YearToAvoid

2016 Kia Forte Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 16 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2016 Kia Forte, 12% of all complaints filed for the year. Owners report stalling, delayed acceleration, and unintended gear or throttle behavior, with a median failure mileage of 17,310. No related recall is listed for this area.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
16
12% of 135
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
17,310 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle stalls unexpectedly while in motion, sometimes cutting power steering and brakes along with it.
  • Sudden hesitation or delay of half a second to over a second between pressing the accelerator and the car responding, especially between 10 and 35 mph.
  • Vehicle shifts into gear or moves on its own without driver input, including one case where a remote-started car rolled into a building.
  • Loss of power or shuddering at highway speeds above 60-65 mph, sometimes accompanied by a check engine light.
  • Vehicle fails to accelerate after idling, such as at a stoplight, then unexpectedly accelerates on its own at highway speed.

When 2016 Kia Forte transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 24, 2016, latest Jul 24, 2025.

2016 Kia Forte transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Jun 2016Feb 2018Aug 2018Apr 2019Jan 2020Oct 2022Jun 2023Jul 2025
16 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2016 to Jul 2025; peak Jun 2019 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2016 Kia Forte

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Forte model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20090 (0%)
  2. 201023 (10%)
  3. 201118 (12%)
  4. 201211 (4%)
  5. 201310 (5%)
  6. 201418 (4%)
  7. 201517 (7%)
  8. 201616 (12%)
  9. 201712 (4%)
  10. 20188 (6%)
  11. 201947 (32%)
  12. 202016 (21%)
  13. 20217 (10%)
  14. 20222 (7%)
  15. 20238 (13%)
  16. 20243 (12%)

Frequently asked questions

Are there transmission problems with the 2016 Kia Forte?
NHTSA has logged 16 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2016 Kia Forte, which is 12% of all complaints filed for this model year. Reported issues include stalling, delayed acceleration, and unintended gear shifts.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2016 Kia Forte?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for the Transmission & Powertrain area on the 2016 Kia Forte.
At what mileage do 2016 Kia Forte transmission problems happen?
The median mileage at failure for Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2016 Kia Forte is 17,310 miles.
Did the 2016 Kia Forte transmission issues cause crashes or fires?
NHTSA data shows 2 crashes and 2 fires associated with complaints in this problem area for the 2016 Kia Forte, with no reported injuries.
How does the 2016 Kia Forte compare to other years for this problem?
The 2016 Forte's 12% share of complaints in this area is higher than most nearby years like 2017 (4%) and 2018 (6%), but lower than 2019, which had 32%.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.