Owners have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the engine, steering, and transmission. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2022Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2022 Kia Forte: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/4
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2022's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Kia Forte. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl | FWD | 30 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | FWD | 35 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Kia Forte, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
A check engine light that comes and goes is the most common complaint. Dealers sometimes refuse to diagnose the car once the light turns off. Some drivers report hesitation from a stop followed by a sudden surge. On a 1.6L turbo GT, a shop found metal particles in the oil at 76,000 miles. The dealer offered an engine flush instead of a repair. Two of the 3 reports involve the GT, and in one case a mechanic blamed the transmission instead of the engine.
Both reports describe the engine shutting off while the car is moving and then being judged to need replacement. In one, the engine revs on its own at highway speed. The battery and high-temperature warnings come on before the car stalls. A dealer blamed a faulty engine pulley bolt for overheating at just 608 miles. In the other, the oil pressure light comes on, oil leaks under the car, and the engine loses power at 35 to 40 mph. The oil drain plug turned out to be missing.
Effort at the wheel changes without warning, briefly going loose and then returning to normal stiffness. Drivers have to keep making small corrections, and the risk of overcorrecting rises with speed. The looseness can start at highway speeds and later show up at lower speeds too. No warning lights come on. At least one car also won't hold an alignment for more than a few hundred miles. A separate report describes a front lower control arm that cracked during normal driving and damaged the CV axle. One of the 3 complaints involves a crash after the wheel seemed to steer on its own.
Transmission faults include slipping, no response when the shifter is in reverse, and stalling or jerking under acceleration. In one car, the dealer found clutch debris inside the dual-clutch transmission. The dealer replaced the clutch and reprogrammed the control modules, but the slipping came back. Other complaints describe several dealer visits where no problem was found while the jerking and stalling continued. One report also mentions wipers sticking in the upright position during heavy rain.
Excerpts from complaints Forte owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Hi I had my Kia forte GT 2022 for 3 years and my engine light has been on for about 3 months now . I get a check up and an oil change regularly. It comes on and goes off . I told my mechanic and he said I might have to get a new transmission. I only had this brand new car for 3 years . Is there a defect in these Kia forte GT or a recall .
Filed with NHTSA, April 2025
The car hesitates to accelerate when going from my stop and then suddenly accelerate. The check engine comes on and when I’m gonna take it to the dealership. It turns off. Dealership claims they can’t work on it because the endcheck light is no longer on.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2023
I got into an accident i On December 10th, 2023 my car was totaled out. My steering wheel felt like it was doing its own thing and I crashed straight into a curb and some rocks. I was injured and they had just fixed my steering because of the recall but I don’t know if they did it correctly
Filed with NHTSA, October 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2022 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 7 Forte years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2022 is the fourth model year of the Forte's third generation (2019–2024).
It includes the 2021 update.
What changed for 2021
Recall repairs are free at any Kia dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
Risk: Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC235.
Cars shoppers compare with the Kia Forte, with their own 2022 checklists.
2022 owner complaints, side by side
