2018 Kia Forte Problems, Recalls & Reliability
188 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Kia Forte, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 26/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 67,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2018 sits among all Forte years
What owners report
“Check engine light came on, engine started vibrating while driving on highway and lost power. Could not continue driving, vehicle was towed to service workshop.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forte
“2018 kia forte kept stalling out, 3 times in 2minutes. Drove it home, had it towed to Kia Spitzer West, it'd been there since May27, 2023. They will not repair, they will not replace, they won't even call me back. It's a disgrace”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Forte
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 61 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 33,937 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,575 and 74,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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.…
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.…
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…
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.
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…
Technical service bulletins
100 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2018 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 2018 Kia Forte reliable?
The 2018 Kia Forte drew 188 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 26/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2018 Kia Forte problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Kia Forte are engine (61 complaints), other (30), and electrical (22).
At what mileage do 2018 Kia Forte problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Kia Forte problems around 33,937 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,575 and 74,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Kia Forte have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 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.