BMW 3 Series vs Kia Forte

Which used car has the cleaner record?

We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.

Last updated: June 28, 2026

Side by side	3 Series	Forte
Body type	Sedan	Sedan
Years sampled	2016, 2020, 2024	2016, 2020, 2024
Owner complaints	144	96fewer
Recall campaigns	0fewer	1
NHTSA investigations	10	5fewer
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	5/5	4/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	n/a	7.8 L/100km

Body type

3 Series: Sedan
Forte: Sedan

Years sampled

3 Series: 2016, 2020, 2024
Forte: 2016, 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

3 Series: 144
Forte: 96fewer

Recall campaigns

3 Series: 0fewer
Forte: 1

NHTSA investigations

3 Series: 10
Forte: 5fewer

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

3 Series: 5/5
Forte: 4/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

3 Series: n/a
Forte: 7.8 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the BMW 3 Series has 144 complaints and 0 recalls, and the Kia Forte has 96 complaints and 1 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.

Check a 3 Series VIN Check a Forte VIN

NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.