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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2019 Kia Forte

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

146

Complaints

11

Crashes

4

Fires

5

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2019 Kia Forte have filed 146 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2018 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 47 of them (32%). The typical failure was reported at 10,202 miles, the median across the 68 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

20V459000 · August 5, 2020

The defect
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.
The risk
A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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 September 2, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC195.

Kia Motors America · up to 834 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

18V771000 · October 31, 2018

The defect
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 Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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 service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.

Kia Motors America · up to 1,754 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 146.

POWER TRAIN 47 32%
ENGINE 35 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22 15%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 17 12%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 15 10%
STEERING 8 5%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 7 5%
AIR BAGS 6 4%
LANE DEPARTURE 5 3%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 4 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 27.

2018 2019 2026
2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 1,500 miles

ON NOVEMBER 12,2018 I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER THAT SEEMED TO BE DOING FULL SPEED, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ANY SCREECHING BRAKES BEHIND ME. THE IMPACT TOTALED MY CAR, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUNK. THE IMPACT MADE MY CAR SPIN AROUND AND AT SOME POINT MY FRONT BUMPER HIT SOMETHING, BUT NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED WHATSOEVER. MY SEAT BELT WAS STILL LOCKED IN PLACE, BUT SOMEHOW MY SEAT RECLINED BACK JUST ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE DISLODGED FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT AND END UP IN THE BACK SEAT, RESULTING IN A BROKEN VERTEBRAE IN MY NECK. WHY DID NOT ONE AIRBAG GO OFF AND WHY DID MY SEAT BELT NOT HOLD ME IN PLACE?

NHTSA complaint 11154023. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, LIGHTING WAS LIMITED, THE SENSORS DID NOT WORK

NHTSA complaint 11307414. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash · towed · 70,000 miles

The contact owned a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at night in foggy weather conditions at 55 mph, the contact rear-ended a parked vehicle while trying to avoid hitting a deer. The gear shift was still in DRIVE but the vehicle was completely stopped from the impact. The driver air bag deployed upon impact and the seat belt did not restrain the contact in her seat during impact. The contact was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained to her head from hitting the windshield and her hips from hitting the steering wheel, which prevented her from flying out of the windshield when the seat belt failed. The contact also sustained additional injuries to her

NHTSA complaint 11441000, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

Air bags did not deploy during car accident. I sustained severe injuries to the face. Puncture wound to jaw, forehead laceration to skull, spinal cord damage, and fractured ribs. Unknown if problem has been reproduced or confirmed by dealership. Car was totaled not sure if it’s available for inspection. Vehicle is being investigated by insurance and police did complete a report. Check forward avoidance assist system.

NHTSA complaint 11502550. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Power loss, engine failure. Will not start

NHTSA complaint 11750089. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 124,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that after driving to the local store and turning off the vehicle, after returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a timing chain failure caused by low engine oil. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption and engine oil was constantly added to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 124,000.

NHTSA complaint 11744427. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving, the Forward Collision Warning system activated unexpectedly without any apparent hazard or obstruction in front of my vehicle. Immediately after the warning appeared, the vehicle suddenly lost speed and became very slow to accelerate. I was unable to safely increase my speed while traveling on a busy roadway, creating a dangerous situation and nearly resulting in a collision with surrounding traffic. Due to the sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate normally, I activated my hazard lights and was forced to pull onto the shoulder of the road for my safety and the safety of other drivers. There were no visible obstacles, vehicles, or road conditions that appeared to

NHTSA complaint 11741432, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 86,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the contact had exited when the oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle rolled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and, upon inspection, noticed that an excessive amount of oil had leaked onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the drain plug had failed and the engine was damaged. The independent mechanic replaced the drain plug. However, the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The contact had not experienced a failure in the past.

NHTSA complaint 11736553, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The transmission had a recall 2 years ago and they gave me a new one (KIA). I am having issues with my transmission again

NHTSA complaint 11735430. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My car has cut off on me going down the road and it cut back on I have had where the car is slow at acceleration and trying to stall out on me and causing a car to almost hit me in the bumper cause of it the car only has 112,580 miles and have not been able to drive the car since march 13,2026 due to this issue and not feeling safe to drive it

NHTSA complaint 11734155. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Forte

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2023 59 3 1
2022 25 1 —
2021 67 2 —
2020 71 0 —
2018 134 3 —
2017 300 3 4
2016 133 1 —
2015 258 1 1
2014 439 3 —
2013 195 5 1
2012 289 4 3
2011 153 3 1
2010 221 3 1

Other 2019 Kia models

Sorento 419 Optima 204 Soul 134 Sportage 69 Niro 54 Stinger 43 Sedona 36 Niro PHEV 26

Every Kia on this site — 176 vehicles, 208 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst