CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

Kia · NHTSA safety record

2020 Kia Forte

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

71

Complaints

9

Crashes

2

Fires

6

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 Kia Forte have filed 71 safety complaints with NHTSA between September 2019 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 15 of them (21%). The typical failure was reported at 6,000 miles, the median across the 20 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints more than doubled year on year: 18 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 8 in the twelve before.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 71.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 24 34%
ENGINE 15 21%
POWER TRAIN 15 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 15%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5 7%
AIR BAGS 4 6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 6%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 4%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 4%
STEERING 3 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 1%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 17.

2019 2023 2026
2019 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

3 injured · crash · towed · 1,000 miles

I WAS TURNING LEFT THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT ONTO A CITY ROAD WHEN A CAR COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE RAN A RED LIGHT GOING 50 MILES AN HOUR IN A 35 MILES AN HOUR ROAD, CRASHING INTO THE SIDE OF MY CAR. IT HIT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND DOOR, BUT WAS HIT SO HARD THAT MY CAR MOVED FORWARD ABOUT 8 - 10 FEET. MY CAR IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE SENSOR DIRECTLY WHERE THE OTHER PERSON CAR HIT MINE BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WENT OFF. EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE SIDE AIRBAGS FOR THOSE TYPES OF COLLISIONS.

NHTSA complaint 11318580. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 55,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on a bend in the highway, a deer jumped over the barrier and landed on the top of the contact's front windshield. The contact stated that she was knocked unconscious due to the impact. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did not deploy. The contact was strapped in the driver's seat when she regained consciousness. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The state police were called to the scene of the accident. Days later, after the accident, the contact went to Urgent Care. However, when the contact explained that she was unconscious, the contact was referred to the

NHTSA complaint 11717259, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I was driving a vehicle two cars ahead did and illegal turn the car behind it stopped the truck behind them stopped I stopped behind the truck the car behind me did not stop and slammed me into the back of the truck in my airbags did not deploy

NHTSA complaint 11717285. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

1 injured · crash · 2,553 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 KIA FORTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND REMOVED THEMSELVES TO THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO OPEN THEIR GARAGE DOOR WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO REVERSE HITTING THE CONTACT AND THE GARAGE DOOR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THEIR LEFT SHOULDER, FACE, ELBOW, LEFT KNEE, RIGHT LEG, AND RIGHT FOOT. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT NEEDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TOWED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE AND TURN ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (MERCHANT LOGO SPITZER KIA CLEVELAND SERVICE CENTER 3414 BROOKPARK RD, CLEVELAND, OH 44134;

NHTSA complaint 11397278, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
2020 Kia Forte, 2.0L 14F engine, 109,000 miles: On July 3.2026 "check engine" light came on. Drove to local auto parts store to have code downloaded, P0017 cam position sensor. Car was performing fine, except for engine light. Drove car to Kia dealership. While driving, warning light for "front collision system came on and car began performing erratically. Left car at dealership for diagnostics. Yesterday received call from dealer, stating that engine needed total replacement due to "lack of oil". Quoted repair cost estimated at approximately $8,000. Car has been regularly serviced, including oil and filter changes per handbook. I have all records for the services. The were no indications

NHTSA complaint 11749072, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 103,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving on a major highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the failure was

NHTSA complaint 11746397, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Steering wheel is turning completely around and made a noise. I noticed my steering wheel is loose it has been like that for time. But yesterday was the first time it turned completely around were I could not control it.

NHTSA complaint 11743305. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Why is KIA still legally allowed to sell defective, death traps? Why is it ok for the service department and KIA themselves to tell me….its ok to drive unless the engine light is blinking, smoking in a car know to catch fire…..ok? Why is it ok to let them continue to sell cars under active engine fire campaigns, only to “replace it with the same junk engine” an ok remedy. Quit letting these companies take advantage of people because they created a multi billion dollar defective product, they should bite the cost and be bankrupt, I mean it’s 2025 and they are still making combustible cars, the right thing to do? 2020 Kia forte gt t1.6

NHTSA complaint 11741218. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Bought the car 8 months ago from a Kia dealer. It is now pulling the same engine codes, of the infamous recalled Kia engines. After having diagnostics done at a different Kia then I had bought and had oil changed. They told me the engine and turbo was full of metal shavings and the rods were bad. I pad $10,900 for the car $15,000 to fix, they knowingly sold me a totaled car. I’m sure records reflect they took that car as a trade I knowing the engine was bad (they never checked the oil?). There were 90,000 forte sold in the US, best estimate I could find on the gt line was 4-5 thousand. All GT models do not have the turbo engine. So safe to assume that number is way lower. They know this is

NHTSA complaint 11739299, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 200,000 miles

The contact leased a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle began to chug. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a transmission replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The contact eventually purchased the vehicle. After the purchase, the failure recurred. While driving, the vehicle began to chug without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA complaint 11738152. 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 —
2019 146 2 —
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 2020 Kia models

Telluride 744 Soul 370 Sportage 159 Optima 138 Sorento 131 Niro 37 RIO 26 Sedona 20

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