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2016 Kia Forte

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Forte do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 141.5.

About this comparison →
135Owner complaints

Model-year median: 141.5

1Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
195
2013440
2014259
2015135
2016301
2017136
2018147
2019
Compare all Forte years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine
66Electrical System
21Power Train
16Unknown Or Other
15Vehicle Speed Control
14
All reported categories
Air Bags
13Service Brakes
10Exterior Lighting
9Fuel/propulsion System
6Wheels
6Steering
5Structure
5Electronic Stability Control (esc)
4Suspension
3Forward Collision Avoidance
2Visibility/wiper
2Engine And Engine Cooling
1Fuel System, Gasoline
1Insert, Padding
1Seat Belts
1Seats
1Tires
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

60 reports with mileage · 75 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 66 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports6 fire reports10 injury reports

Insert, Padding complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2026
Insert, Padding

When I have the windows down, I can see the headrest flapping in the wind. I took the cover off and discovered that the styrofoam had broken in half. I used foam adhesive to bind it together. Once again, windows down and the headrest is still flapping in the wind. Look underneath the cover and this time the Styrofoam is broken i…

Read full complaint

When I have the windows down, I can see the headrest flapping in the wind. I took the cover off and discovered that the styrofoam had broken in half. I used foam adhesive to bind it together. Once again, windows down and the headrest is still flapping in the wind. Look underneath the cover and this time the Styrofoam is broken into multiple pieces.

NHTSA ODI #11758465

Official recalls

1

21V622000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch

Aug 9, 2021

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 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.