Hyundai Elantra 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.
| Side by side | Elantra | Forte |
|---|---|---|
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Years sampled | 2016, 2020, 2024 | 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Owner complaints | 574 | 91fewer |
| Recall campaigns | 6 | 1fewer |
| NHTSA investigations | 10 | 5fewer |
| Overall safety (NHTSA, US) | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Combined economy (EPA, US) | 7.6 L/100km | 7.8 L/100km |
The quick read
Over the sampled model years, the Hyundai Elantra has 574 complaints and 6 recalls, and the Kia Forte has 91 complaints and 1 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.
Deeper analysis
Based on US NHTSA data covering model years 2016, 2020, and 2024, the Hyundai Elantra accumulated 574 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns, while the Kia Forte recorded significantly fewer issues with 91 owner complaints and just 1 recall campaign. The Forte shows a notably lower complaint and recall burden across the same model years examined. Keep in mind this data is US-sourced and serves only as a rough reliability signal, not a definitive verdict on any specific European example you might consider buying.
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.