What breaks most · 2009 to 2019 model years
Kia Forte problems by year
Owners have filed 677 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Forte across model years 2009 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2010 for air bags complaints, 2014 for engine complaints and 2012 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2016 and 2017.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2014, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2016, 2017
- Complaints on file
- 6772009 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2010128 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 10630 fires · 95 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 47kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 28Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine (1) | |
| 128 | 16 | 3 | Air bags (27) | |
| 87 | 25 | 3 | Air bags (27) | |
| 101 | 14 | 4 | Engine (41) | |
| 73 | 9 | 5 | Engine (32) | |
| 125 | 17 | 3 | Engine (33) | |
| 48 | 9 | 1 | Engine (12) | |
| 43 | 5 | 1 | Engine (11) | |
| 43 | 6 | 3 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | Speed control and throttle (4) | |
| 15 | 2 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (9) |
What fails on the 2010 Kia Forte
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 21% |
27 | 14 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 17% |
22 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Kia Forte |
| Tires | 17% |
22 | 1 | — |
| Wheels | 13% |
16 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
13 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
11 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Kia Forte |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
10 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2010 Kia Forte |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 7% |
9 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2010 Kia Forte |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The engine is failing. Just over 100,000 miles and has bearing failure with rod knock. I have read story after story about these engines failing. A 2010 needs to be recalled and repaired the same as 2011. Same engine ,same procedures. The car is useless now. Can't sell,trade,or drive.
-
Vehicle burns all oil in between 3000 mile oil change. No low oil pressure warning light. Lagrange ga kia dealership did not detect any leaks .
-
Takata recall. Alright i also have the same issue most people have. My engine start making horrible noise around 129000. One day , i stopped at red light literally my whole car was shaking. I thought every single person have same problem with this model.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Forte years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2014, 2012 carry the most filings on the Kia Forte. The 2010 alone has 128 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Kia Forte problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 27 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Forte problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Forte complaints that include mileage is about 47,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.