2020 Kia Forte problems
Owners have filed 107 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Forte. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 21% of complaints. Next are drivetrain & axles (15%) and electrical system (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 107 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 12 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 6 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 7,000 miles 32 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 19 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 6 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 32 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 7,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 12 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 6 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Kia Forte with enough data (84 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was turning left through a green light onto a city road when a car coming from the left side ran a red light going 50 miles an hour in a 35 miles an hour road, crashing into the side of my car. It hit the front drivers side tire and door, but was hit so hard that my car moved forward about 8 - 10 feet. My car is suppose to have sensor directly where the other person car hit mine but none of the air bags went off. Even though this car is suppose to have side airbags for those types of collisions.
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 kia forte. The contact stated that while attempting to get out of the garage, the contact placed the vehicle in park and removed themselves to the vehicle in order to open their garage door when the vehicle began to reverse hitting the contact and the garage door. The contact received injuries to their left shoulder, face, elbow, left knee, right leg, and right foot. Medical attention was not needed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle had not been towed.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on a bend in the highway, a deer jumped over the barrier and landed on the top of the contact's front windshield. The contact stated that she was knocked unconscious due to the impact. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did not deploy. The contact was strapped in the driver's seat when she regained consciousness. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated.
My 18 year old daughter was the driver. The car was parked on a residential street, facing the direction she wanted to go. The street went downhill in front of her. She started the car. When she began to drive, the steering felt very stiff, she could barely steer. She started driving anyway. Then the brakes did not work. In fact, she said that pressing the brake seemed to make the car go faster (or this could have just been the effect of the hill). So she accelerated down a substantial hill with no braking power.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bags warning light illuminated and then went off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the air bag warning light was again illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure.