"How reliable is the 2019 Kia Forte?"

"Based on 201 NHTSA complaints, the 2019 Kia Forte has a median complaint mileage of 10201 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2019 Kia Forte?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Kia Forte is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 201 total complaints filed."

2019 Kia Forte: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 201 complaints

201

Total Complaints

10,201mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

2,375 25th Percentile

10,201 Median Mileage

26,087 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Warnings

Exterior Lighting

Steering

Automatic Emergency Braking

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I BOUGHT THIS CAR 2 MONTHS AGO AND THEY NEVER TOLD ME IT DOESNT COME WITH A DONUT OR SPARE TIRE ......THIS IS UNSAFE"

"ON NOVEMBER 12,2018 I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER THAT SEEMED TO BE DOING FULL SPEED, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ANY SCREECHING BRAKES BEHIND ME. THE IMPACT TOTALED MY CAR, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUNK. THE IMPACT MADE MY CA..."

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.

Power Train 44 complaints

25th: 2,858 mi Median: 5,140 mi 75th: 14,900 mi

Engine 31 complaints

25th: 4,450 mi Median: 16,500 mi 75th: 41,511 mi

Unknown Or Other 21 complaints

25th: 3,600 mi Median: 10,892 mi 75th: 23,900 mi

Electrical System 18 complaints

25th: 1,100 mi Median: 11,496 mi 75th: 50,100 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 28 CA: 22 FL: 16 NY: 15 NJ: 13 GA: 12 MA: 9 MO: 8 OH: 8 NC: 7

Who Files Complaints?

1.5%

Original Owners

98.5%

Second+ Owners

Kia Forte — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2010	310	70,000	Engine	35
2011	213	81,300	Engine	44
2012	398	80,000	Engine	34
2013	271	75,682	Engine	26
2014	634	77,000	Engine	60
2015	320	75,000	Engine	21
2016	192	37,000	Engine	20
2017	422	36,650	Engine	38
2018	187	31,022	Engine	20
2020	88	5,000	Unknown Or Other	12
2021	92	21,234	Engine	13
2022	35	12,800	Unknown Or Other	5
2023	87	27,500	Steering	13
2024	37	-	Unknown Or Other	11

Active Recalls (2)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Headlights

Campaign 18V771000 | 31/10/2018

If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.

Axle Shaft

Campaign 20V459000 | 05/08/2020

A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began September 2, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recal

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Compare Kia Forte

vs Honda Civic →

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

2019 Kia Forte parts on Amazon

→

Affiliate link

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