Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
24–30 mpgcombined; city 21–26, highway 28–37; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,830–$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $9,680–$12,090 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2015 Forte. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 260 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Forte. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
158
2
16
1
Unknown or other
31
2
3
4
Electrical system
29
0
2
0
Air bags
23
10
0
6
Power train
17
1
0
0
Service brakes
15
2
0
3
Exterior lighting
13
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
10
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
5
2
0
1
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Steering
4
1
0
0
Structure
4
1
0
1
8 more parts
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
0
0
1
Tires
2
0
0
0
Visibility
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2015 Forte over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 149 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2015 Forte, the latest on Jul 18, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (52), equipment (42), engine and engine cooling (23), structure (21), service brakes (15).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22003 Loss of Motive Power · covers 3 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2015 Forte.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 37 / 30
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
25 / 36 / 29
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 36 / 29
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 33 / 28
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 28 / 24
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
24 / 33 / 27
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 29 / 25
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
22 / 29 / 24
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data