2016 Kia Forte Problems, Recalls & Reliability
201 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Kia Forte, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 30/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 63,632 miles.
Typical
Where 2016 sits among all Forte years
What owners report
“Engine blew twice on the vehicle, Kia replaced the first blown engine. Then that engine blew again at 160k miles. First engine blew at a 105k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Forte
“All lights flicker on and off while driving , headlights sometimes turn off when turn signal is used. Dash lights will flicker even while parked.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Forte
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 88 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 37,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,901 and 60,224 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 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…
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…
Technical service bulletins
122 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 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 2016 Kia Forte reliable?
The 2016 Kia Forte drew 201 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 30/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2016 Kia Forte problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Kia Forte are engine (66 complaints), electrical (30), and other (19).
At what mileage do 2016 Kia Forte problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Kia Forte problems around 37,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,901 and 60,224 miles.
Does the 2016 Kia Forte have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2016 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.