2015 Kia Forte Problems, Recalls & Reliability
325 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Kia Forte, alongside 1 recall campaign and 2 defect investigations. It scores 47/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 86,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2015 sits among all Forte years
What owners report
“While driving, my engine started knocking. I stopped driving and turned off my car. I had it towed to a shop and was informed it was the same issue as the recall for 2.4 engines and told me to call Kia. Kia said it’s not covered under the recall so they won’t look at it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Forte
“At night with the lights on and driving or not, when you use the turn signal the head lights will go off. If you wiggle the blinker arm, they will come back on. But you are driving without being able to see because the lights go off. This happens every time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Forte
“Randomly burst into flames while driving down the road. They car had been well maintained and normal maintenance done to it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Forte
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 175 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 75,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 47,000 and 100,601 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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.
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Technical service bulletins
146 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2015 Kia Forte. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2015 Kia Forte reliable?
The 2015 Kia Forte drew 325 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 47/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2015 Kia Forte problems?
The top reported problems for the 2015 Kia Forte are engine (160 complaints), electrical (42), and other (32).
At what mileage do 2015 Kia Forte problems show up?
Owners most often report 2015 Kia Forte problems around 75,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 47,000 and 100,601 miles.
Does the 2015 Kia Forte have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2015 Kia Forte. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.