2019 Kia Forte Problems, Recalls & Reliability
216 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Kia Forte, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 29/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 5,280 miles.
Typical
Where 2019 sits among all Forte years
What owners report
“The cvt transmission failed. Car had to be towed. I owned the car for less than 3 months.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Forte
“Problem 1, long crank hard start. Have to cycle the ignition key several times to get engine started. No pcm codes. Had to kia dealer multiple times. Cannot duplicate issue. Problem 2, instrument cluster goes blank, radio goes blank and engine stalls while driving. This is a safety concern.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Forte
“Car caught on fire while driving down the highway. Had engine replaced with a remanufactured engine in January of 2026 and car engine seized again 30 days later.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Forte
“Forward Collision Obstruction light keeps popping on while driving very randomly steering sometimes doesn’t work and brakes sometimes don’t work all very random sometimes car is completely fine sometimes it’s not… it’s very scary I haven’t taken it in to be inspected yet. Headlight fail light keeps…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Forte
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 83 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 11,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,600 and 31,400 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Forte vehicles. The left front axle driveshaft may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to break.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The headlights may not have been manufactured with the correct low beam aiming. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor…
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer…
Technical service bulletins
102 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2019 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 2019 Kia Forte reliable?
The 2019 Kia Forte drew 216 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 29/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2019 Kia Forte problems?
The top reported problems for the 2019 Kia Forte are transmission & drivetrain (47 complaints), electrical (39), and engine (39).
At what mileage do 2019 Kia Forte problems show up?
Owners most often report 2019 Kia Forte problems around 11,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,600 and 31,400 miles.
Does the 2019 Kia Forte have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 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.