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EnginePart report

2018 Kia Forte Engine Problems

Complaints
57about this part
Share
42%of 136 total for the year
Median mileage
67,000miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 57 complaints about the engine of the 2018 Kia Forte, 42% of the 136 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 67,000 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Got my car at 60 miles. That was a lil over two years ago and now my car is at 68000. The engine is stalling and it's not accelerating properly. When I have to break or even break pulling into a parking spot the car cuts off. No lights are popping up and I've never had this issue before. I see a lot of other people on here who are also having these problems.”

NHTSA complaint #11360165, filed 2020-09, 68,000 miles

“Kia Forte 2018 - the engine stopped working while driving (around 55mph) the car shut off and I could barely control the car as I no longer had speed control which made it risky going from one line to another to get off the road and pull over, putting myself and the other drivers at risk of an accident, and almost at the end when leaving the road the steering column became hard and I could not control the steering wheel very well. …”

NHTSA complaint #11527812, filed 2023-06, 118,000 miles

“53,000 no warning was driving along a highway car started to knock. Then all of the sudden car shuts off and I pull over. Come to find out engine through a rod in the block and was not cover under warranty because they said I didn't have enough proof oil was never change even though I gave them all my receipts.”

NHTSA complaint #11377876, filed 2020-12, 53,000 miles

“I have had my brand new Kia Forte for 8 months starting in april. I currently have 16,581 miles on the car. About a month ago my eco light came on by itself and there was no way to turn it off so I had to take it to Kia where they unscrewed my battery and it went off. Now I am having problems with my car not wanting to turn on and after taking a trip to auto zone we found out that it was the 'crank shaft'. I am having problems with a brand new car that I have only had for eight months. …”

NHTSA complaint #11165436, filed 2019-01, 16,575 miles

“When accelerating there is no power and it is going to cause the accident I was on the freeway I went to switch lanes I hit the gas and the car would not move just stood there and rp m's going up”

NHTSA complaint #11191632, filed 2019-03, 22,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2024831%
2023914%
2022414%
20212232%
20202026%
20193825%
20185742%
201714548%
20166649%
201515861%
201421649%
201310755%
201216155%
20114529%
20107433%

Other parts of the 2018 Kia Forte

Other or unknown
30 complaintsAir bags
16 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsVehicle speed control
10 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsExterior lighting
6 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsSteering
5 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Kia Forte

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology