2020 Kia Forte: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
71 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
71 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 11.83
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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 neede…
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.
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 o…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (24 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 81/100, computed from 71 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & 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: 2026-08-20.