NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 137 owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Forte.
1Safety recalls
137Owner complaints
16Complaints citing a crash
6Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: latches, locks and linkages. Most-reported area: engine (68 complaints, 50%; median mileage when it happened: 63,600). Includes the Forte5 hatchback and the Forte Koup.
1 safety recall for the 2016 Kia Forte
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles.
NHTSA listing: FORTE. Kia campaign SC216.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 137 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Forte. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine68 · 50%
Median 63,600 miles at failure (26 reports)
Electrical system21 · 15%
Powertrain16 · 12%
Speed control14 · 10%
Air bags13 · 9%
Brakes10 · 7%
Exterior lighting9 · 7%
Unknown or other15 · 11%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Forte recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Forte drew the most (72) and the 2016 drew 32.
Owner complaints
2016: 137 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Forte
Model year
Complaints
2016
137
2017
302
2018
136
2019
147
2020
76
2021
68
2022
27
2023
62
2024
25
Safety recalls
2016: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Forte
Model year
Recalls
2016
1
2017
3
2018
3
2019
2
2020
0
2021
2
2022
1
2023
3
2024
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Forte 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.3%
Kia Forte 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk 10.3%
Not rated
Not rated
Kia Forte Koup 2 DR FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Forte problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (68), electrical system (21), powertrain (16). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2016 Kia Forte safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Kia Forte earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Forte has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: FORTE, FORTE KOUP.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.