2016 Kia Forte engine problems
64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2016 Kia Forte — 48% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Car runs fine at lower speeds. When traveling over 50 mph for ten minutes or more, then decelerating or stopping in traffic or at a stop light it stalls. It cranks right back up after you put it neutral and turn the key. We’ve almost been rear ended twice since this started. The car has only been…”
filed Jul 19, 2026
“This Forte was not neglected and it was not abused. Nearly 90% of its miles came from highway commuting and interstate travel. It was completely stock, never modified, never driven hard. More importantly, it received fully synthetic oil changes every 3k-4k miles since new, well ahead of what Kia or…”
filed May 26, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2105) - 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…
PI2105_OWNR_401 · Other · issued Jul 23, 2025
Engine problems in other Forte years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Forte | 7 | 29% |
| 2023 Forte | 9 | 16% |
| 2022 Forte | 4 | 16% |
| 2021 Forte | 22 | 33% |
| 2020 Forte | 15 | 21% |
| 2019 Forte | 35 | 24% |
| 2018 Forte | 57 | 43% |
| 2017 Forte | 144 | 48% |
| 2015 Forte | 156 | 60% |
| 2014 Forte | 213 | 49% |
| 2013 Forte | 107 | 55% |
| 2012 Forte | 160 | 55% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Kia Forte
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.