Buyer Research

2022 Kia Forte — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $13,000–$18,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 14 Kia Forte years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Last year before the BD Forte's facelift, and a thin record: 26 complaints is too few to rate the car, and we say so. What is in it repeats the 2021's headlines in miniature — the steering-column bolt recall (one owner crashed after the fix and was not sure it was done right), a few engine stalls and one GT with metal in the oil, and a forward-collision system that brakes for cars that are not there. Check the recall on the VIN, drive it long enough to catch a phantom brake, and ask whether this build has an engine immobilizer — the early 2022 key-start cars did not. A clean pass on those is a reasonable buy; the thin record is not a reason to skip the checks.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 26 owner complaints for the 2022 Kia Forte, and 1 recall campaign.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. The largest single group is the engine at 23%. That is notable without being overwhelming — worth checking, not worth panicking about.

One recall campaign covers this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2022 Kia Forte

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Steering column bolt may be loose — column can detach from the rack (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 22V304 covers 2021–2022 Fortes: the lower steering-column u-joint bolt may not have been tightened at the factory, and a loose one can let the column separate from the rack — no steering at all. The remedy is a free retorque at the dealer. One of the three steering complaints is a crash that happened after the recall work, with the owner unsure it was done correctly; another is a cleanly fractured lower control arm. Confirm the recall closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup, then with the engine running turn lock to lock and feel for slack or a clunk at the column, and push and pull the front wheels at 9 and 3 for play.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (3); 1 NHTSA recall campaign on this model year.

Stalls with oil-pressure warnings, and a GT 1.6T found with metal in its oilMedium

Six engine complaints. Two 2.0L cars lost power and shut off while moving — one with the oil-pressure light and a puddle under the car, one at 65 mph with battery and temperature warnings first. The GT's 1.6L turbo shows up once, at 76k miles, when an oil-change shop refused the job because of metal particles in the drain pan. The count is small, so we rate this on wallet, not frequency: a seized engine on either motor is a five-figure bill without warranty. Check the oil cold and look at it against a white rag, look under the car for drips, and have a Kia dealer confirm what powertrain coverage transfers with this VIN.

Repair cost (estimate): $5,000–$9,000 for an engine; $400–$1,200 for an oil leak at the cooler or pan — around 58% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (6).

Forward-collision assist brakes hard for traffic that is not in your laneMedium

Four complaints, one a crash. Owners describe the car slamming on the brakes in traffic for a vehicle across the street, beeping and braking while reversing, and the system generally acting on its own. Phantom braking is a radar or camera calibration problem and the dealer can recalibrate; a bumper repair that shifted the radar is the usual root cause. Drive past parked cars and through a busy intersection on the test drive, and look for a repainted front bumper.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$400 for a calibration; $600–$1,200 for a radar sensor

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the driver-assist and automatic braking systems (4).

Early key-start builds may have no engine immobilizerLow

Kia made immobilizers standard partway through the 2022 model year, so a 2022 Forte with a physical key could be either. Without one the car is a target — the 2021 page covers the theft wave and the insurers who declined to write policies. Ask the seller or a Kia dealer whether this VIN has an immobilizer and whether the free anti-theft software update was installed, and get an insurance quote on the VIN before you commit. Push-button-start trims are not affected.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$500 for the software update and a steering-wheel lock

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Recall 22V304 open on the NHTSA VIN lookup, or done with no paperwork
✗Oil-pressure or engine-temperature warning at any point on the test drive
✗The car braking or beeping at nothing in traffic
✗Fresh paint or a replaced front bumper — the radar may be out of calibration
✗Physical key with no proof of an immobilizer or the anti-theft update

Good Signs

✓Recall 22V304 closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup with the dealer invoice
✓A quiet, dry engine bay and clean oil on a cold dipstick
✓A 20-minute drive through traffic with the collision system staying quiet
✓Push-button start, or a dealer letter confirming the immobilizer and update
✓Powertrain warranty balance confirmed in writing for a second owner