YearToAvoid

2018 Kia Forte Recall List

3 safety recall campaigns on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Kia Forte, affecting airbags, structure & body, and engine. Recall repairs are free at any authorized Kia dealer.

Recall campaigns
3
Do Not Drive
0
Park Outside
0
Over-the-air fixes
0
Latest report
Jan 25, 2022
Owner complaints
136

All 2018 Kia Forte recalls

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA’s own wording.

  1. NHTSA 22V031000Jan 25, 2022Airbags410,619 vehicles

    Air bags

    Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.

  2. NHTSA 21V622000Aug 9, 2021Structure & Body253,074 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:trunk lid:latch

    Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

    Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.

  3. NHTSA 21V260000Apr 13, 2021Engine4,069 vehicles

    Engine and engine cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pump

    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.

    Risk: 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.

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does the 2018 Kia Forte have?
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Kia Forte, covering airbags, structure & body, and engine.
Are 2018 Kia Forte recall repairs free?
Yes. Under U.S. law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls free of charge at authorized dealers, regardless of the vehicle’s age or how many owners it has had. Use the VIN check to see which campaigns are still open on a specific car.
What is the most recent recall on the 2018 Kia Forte?
The most recent campaign is NHTSA 22V031000, reported Jan 25, 2022, concerning the airbags.

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.