Model year
2016 Kia Forte
NHTSA lists 1 recall and 136 complaints for the 2016 Kia Forte (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). NHTSA also lists 0 recalls and 2 complaints under FORTE KOUP. Those counts are separate from the numbers above. The components listed on the most complaints are ENGINE (66), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (21), POWER TRAIN (16). NHTSA rated the 4 DR FWD 5 stars overall. EPA rates it 24–30 mpg combined depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $2,250–$2,800, based on 15,000 miles and 55% city driving.
- 2010 221 complaints
- 2011 154 complaints
- 2012 292 complaints
- 2013 195 complaints
- 2014 444 complaints
- 2015 260 complaints
- 2016 136 complaints
- 2017 305 complaints
- 2018 136 complaints
- 2019 149 complaints
- 2020 78 complaints
- 2021 69 complaints
- 2022 28 complaints
- 2023 65 complaints
- 2024 26 complaints
Recalls
21V622000 · Aug 9, 2021
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of…
Complaints
136 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 16, fire flag on 6, injury field 13, deaths field 0. A complaint can be counted under more than one component. The injury and death figures are the file's numbers (the highest value on each complaint, then added), not a separate verified count of people.
Other NHTSA names
These names matched the same EPA model but are not included in the headline counts above.
| Name | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| FORTE KOUP | 0 | 2 |
Investigations
No investigations are matched to this name.
Safety ratings
| Variant | Overall | Front | Side | Pole | Rollover | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.103 | NHTSA photo |
| 5 HB FWD | Not rated | Not Rated | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.103 | — |
| Koup 2 DR FWD | Not rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated · possibility 0 | — |
Fuel economy
| Configuration | Fuel | City | Hwy | Comb | kWh/100 mi | Range | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte Koup · 1.6L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 22 | 29 | 25 | — | — | $2,700 |
| Forte Koup · 1.6L · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 22 | 29 | 24 | — | — | $2,800 |
| Forte Koup · 2L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 25 | 34 | 28 | — | — | $2,400 |
| Forte Koup · 2L · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 24 | 33 | 27 | — | — | $2,500 |
| Forte 5 · 1.6L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 29 | 24 | — | — | $2,800 |
| Forte 5 · 1.6L · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 28 | 24 | — | — | $2,800 |
| Forte 5 · 2L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 25 | 33 | 28 | — | — | $2,400 |
| Forte · 1.8L · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 25 | 36 | 29 | — | — | $2,300 |
| Forte · 2L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 24 | 35 | 28 | — | — | $2,400 |
| Forte · 1.8L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 26 | 37 | 30 | — | — | $2,250 |
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Check a vehicle
This page is not a VIN lookup. NHTSA's recall tool checks a specific vehicle: nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's page for this model year is 2016 Kia Forte at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.