AI DamageKIA Forte Koup: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the KIA Forte Koup across 2 model years: 134 owner complaints and 57 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 49% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- Engine: 66 complaints (49% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Electrical system: 21 complaints (16% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 22.
- Powertrain: 16 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Vehicle speed control: 14 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 13 complaints (10% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 134 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 66 | 2 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 21 | 0 | 22 |
| Powertrain | 16 | 2 | 5 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 13 | 11 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 1 | 29 |
| Exterior lighting | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Electronic stability control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
No warning lights illuminated. No air bags deployed. The contact stated that due to the impact of the crash, she had fallen unconscious. A police report was filed. The contact sought medical attention for bruises and head damage.
We used to have a 2016 Kia Forte5 LX hatchback we been having problems with this vehicle the car would stall and it was having electrical problems like my turn signals not working even when the bulbs were replaced and same thing to the brake lights prior after I noticed the problem with the car was going to take it in…
As it was coming to a stop, the brakes failed. I was pushing the brake pedal down. The car started to rev up and speed forward on it's own. It lunged forward jumping the curb and into the pillar. It wouldn't stop going forward. So I had to put it in reverse. As I did that, I put the brakes on as well as the ebrake.
The contact stated that all of the air bags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's grandson did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The insurance company towed the vehicle to one of their tow yards and at that time the vehicle was deemed totaled.
When driving in motion my 2016 forte the car stalls out. The power steering, breaks and dashboard do not work. This has caused me to lose control of the vehicle and the front end of my car went into a pond.
The contact stated that all four tires blew out. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning lights. The contact sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact's vehicle was totaled and was towed to an auto impound. The dealer was not called.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
- PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- 2017 Kia Forte Rebuild, Part 3, Final Results and Profitsamount per author: 8,500 UNSPECIFIED_DOLLAR
- 2017 Kia Forte Rebuild, Part 2, Plus Wheel Alterationamount per author: 40 UNSPECIFIED_DOLLAR
- 2016 Kia Forte Rebuild Part 2
- 2016 Kia Forte Rebuild Part 1
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.