2018 Kia Forte engine problems

The 2018 Kia Forte has 61 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 32% of the year's total, and down from the prior model year.

Engine complaints

32%

Share of year

Crash-involved

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Forte engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

21V260000EngineApril 13, 2021 · 4,069 units

Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.

Consequence

A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.

What owners report

“Unknown. Fire was located under in the engine compartment area and fire was visible from below the engine under the car. When it happened I was driving on the freeway when noticed my car seemed to be struggling stay at the current speend and to loose speed then a it suddenly l no longer would…”
Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · July 7, 2025 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2018 Kia Forte have?

NHTSA has 61 complaints about the 2018 Kia Forte engine — 32% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2018 Kia Forte engine?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the engine: 21V260000.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.