Used car safety, rank #183 of 188
Kia Forte Safety Rating (2020-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2020-23 Kia Forte, a small car, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2020-23 Kia Forte has an IIHS driver death rate of 120 per million registered vehicle years against a small cars average of 79, which is 52% above the class average. That places it #183 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 5.0/100.
What the Kia Forte death rate means
At 120 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Kia Forte is 52% worse than the small cars average of 79. The 95% confidence interval is 95 to 146, entirely above the class average, so the gap is unlikely to be chance.
The other-driver death rate of 60 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Kia Forte. Its 95% confidence interval is 44β77. It is no higher than the Kia Forte's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used cars
The safest small cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Kia Forte highlighted. It ranks 9 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Honda Civic hatchback at a death rate of 28.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic hatchback | 2022-23 | 28 (3 to 52) | 36.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Mazda 3 2WD | 2020-23 | 46 (5 to 87) | 19.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla hatchback | 2020-23 | 51 (9 to 93) | 17.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru WRX | 2022-23 | 51 (25 to 76) | 17.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla hybrid 2WD | 2020-23 | 51 (24 to 79) | 17.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Civic | 2022-23 | 58 (33 to 83) | 14.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla | 2020-23 | 71 (59 to 84) | 11.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Elantra | 2021-23 | 80 (52 to 107) | 10.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Kia Forte (this page) | 2020-23 | 120 (95 to 146) | 5.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small cars: 79 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Kia Forte
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must repair free of charge, however old the car and whoever owns it now. On a used car this matters more than on a new one: the work is only done if a previous owner took it in.
Do not drive
NHTSA says to stop driving this vehicle until those repairs are done. Check the VIN before driving it. On a car this age the repair may still be outstanding.
3 recall campaigns on the 2023 model year, covering suspension, steering.
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Suspension: front, control arm, lower arm Do not drive
Risk: Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Dealers will replace the right front lower control arm, free of charge.
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Suspension: front, control arm, lower arm Do not drive
Risk: Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Dealers will replace the right front lower control arm, free of charge.
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Steering: linkages, knuckle, spindle, arm
Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front left steering knuckle, as necessary, free of charge.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for 2023. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Kia Forte: Common Questions
Is the Kia Forte a safe car?
Not on this measure: its drivers died at a higher rate than its class average. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 120 per million registered vehicle years for the 2020-23 Kia Forte, 52% above the class average (79 for small cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 5.0 out of 100 and rank #183 of 188 used vehicles.
What is the Kia Forte driver death rate?
120 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 95 to 146. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Kia Forte died at a rate of 60 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2020-23 models.
How does the Kia Forte compare with other small cars?
The small cars class averages 79 driver deaths per million; the Kia Forte sits at 120. Among the 9 small cars compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Honda Civic hatchback with a death rate of 28.