The vehicle was taken…
2014 · 53,000 miles · Steering
The contact's son owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with the oil pressure warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact slowed down and…
2018 · 100,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that an anti-theft protection software update was performed in 2024. After the update was performed, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly turned off without warning. The transmission was shifted into neutral(N) and restarted to continue…
2015 · 85,000 miles · Electrical system
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the vehicle was denied repairs due to lack of engine oil maintance records. The contact stated that after the vehicle was powered on with the ignition key, an abnormal fuel…
2014 · 105,000 miles · Engine
Built from 660 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Forte generations
- Forte 2010–2013 592 reports with mileage, most about the engine
- Forte 2019–2024 111 reports with mileage, most about the engine