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2019 Kia Forte

Gas

Midsize Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

87 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints11 crash · 4 fire · 5 injured reported 149

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 35 mpg

2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2019 Kia Forte is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forte FE, is EPA-rated at 35 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 149 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 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 FE	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	31	41	35	$1,900
Forte	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	30	40	34	$1,950
Forte	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	27	37	31	$2,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 40489, 40490, 40491.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Forte, Forte FE	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Forte	5–7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III ULEV70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay

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	2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

147 hp

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: EX, FE/LX/LXS, S/GT Line). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	182.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	70.9 in
Height	56.7 in
Wheelbase	106.3 in
Track, front	60.6 in
Track, rear	60.6 in
Curb weight	2,762 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 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 (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Power Train

SC195

834 vehicles 80% reported repaired

Problem Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Forte vehicles. The left front axle driveshaft may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to break. Risk A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began September 2, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC195.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 20V459000 reported Aug 5, 2020 Kia Motors America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Exterior Lighting

SC171

1,754 vehicles 88% reported repaired built Jul 24, 2018 – Sep 17, 2018

Problem Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The headlights may not have been manufactured with the correct low beam aiming. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 18V771000 reported Oct 31, 2018 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 2019 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 2019 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

149complaints filed

11 involved a crash · 4 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

15 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 101,168 Forte built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 27 · 2020: 22 · 2021: 21 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 13 · 2024: 19 · 2025: 15 · 2026: 19

Most-cited components

Power Train 48

Engine 41

Electrical System 23

Unspecified 22

Forward Collision Avoidance 22

Exterior Lighting 17

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.

I was driving my 2019 Kia Forte at 75 MPH, then lowered my speed, then accelerated again. A loud screech/grinding sound happened, then the car stalled. I was able to coast to the roadside, and re-start the car. I was not able to drive the car over 15 MPH. Car was towed to the dealership the next day.

Power Train at 3,900 miles Dec 2, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11286422

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. While driving approximately 20 MPH at night, the headlights were very dim and the contact did not see an animal in the road. To avoid the animal, the contact veered off the road and crashed into a ditch. The frontal air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed.

Air Bags at 16,000 miles Oct 28, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11271614

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact noticed that the soy based wiring attracted rodents, which chewed the wires and caused the electrical components to short out.

Electrical System at 2,200 miles Oct 23, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11270461

With less than 8k miles on our Forte we were driving down the highway at 70 MPH when the oil light went on. We moved to the right lane and within seconds all of the warning lights were on and the car would not accelerate at all. We coasted off the highway to find oil spilling from the car.

Engine at 7,800 miles Oct 2, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11265766

I AM writing to inform you of an incident which occurred on friday january 25, 2019 at approximately 2:40 PM while my son was operating his 2019 Kia Forte. The weather that day was sunny and clear and the road was dry and level.

Vehicle Speed Control at 1,400 miles Jan 29, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11172732

I bought this car 2 months ago and they never told me it doesnt come with a donut or spare tire ......this is unsafe

Wheels Nov 7, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11149930

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: 11 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 12 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 11 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 11k

miles, typically

Half the 66 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 3,000 and 39,000 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 28

10k–20k 14

20k–30k 6

30k–40k 2

40k–50k 3

50k–60k 2

60k–70k 2

70k–80k 3

80k–90k 1

90k–100k 0

100k–150k 5

150k + 0

Median mileage by component

Component	Reports	Median miles	Vs same age
Power Train	28	7,450	0.28×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2019-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported earlier than same-age vehicles: power train (0.28×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Across 2018–2019 model years the Kia Forte ranks 35 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 0.88× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 20,500 miles against a fleet 23,512).

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	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 102

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-08

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 99 service bulletins, 2 others, 1 emissions

Most often about: Electrical System, Power Train, Engine, Equipment, Visibility/Wiper.

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
SC199_OWNR_BD_3 Emissions
2026-02-19 · Power Train
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC199 FL301) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Voluntary Service Campaign to update the software programming on the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and, if necessary, replace the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) on certain 2019-2020 MY Forte vehicles.
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
TSB_ENG222_R8 Service bulletin
2025-04-03 · Engine
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - 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 on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine
TSB_ENG222_R7 Service bulletin
2025-02-28 · Engine
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - 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 on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages 8-9 for applicable models and engine), w
TSB_CHA121_R2 Service bulletin
2024-09-13 · Suspension
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT STRUT BEARING & SPRING PAD REPLACEMENT - 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 replace the front strut bearing and upper spring pad on both front (LH and RH) strut assemblies on certain 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) veh
TSB_CHA121_R1 Service bulletin
2024-07-26 · Suspension
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT STRUT BEARING & SPRING PAD REPLACEMENT - 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 replace the front strut bearing and upper spring pad on both front (LH and RH) strut assemblies on certain 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) veh

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
P0300 P0300 on Kia →	Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.	Engine · Ignition coils →	3 bulletins
P0301 P0301 on Kia →	Cylinder 1 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0302 P0302 on Kia →	Cylinder 2 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0303 P0303 on Kia →	Cylinder 3 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0304 P0304 on Kia →	Cylinder 4 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	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 2.2%

failed emissions

2,280 initial inspections of 2,229 vehicles.

Measure	The 2019 Forte	Every 2019 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.2%	2.7%	2,273
Failed the safety inspection	3.2%	1.7%	2,280
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.13%	0.20%	2,280
Miles driven a year	9,659	9,904	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	70,303	72,084	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 2019 vehicle” is every 2019 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 this page B 2 149 35 mpg 2018 C 3 136 32 mpg 2017 C 3 305 32 mpg 2016 A 1 138 30 mpg

Common questions about the 2019 Forte

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2019 Kia Forte have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2019 Kia Forte. The most serious on file is 20V459000, covering Power Train. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2019 Kia Forte?

NHTSA gave the 2019 Kia Forte 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (87/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Kia Forte?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2019 Kia Forte, the best EPA combined figure is 35 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2019 Kia Forte?

Transport Canada measured it at 182.7 in long, 70.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 56.7 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,762 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2019 Kia Forte?

Owners have filed 149 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Forte, most often about power train, engine, electrical system. Of those, 11 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 5 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 2019 Kia Forte?

The EPA smog rating for the 2019 Kia Forte runs 5 to 7 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 — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2019 Kia Forte?

The manufacturer has filed 102 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2019 Kia Forte, most often covering electrical system, power train, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-06-08. 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 2019 Kia Forte do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2019 Kia Forte failed the emissions check on 2.2% of first inspections — lower than the 2.7% for every 2019 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.2% (every 2019 vehicle: 1.7%). 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	3 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	3 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	149	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	102	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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