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2020 Kia Forte
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
71 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
4/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2020 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%
No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2020 Kia Forte, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Engine (15) · Electrical system (11) · Driver assistance (5)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Engine
21%15 complaints · 10 in the last 2 years
“Why is KIA still legally allowed to sell defective, death traps? Why is it ok for the service department and KIA themselves to tell me….its ok to drive unless the engi…”
Transmission & drivetrain
21%15 complaints · typically near 70k mi · 6 in the last 2 years
“The contact leased a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle began to chug. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnose…”
Electrical system
15%11 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“The crankshaft position sensor keeps going bad and it make the forward collision trigger and it loses power and the dash stops working and causes the car to shut off”
Driver assistance
7%5 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“The crankshaft position sensor keeps going bad and it make the forward collision trigger and it loses power and the dash stops working and causes the car to shut off”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2020 Kia FORTE beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2020? See how every Forte model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2020 Kia Forte against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.