KnownCarProblems2016 Kia Forte Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Forte, most often about the engine (49% of complaints, typically around 63,500 miles). It is 9th of 16 Forte model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2016 Kia Forte problems
Engine
67 complaints · 49%Half of these problems showed up before 63,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, she heard a knocking sound coming from the front passengerâs side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated independently and before…
Pulling out into traffic, without warning my car lost power and shut down! The car had to be towed to the dealership who advised that the engine had a catastrophic failure and needed to be replaced. I was told by the dealership that Kia would not cover the repair for two reasons: 1) I was beyond the warranty period…
Electrical
22 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 29,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition.
The Kia Forte caught fire as my husband was driving down the interstate (the car was in motion). We had only had the car for just over a year. I am unsure what caused the fire however, the insurance reviewer advise that the fire started in the engine. My husband barley made it out of the car before the inside was…
Takata recall when turning my vehicle off there is a ticking coming from the computer when sitting still it will car will aisle up in try to take off a little with the foot on the brake it also shakes when the vehicle is in park and l I have reported these problems before and the head gasket had to be replaced in the…
Transmission
16 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 17,500 miles.
The vehicle of concern reportedly had been parked all day in a parking lot at work with the doors locked and in park. At the end of the day the vehicle was remote started from inside the building approximately 20 feet away. The vehicle started and then a few seconds latter it apparently shifted into drive and then…
My Kia Forte has a hesitation in acceleration from any speed below 50mph. It is especially bad between 10mph and 35mph. It takes the car between .5 and 1.5 seconds to respond to a press down on the accelerator pedal. This has come close to causing me to have an accident on a few occasions when the car just would not…
Other or unspecified
15 complaints · 11%Driving on major highway during rush hour and all of sudden car lost power and dashboard lights up. Was fortunate that I was able to steer to the side of the road very dangerous situation!!!
The vehicle was in motion on highway route 50 when smoke entered the vehicle from the AC vents. I tried to press the brakes but they failed. Then the car caught on fire from the front and back, the brakes continued to fail, I jumped from the vehicle on going 40mph, then the car exploded. Consumer contacted the dealer…
Speed control
14 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 6,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Forte. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shook without warning and would not accelerate beyond 40 MPH. The dealer added a fuel additive to the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,300. ...updated 05/19/17
The vehicle will accelerate on its own when driving at highway speeds. When driving in town , it will not accelerate after idling such as at a traffic light.
Air bags
13 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 50,000 miles.
My daughter was involved in a front end collision, in which her air bags on her Forte did not deploy. The impact was so significant that the bumper was split and the right side under body (frame) that meets the headlight assembly was bent! Luckily, my daughter was not injured, as the impact was more on the right side.…
Driver ran red light at high speed and t boned me at intersection of 83rd cottage grove (chicago). Accident ripped my entire front end off my car and spinner my an entire 360 degrees and not one of my airbags deployed. I also have 2 videos that can detail the rate of speed at impact from a neighboring establishment.
Lights
10 complaints · 7%All lights flicker on and off while driving , headlights sometimes turn off when turn signal is used. Dash lights will flicker even while parked.
Brakes
10 complaints · 7%While setting in parking lot with car in park and engine running, multiple instrumentation failure, anti slip, tire pressure, a.b.s. Check engine light, regular braking light, engine miss firing... Rough shifting, was able to limp car to closed Kia dealer.. On a sunday night.. They kept car 3 days.. Could not find why…
I purchased my 2016 Kia Forte in march 2017 used and since then I've been having suspension problems. May 2017 I had 3 alignments and I constantly been getting alignments and replacing my brakes and tires. August 2020 my car started to cut off while I was driving and accelerate when I tried to stop. My check engine…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2016 Kia Forte recalls
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2016 Kia Forte
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Kia Forte?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (67 complaints, typically around 63,500 miles); electrical (22 complaints, typically around 29,000 miles); transmission (16 complaints, typically around 17,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2016 Kia Forte have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 9, 2021 (doors and locks). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2016 a bad year for the Kia Forte?
- It is 9th of 16 Forte model years by number of complaints, with 136 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.