2013 Kia Forte reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Kia Forte has 195 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Forte years here — under the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Engine, and Air bag control module.

2012 Kia Forte — Photo by Michael Gil from Calgary, AB, Canada, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0

Complaints

195

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (107 of 195), then Electrical system (25) and Service brakes (24). Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 13 that report a fire, 12 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Forte has 292 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2014 has 442 complaints, 19 per year. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Kia Forte. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall Brake control module 2023-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 23V652000

Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

Remedy Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.

Recall Engine 2020-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 20V750000

Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.

Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.

Recall air bags, air bag control module 2018-06-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V363000

Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.

Remedy Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.

Recall hydraulic brakes, pedals and linkages 2017-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 17V773000

Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Forte and Forte Koup vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. This will allow the brake lights to remain illuminated continuously. It can also allow the shift lever to be moved without depressing the brake pedal, or activate the engine management brake pedal override feature.

Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC158.

Recall seat belts, front, retractor 2016-05-17 · NHTSA campaign 16V312000

Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2013 Forte vehicles manufactured September 10, 2012, to October 31, 2012. The screws that hold the front seatbelt retractor retaining plates may not have been properly tightened, and as a result, the seatbelt retractor retaining plates may break in a crash.

Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace both front seatbelt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. The recall began July 1, 2016. Kia's number for this recall is SC132.

Complaints by component (195 total)

Engine

107

Electrical system

Service brakes

Air bags

Exterior lighting

Hydraulic brakes

Steering

Powertrain

Seat belts

Fuel and propulsion system

Wheels

Engine and engine cooling

Suspension

Lane departure

Speed control

Structure

Visibility

Seats

Tires

Visibility and wipers

Show 12 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated the vehicle was unable to exceed 20…"
Engine · filed 2026-04-09
"The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the piston…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-03-16
"The system that is failing are the brakes and the tail lights. They used to be an open recall for the brake pedal stopper pad, however I’m not sure if that part is able to break again because in October I remember…"
Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-03-14
"The contact owns a 2013 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the brake pedal failed to operate as needed and depressed to the floorboard without warning. As a result of the brake failure, the…"
Hydraulic brakes · filed 2026-01-09
"The engine has been making humming noise which is getting louder with time"
Engine · filed 2025-12-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars
2013 Kia Forte 5 5 HB FWD	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars
2013 Kia Forte Koup 2 DR FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Forte	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	23	31	26 MPG	$2500
Forte	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	34	28 MPG	$2300
Forte	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	35	29 MPG	$2250
Forte	2.4L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	31	26 MPG	$2500
Forte Eco	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	27	35	30 MPG	$2150
Forte Koup	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	24	32	27 MPG	$2400
Forte Koup	2.4L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	31	26 MPG	$2500
Forte Koup	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	34	28 MPG	$2300
Forte Koup	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	23	30	26 MPG	$2500

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (YD), 2012–2018

Body styles Sedan

Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (1.8L and 2.0L) , 4.2 qt capacity

Tire size 195/65R15 to 225/40R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V622000. 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." A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury. 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.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Kia Forte Next year 2014 Kia Forte See every Kia Forte model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Kia Forte reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Kia Forte?

Is the 2013 Kia Forte more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2013 Kia Forte been recalled?

The 2013 Kia Forte has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Kia Forte?

Owners have filed 195 complaints about the 2013 Kia Forte with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Kia Forte get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Kia Forte is 27.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Forte take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner’s manual.

What generation is the 2020 Kia Forte?

4th generation / BD (2019-on).

What tire sizes does a Kia Forte use?

US Forte fits commonly run about 195/65R15 to 225/40R18 depending on trim.