Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
25–32 mpgcombined; city 23–29, highway 29–37; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,150–$12,990U.S. average; Ohio $9,070–$11,610 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 2018 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 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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
57
2
1
0
Unknown or other
30
2
2
1
Air bags
16
8
0
8
Electrical system
16
2
1
0
Vehicle speed control
10
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
8
0
0
0
Power train
8
1
0
0
Structure
7
2
0
2
Exterior lighting
6
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
5
0
0
0
Steering
5
1
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
4
0
0
0
9 more parts
Service brakes
4
1
0
1
Tires
3
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
1
0
1
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Wheels
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 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 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 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 100 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Forte, the latest on Jun 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (34), engine and engine cooling (33), structure (13), equipment (10), engine (8).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
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 2018 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: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–7 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
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
29 / 37 / 32
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 33 / 28
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM7)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 30 / 27
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 29 / 25
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