2010 Kia Forte: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 310 complaints
310
Total Complaints
70,000mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
35
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
31,000
25th Percentile
70,000
Median Mileage
100,504
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Engine
72
Air Bags
40
Power Train
19
Tires
18
Electrical System
18
Wheels
17
Service Brakes
16
Exterior Lighting
14
Steering
11
Unknown Or Other
10
Severity Assessment
35
Crashes
4
Fires
19
Injuries
3
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"NEW CAR, LESS THAN 3 HOURS OLD, HAS MAJOR FACTORY PAINT DEFECTS. FACTORY REP SAYS SOMEONE WILL "DOCUMENT" DEFECTS. DEALER REPAIR MANAGER / GENERAL MANAGER SEEM TO BELIEVE DIRTY PAINT WAS USED IN SPRAYING THIS VEHICLE. *TR"
"2010 KIA FORTE PURCHASED BRAND NEW ON 10/17/09. 1ST TIME TAKEN IN TO DEALERSHIP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON (10/27/09) DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT WAS CODE PO304--MISFIRE #4 THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM AND UPDATED THE COMPUTER. DIAGNOSTIC BEING CLEARED. 2ND TIME TAKEN IN ON..."
"2010 KIA FORTE PURCHASED BRAND NEW ON 10/17/09. 1ST TIME TAKEN IN TO DEALERSHIP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON (10/27/09) DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT WAS CODE PO304--MISFIRE #4 THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM AND UPDATED THE COMPUTER. DIAGNOSTIC BEING CLEARED. 2ND TIME TAKEN IN ON..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Engine
72 complaints
25th: 70,000 mi
Median: 100,000 mi
75th: 130,000 mi
Air Bags
40 complaints
25th: 40,250 mi
Median: 79,351 mi
75th: 102,364 mi
Power Train
19 complaints
25th: 19,875 mi
Median: 51,050 mi
75th: 95,752 mi
Tires
18 complaints
25th: 29,500 mi
Median: 55,000 mi
75th: 78,500 mi
Electrical System
18 complaints
25th: 45,142 mi
Median: 65,000 mi
75th: 81,400 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
FL: 26
PA: 23
CA: 20
TX: 20
NY: 18
MD: 15
OH: 15
GA: 14
IL: 13
AL: 12
Kia Forte — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (3)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Air Bag/Restraint Control Module
Campaign 18V363000 | 01/06/2018
If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to in
Switch
Campaign 13V114000 | 01/04/2013
Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead
Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Control Unit/Module
Campaign 23V652000 | 25/09/2023
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2
Extend Your Engine Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
- Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
- Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
- Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
- Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
- Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage
Compare Kia Forte
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28