Kia Forte years to avoid
Across the 2015–2021 Kia Forte, the 2017 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 301, about 2.2× the 136.5 median of the other six model years with enough complaints to compare. The most-reported components that year were the engine and the electrical system. The 2021 drew the fewest of the years with enough complaints to compare, at 67. NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for 2022, too few to read as a quiet year rather than a gap in the records. Separately, the 2017 and 2018 each carry the most recall campaigns, 3. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
The 2017 Forte is the outlier of the 2015–2021 Kia Forte, with 301 complaints against the model's 137 median.
Every Forte model year, ranked
Every Forte model year NHTSA holds records for, most complaints first. Counts are NHTSA records as of 2026-09-15; recall campaigns and complaints are counted separately because a recall is the manufacturer acting and a complaint is an owner reporting. Years with enough on record have a page of their own.
| Model year | Owner complaints | vs the 137 median | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Forte | 301 | 2.2× | 3 | the engine |
| 2015 Forte | 258 | 1.9× | 1 | the engine |
| 2019 Forte | 147 | 1.1× | 2 | the powertrain |
| 2016 Forte | 137 | 1× | 1 | the engine |
| 2018 Forte | 136 | 1× | 3 | the engine |
| 2020 Forte | 75 | 0.5× | 0 | the engine |
| 2021 Forte | 67 | 0.5× | 2 | the engine |
| 2022 Forte | 26 — too few to compare | — | 1 | — |
Buying a Kia Forte? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Confirm its identity free, then decide whether to review its reported title, mileage and auction history before you buy.
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See what the paid report includes →How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse car. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road.
- The comparison is between years of the Forte only. It says nothing about how the Forte compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. Only a VIN lookup shows whether one vehicle is included and whether the work was done.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Kia Forte year-by-year questions
Which Kia Forte year should I avoid?
Across the 2015–2021 Kia Forte, the 2017 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 301, about 2.2× the 136.5 median of the other six model years with enough complaints to compare. The most-reported components that year were the engine and the electrical system. The 2021 drew the fewest of the years with enough complaints to compare, at 67. NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for 2022, too few to read as a quiet year rather than a gap in the records. Separately, the 2017 and 2018 each carry the most recall campaigns, 3. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
Which Kia Forte year is the safest bet?
Of the 2015–2021 Kia Forte, the 2021 drew the fewest owner complaints to NHTSA — 67, against the model's 137 median. Years NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for (2022) are left out: too few reports is a gap in the records, not a quiet year. Newer years have had less time on the road, which lowers their count on its own, so treat this as a starting point and check the individual VIN.
Do complaint counts mean the Kia Forte is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model — which is what this page does — not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Forte?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. That reports open campaigns for that exact vehicle, including whether the repair is still outstanding. A model-year page cannot tell you that.