Kia Forte 2019–2024
3rd generation (BD)
NHTSA data through 12 August 2026591 complaints, 148 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 52% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 10 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 52% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 1 complaints (0.7%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 375
- 25%
- 2,811
- Median
- 11,454
- 75%
- 35,642
- 90%
- 100,900
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 91 | 61.5% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 24 | 16.2% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 9 | 6.1% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 6 | 4.1% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 3 | 2.0% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 11 | 7.4% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 2 | 1.4% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 1 | 0.7% |
| 200,000+ | 1 | 0.7% |
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.
Owners filed 591 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019–2024 Kia Forte, and 148 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
52% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 10 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (15.6% of complaints, typically around 39,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (14.7% of complaints, typically around 7,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (13.7% of complaints, typically around 9,000 miles).
7 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Engine39,000median 39,000 miles, middle half 13,000 to 73,000
- Problems owners could not categorise7,000median 7,000 miles, middle half 600 to 16,000
- Transmission and driveline9,000median 8,865 miles, middle half 3,000 to 25,000
- Electrical system9,000median 9,248 miles, middle half 2,000 to 50,000
- Steering10,000median 9,950 miles, middle half 3,000 to 14,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 92 | 15.6% | 39,000 | 13,000–73,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 87 | 14.7% | 7,000 | 600–16,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 81 | 13.7% | 9,000 | 3,000–25,000 |
| Electrical system | 58 | 9.8% | 9,000 | 2,000–50,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 48 | 8.1% | — | — |
| Steering | 37 | 6.3% | 10,000 | 3,000–14,000 |
| Airbag system | 30 | 5.1% | — | — |
| Exterior lighting | 25 | 4.2% | — | — |
| Lane departure | 18 | 3.0% | — | — |
| Throttle and speed control | 15 | 2.5% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
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 11,454 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 15.6% of complaints (92 reports, 17 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 39,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,800 and 73,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 14.7% of complaints (87 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 7,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 600 and 16,400 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 13.7% of complaints (81 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 8,865 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,100 and 25,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 9.8% of complaints (58 reports, 12 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 9,248 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,200 and 50,100 miles.
The steering accounts for 6.3% of complaints (37 reports, 11 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 9,950 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,150 and 14,239 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2019 model year drew the most — 216 complaints — while 2022 drew the fewest at 40. The median year sits at 96.
That makes 2019 an outlier: roughly 2.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
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.
The campaigns cluster around the suspension (2), the steering (2), the airbag system (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
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.
Reported severity
Of the 591 complaints filed against this generation, 80 reported a crash; 14 reported a fire; 40 reported an injury; 3 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 13.5% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 52% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
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 7,000, 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.
Documented problems
Anti-Theft/Security 2019–2021
Keyed-ignition trims through MY2021 lack an engine immobilizer and are within the Kia theft-vulnerability population; immobilizers became standard equipment from MY2022, so 2022-2024 Fortes are not affected.
Transmission 2019–2020
IVT (Kia's continuously variable transmission, introduced on this generation) draws hesitation, shudder and delayed-engagement complaints, concentrated in the early years before calibration revisions.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 216 | 93 |
| 2020 | 97 | 31 |
| 2021 | 95 | 9 |
| 2022 | 40 | 5 |
| 2023 | 97 | 7 |
| 2024 | 46 | 3 |
Recalls (7)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 24V244000 | 2024-04-17 | Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm |
| 23V649000 | 2023-09-27 | Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm |
| 22V906000 | 2023-01-12 | Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm |
| 22V304000 | 2022-05-27 | Steering:column |
| 21V164000 | 2021-03-18 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger |
| 20V459000 | 2020-09-02 | Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft |
| 18V771000 | 2018-11-30 | Exterior Lighting:headlights |
What owners reported
Ivt transmission failure. Car has about 27k miles, purchased at 22k used. After driving off the highway from 70mph to a near stop at the feeder road stop sign, the car would barely move, seems like the gear ratio did not adjust back down. Then noticed severe jerks when transmission tries to change the gear rations…
2019 · Transmission and driveline
I was on my way to work and my car started shaking and going really slow until it got to the 3rd gear and it would drive a little faster.I took my car to the dealership where i purchased it they took it to Kia dec.26,2020 And it's still there they said my gas contaminated and charged 620.00 Then when i give them the…
2019 · 57 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
I have lost power pulling out into traffic, car has lost all function when pulling out into traffic, 1 time when pulling out of a parking lot the car locked the wheels and slammed it onto a curb. Every time the screen display in the car glitches. I have been going down the road and the emergency braking applied for no…
2019 · 375 miles · Body structure
Built from 148 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page