2018 Kia Forte: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
134 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2014 Kia Forte, which has 439 complaints and a score of 44, and treat the 2012 and 2017 cars (289 and 301 complaints, scores of 67 and 52) with caution. Buy a 2018 or later car: the 2020 has 74 complaints, no recalls and a score of 90. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: a year the record favours — 134 complaints, score 79/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Kia Forte and Hyundai Veloster: the years to avoid, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 134 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 16.75
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Have to replace running lights every 4-6 months on both of my headlights. Happened every 4-6 months since I got the car in 2017
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was discovered that the engine oil level was extremely low. The dealer kept the vehicle for nine months and performed an oil change. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, w…
Recently, while my boyfriend was driving my vehicle, the engine suddenly lost power without warning. He had the accelerator pedal fully depressed, yet the vehicle would barely move. He was fortunate to safely maneuver the vehicle off the road. Upon inspection, he discovered there was no oil present in the engine. Critically, neither the low oil warning light nor the check engine light had illuminated prior to this fa…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V622000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Latch | 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. |
| 21V260000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lubrication:Pump | 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. |
| 22V031000 | Air Bags | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 32 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine57 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other30 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System16 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags16 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Vehicle Speed Control10 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Power Train8 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Kia Forte years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Kia Forte?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (57 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Kia Forte a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 134 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Kia Forte's most common problem?
57 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Kia Forte sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Kia Forte cost to run per year?
About $4,008 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,040 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Kia Forte have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Kia Forte, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/08/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Kia Forte really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 134 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 134 NHTSA complaints on record (16.8/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (15.9/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems