2011 KIA FORTE — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 151 complaints · 3 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (40 complaints · 26.5%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 28
  • Fires 12
  • Injuries 35
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 2010 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 40 of 151 owner complaints (26.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 40 complaints, 26.5% of reports ENGINE 40 · 26.5% · 3 fire reports AIR BAGS: 20 complaints, 13.3% of reports AIR BAGS 20 · 13.3% · 13 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 19 complaints, 12.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 19 · 12.6% · 3 crash reports 3 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 16 complaints, 10.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 16 · 10.6% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 7 complaints, 4.6% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 · 4.6% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 6 complaints, 4.0% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 · 4.0% · 1 fire reports SEAT BELTS: 5 complaints, 3.3% of reports SEAT BELTS 5 · 3.3% · 2 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 5 complaints, 3.3% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 3.3% · 3 crash reports STEERING: 4 complaints, 2.7% of reports STEERING 4 · 2.7% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 44 complaints, 29.1% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 44 · 29.1% · 5 crash reports 4 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 40 26.5% 0 crashes · 3 fires
AIR BAGS 20 13.3% 13 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 19 12.6% 3 crashes · 3 fires
POWER TRAIN 16 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 4.6% 1 crashes · 1 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 4.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
SEAT BELTS 5 3.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 3.3% 3 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 4 2.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 44 29.1% 5 crashes · 4 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2011; the first recall shown was reported in Feb 2016. 2011-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2018-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2024-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2011 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 16V070000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V070000 Recall campaign 18V363000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V363000 Recall campaign 23V652000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V652000 Investigation PE18003 ● Investigation PE18003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation AQ23002 ● Investigation AQ23002
  • Campaign 16V070000 was reported 1,688 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V363000 was reported 2,493 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V652000 was reported 3,766 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2011-Q2 Owner reports 3
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 4
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 3
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 4
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 6
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 7
2018-Q2 Owner reports 5
2018-Q3 Owner reports 13
2018-Q4 Owner reports 6
2019-Q1 Owner reports 6
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 3
2020-Q4 Owner reports 3
2021-Q1 Owner reports 6
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 5
2024-Q1 Owner reports 7
2024-Q2 Owner reports 7
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 2
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 4
2026-Q1 Owner reports 3
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 16V070000
Recall campaign 1 18V363000
Recall campaign 1 23V652000
Defect investigation 1 PE18003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
Defect investigation 1 AQ23002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (3)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V070000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    If enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission cooler hose, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC129.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V363000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
    Remedy:
    Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V652000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 151 complaints · page 1 of 7

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources