What breaks most · 2010 to 2016 model years
Kia Forte Koup problems by year
Owners have filed 52 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Forte Koup across model years 2010 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2013 for engine complaints, 2012 for engine complaints and 2010 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2011.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2012, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2011
- Complaints on file
- 522010 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 201316 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 87kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 14Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 0 | 2 | Engine (6) | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | Engine (3) | |
| 14 | 0 | 4 | Engine (13) | |
| 16 | 1 | 4 | Engine (12) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) |
What fails on the 2013 Kia Forte Koup
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 75% |
12 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Kia Forte Koup |
| Air bags | 13% |
2 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Kia Forte Koup |
| Seat belts | 13% |
2 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Wheels | 6% |
1 | 1 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2013 Kia Forte Koup |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
1 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Kia Forte Koup |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2013 Kia Forte Koup |
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.
-
Driving on a busy highway going approximately 65 mph when the rpms dropped to zero. I was able to get it on the shoulder without accident. The car was towed to a mechanic who informed me the engine seized up but the oil looked fine. The mechanic thought this was odd. The car had 101,000 miles in it.
-
My car started over heating at stop and go traffic so i checked everything and found out my coolant fan resister was melting..i checked to see if it was a recall on that part and it was but i dont think it was change because everything the recall web site said would happen did.
-
Engine failure due to metal flakes in engine (same as recent recall on other models). No lights or indicators present, engine was making abnormal noises and took care in before a catastrophic indecent.
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 6, 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 Koup years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2012, 2010 carry the most filings on the Kia Forte Koup. The 2013 alone has 16 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Kia Forte Koup problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 12 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Forte Koup problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Forte Koup complaints that include mileage is about 87,000 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.