2016 Kia Forte engine problems
69 of the 137 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Forte name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 63 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 69 reports a crash · 4 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 7
Half of the 27 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 40,000 and 105,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
137 complaints in all about the 2016 Kia Forte, 7 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Forte engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
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.
Went to get an oil change 5 months after purchasing this car a d there was metal shavings in the oil. Mechanic said this type of engine was notorious for this and we would need a new motor very soon. No check engine light or anything so we had no idea this was happening.
Rough idle, shaking engine, alternator pulled replaced 2 times, water pump burst while driving on highway, overheating due to coolant explosion on highway, insufficient idle, acceleration, and changing gears rough
While I was driving I lost power and the car would hardly move. I had to get it towed to the Kia dealer. The tow truck driver informed me that his broy=ther had the same car and this happened to him also. He than told me there was a defect in the engine and since it is still under warranty the engine is cover.
While driving my vehicle loses power while going above 65 MPH and shutters when losing power. It also burns 1/2 quart of oil per week while driving or in use. Also when refilling oil there is a white substance on the dipstick when checking the oil levels. When it loses power while in motion the electronics dim or flicker.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications63 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P1326 P0442 P0449 P0451 P0455 P0456 P0457 P0016
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Kia Forte names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Kia Forte?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 69 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (50% of everything owners filed about it), and 63 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Kia Forte?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 1 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Kia Forte?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 60,264 miles; half of them between 40,000 and 105,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.