How safe is the Kia Forte?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Kia Forte died at a rate of 120 per million registered vehicle years, 187% higher than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 128th of 129 vehicles, safer than 1% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Kia Forte sits among all 129 vehicles
Kia Forte (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
Vehicles ranked near the Kia Forte
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Dodge Charger Hemi 2WDCar · Large | 127 | 3 |
| 126 | Kia RioCar · Mini | 170 | 2 |
| 127 | Dodge Challenger 2WDCar · Large | 125 | 2 |
| 128 | Kia ForteCar · Small | 120 | 1 |
| 129 | Nissan VersaCar · Small | 164 | 0 |
How it compares with other cars
Among the 23 cars ranked, the Kia Forte is 22nd. The safest cars are below. See all cars.
| Cars rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Civic hatchbackCar · Small | 28 | 36 |
| 2 | Subaru LegacyCar · Midsize | 37 | 27 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla hybrid 2WDCar · Small | 51 | 21 |
| 4 | Subaru WRXCar · Small | 51 | 20 |
| 5 | Toyota Camry hybridCar · Midsize | 51 | 20 |
| 22 | Kia ForteCar · Small | 120 | 1 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2019–2020 models, the Kia Forte had a driver death rate of 111 (range 62–160) and ranked 119th of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the Kia Forte a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Kia Forte is one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 120 per million registered vehicle years is 187% higher than the average, and it ranks 128th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Kia Forte compare with other cars?
It ranks 22nd of 23 cars. The safest is the Honda Civic hatchback, with a rate of 28.
Why is this different from the Kia Forte's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.