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Kia · Midsize Sedan

2016 Kia Forte

Gas

Compact Cars
10 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints16 crash · 6 fire · 13 injured reported 138

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg

2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Kia Forte is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 10 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forte, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 138 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Kia Forte — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia Forte · Photo: RL GNZLZ from Chile · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Forte	Gas	FWD	1.8L 4-cyl	26	37	30	$2,250
Forte	Gas	FWD	1.8L 4-cyl	25	36	29	$2,300
Forte	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	24	35	28	$2,400
Forte 5	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	25	33	28	$2,400
Forte Koup	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	25	34	28	$2,400
Forte Koup	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	24	33	27	$2,500
Forte Koup	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	22	29	25	$2,700
Forte 5	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	21	29	24	$2,800
Forte 5	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	21	28	24	$2,800
Forte Koup	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	22	29	24	$2,800

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36319, 36284, 36285, 36231, 36217, 36218, 36215, 36229, 36230, 36216.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Forte	5–9 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV / PZEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Forte, Forte 5, Forte Koup	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Forte 5, Forte Koup	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	1.8 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: GL (Middle-Low Grade), GLS, JSL, TAX (Middle Grade), TOP (High Grade)). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	178.3–179.5 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	70.1 in
Height	55.5–56.3 in
Wheelbase	106.3 in
Track, front	61.4 in
Track, rear	61.8 in
Curb weight	2,804–2,983 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	62/38 to 63/37

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 4-door Sedan, Koupe EX 2-door Coupe, Koupe Sx/Sx Luxury 2-door Coupe, LX 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Latches/Locks/Linkages

SC216

253,074 vehicles 54% reported repaired

Problem 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. Fix 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V622000 reported Aug 9, 2021 Kia Motors America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Forte

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Kia Forte, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

138complaints filed

16 involved a crash · 6 a fire · 13 injuries · 0 deaths reported

13 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 104,980 Forte built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2016: 11 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 14 · 2019: 20 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 14 · 2022: 13 · 2023: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 13 · 2026: 13

Most-cited components

Engine → 69

Electrical System 22

Power Train 16

Unspecified 15

Vehicle Speed Control 14

Air Bags 13

In depth: engine problems →

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

In December after getting letter in the mail saying I needed an upgrade to my car's knock sensor I took it to a Kia dealership. I received word from the dealership that my car had suffered a lower crank shaft failure and would need to be replaced.

Engine Mar 9, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11647234

I went hunting and went to go back to my car at the end of the evening. My car was parked on a grass lane by a woods with the key out of the egnition. When I got to the car it was dark so I did not notice anything at first, but when I went to unlock my door and my keyless entry would not work.

Electrical System at 50,000 miles Jul 25, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11113694

My daughter was involved in a front end collision, in which her air bags on her Forte did not deploy. The impact was so significant that the bumper was split and the right side under body (frame) that meets the headlight assembly was bent! Luckily, my daughter was not injured, as the impact was more on the right side.

Air Bags at 50,000 miles May 12, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11093443

Too much accleration on the open highway. The screws in my visors keep coming out. I was only given a donut tire upon purchase. The paint on the car is so cheap i'm seeing scratches all thru the paint on my car

Structure Mar 28, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11081890

The vehicle will accelerate on its own when driving at highway speeds. When driving in town , it will not accelerate after idling such as at a traffic light

Power Train at 2,000 miles Feb 28, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11075353

After my 5k mile oil change, this was the first oil change. I had to take it back because of a loud ticking sound. I overheard the service suprv say that there was a defect on fortes. But, he tried to tell me that nothing was wrong until I told him what I heard him say over the walkie.

Vehicle Speed Control at 19,000 miles Mar 15, 2017 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10966009

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Kia itself: 13 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 17 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 12 per 100,000 built. Every Forte model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 44k

miles, typically

Half the 61 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 19,000 and 67,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 10

10k–20k 7

20k–30k 2

30k–40k 8

40k–50k 4

50k–60k 10

60k–70k 5

70k–80k 2

80k–90k 2

90k–100k 1

100k–150k 9

150k + 1

Median mileage by component

Component	Reports	Median miles	Vs same age
Engine	27	60,264	0.97×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2016-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	10%
5 HB FWD	not rated	not rated	★★★★★	★★★★☆	10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 181

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-07-18

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 160 service bulletins, 11 others, 10 service campaigns

Most often about: Engine, Electrical System, Equipment, Structure, Service Brakes.

SC238_OWNR_501 Service campaign
2026-07-18 · Service Brakes
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC238 Flight #501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace brake line(s) in certain 2014-2017 MY Forte and Forte Koup vehicles that were originally sold in or are currently registered in states where heavy amounts of road salt are used. In additio
CS2311_TSB_R4 Service bulletin
2026-06-09 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION: CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
CS2312_TSB_R2 Service bulletin
2026-06-08 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
PI2105_OWNR_501 Other
2026-03-25 · Electrical System
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2105 FLIGHT 501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update on 2016 MY Forte and Forte Koup vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter GDI engines to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. The update will be done free of charge and will
TSB_CS2312_R1 Service bulletin
2026-02-19 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
CS2311_OWNR_PC201 Other
2025-12-19 · Structure — Body
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: POSTCARD OWNER RENOTIFICATION (CS2311) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. Kia has developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade and can be installed at the ignition cylinder location to provide additional protection against the social media theft method. Prior no
PS797 Other
2025-12-09 · Back Over Prevention — Warnings
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane
TSB_TRA046_R5 Service bulletin
2025-04-17 · Power Train
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P1326 P1326 on Kia →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	5 bulletins · 2 owner reports
P0442 P0442 on Kia →	A small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Engine · Gas cap →	2 bulletins
P0449 P0449 on Kia →	A fault in the evaporative vent valve or solenoid circuit.	Engine · EVAP vent valve →	2 bulletins
P0451 P0451 on Kia →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	2 bulletins
P0455 P0455 on Kia →	A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off.	Engine · Gas cap →	2 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Kia →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Engine · Gas cap →	2 bulletins
P0457 P0457 on Kia →	An evaporative leak the system has attributed to a loose or missing fuel cap.	Engine · Gas cap →	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 3.0%

failed emissions

1,393 initial inspections of 1,353 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Forte	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	3.0%	4.2%	1,389
Failed the safety inspection	4.5%	2.2%	1,393
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.14%	0.27%	1,393
Miles driven a year	9,622	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	98,859	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Forte by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2024 A 0 26 34 mpg 2023 D 3 66 Do not drive 2022 B 1 28 35 mpg 2021 C 2 69 35 mpg 2020 A 0 78 35 mpg 2019 B 2 149 35 mpg 2018 C 3 136 32 mpg 2017 C 3 305 32 mpg 2016 this page A 1 138 30 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Forte

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Kia Forte have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2016 Kia Forte. The most serious on file is 21V622000, covering Latches/Locks/Linkages. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Kia Forte?

NHTSA gave the 2016 Kia Forte 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Kia Forte?

Across the 10 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Kia Forte, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Kia Forte?

Transport Canada measured it at 178.3–179.5 in long, 70.1 in wide (body, without mirrors), 55.5–56.3 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,804–2,983 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Kia Forte?

Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Forte, most often about engine, electrical system, power train. Of those, 16 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 13 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Kia Forte?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Kia Forte runs 5 to 9 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV, PZEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Kia Forte?

The manufacturer has filed 181 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Kia Forte, most often covering engine, electrical system, equipment. The most recent is dated 2026-07-18. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Kia Forte do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Kia Forte failed the emissions check on 3.0% of first inspections — lower than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 4.5% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	10 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	10 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	138	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	181	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	7 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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