2010 KIA Forte Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forte years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 221 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 KIA Forte. That ranks 5th out of 16 Forte model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (74 complaints, 33%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 21 crashes, 4 fires, 14 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 221owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 21complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 KIA Forte problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 74 | 33% | 100,000 | “ticking noise” (9%) | — |
| Air Bags | 41 | 19% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 23 | 10% | 51,050 | — | — |
| Tires | 23 | 10% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 9% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 8% | 53,778 | — | — |
| Wheels | 17 | 8% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 7% | 67,750 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 5% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | 5% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 4% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 4% | 70,065 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 4% | 7,850 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 6 | 3% | 70,071 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 2% | 47,400 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | 2% | 1 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 47,100 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 64,434 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 100 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 620,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 38,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 KIA Forte recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: 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.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Air bags may be disabled during crash (PE18003) — opened Mar 16, 2018, closed Aug 30, 2019, led to recall 18E043000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My car wasnt getting enough power and it just died while driving it on the interstate to go home.
My check engine light came on and I got it checked out and had a c1053 code show up. The repair shop told me I had a recall but my car is 2010 so itâs not falling within the recall year range.
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte with a five-speed transmission. The contact received notifications for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V363000(Air Bags) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulics), as well as other manufacturer recalls. The contact made an appointment at a dealer…
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to a dealer for several recall repairs, and repair under Manufacturer Recall Number: SC165A. After the recall repairs were performed, while driving approximately 60 MPH on the highway with the clutch engaged and the vehicle…
Never received a notice on vehicle having a recall
Other KIA Forte years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Forte | 26 | 0 |
| 2023 Forte | 65 | 3 |
| 2022 Forte | 28 | 1 |
| 2021 Forte | 69 | 2 |
| 2020 Forte | 78 | 0 |
| 2019 Forte | 149 | 2 |
| 2018 Forte | 136 | 3 |
| 2017 Forte | 305 | 3 |
| 2016 Forte | 136 | 1 |
| 2015 Forte | 260 | 1 |
| 2014 Forte | 444 | 3 |
| 2013 Forte | 195 | 5 |
| 2012 Forte | 292 | 4 |
| 2011 Forte | 154 | 3 |
| 2010 | 221 | 3 |
| 2009 Forte | 1 | 0 |
See all KIA Forte problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 KIA Forte?
Owners most often report engine, air bags, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 74 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 KIA Forte?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 KIA Forte a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Forte model years, the 2010 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.