AutoUtility currently tracks 147 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2019 Kia Forte. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 47 complaints (32% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 11 filings cite a crash, 4 cite a fire, 5 report one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
47 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
39 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
26 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
22 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
7 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
3 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"recommended engine replacement at 111,000 miles"
"Power loss, engine failure. Will not start"
"The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that after driving to the local store and turning off the vehicle, after returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a timing chain failure..."
"While driving, the Forward Collision Warning system activated unexpectedly without any apparent hazard or obstruction in front of my vehicle. Immediately after the warning appeared, the vehicle suddenly lost speed and became very slow to accelerate. I was unable to safely increase my speed while..."
"The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the contact had exited when the oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle rolled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and, upon inspection, noticed that an..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2024)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Forte | 258 | 16 | 1 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Kia Forte | 2 | 0 | 1 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Kia Forte | 301 | 23 | 3 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Kia Forte | 134 | 13 | 3 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Kia Forte Current Page | 147 | 11 | 2 | Current |
| 2020 Kia Forte | 74 | 9 | 0 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Kia Forte | 67 | 10 | 2 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Kia Forte | 26 | 3 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Kia Forte | 60 | 10 | 3 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Kia Forte | 24 | 5 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 51 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2019 Kia Forte
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2019 Kia Forte is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 47 records (32% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (39) and Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (26).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 147 consumer defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns for the 2019 Kia Forte.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2019 Kia Forte, 11 filings cite a crash, 4 cite smoke or fire, and 5 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.