The 2017 Kia Forte has 3 safety recalls and 305 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is engine (145 complaints).
Recalls3safety recalls
Complaints305filed by owners
Crashes · fires23 · 10reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths21 · 4reported in complaints
2017 Kia Forte in an NHTSA crash test
Safety recalls
Air bags
NHTSA recall 22V031000 · Jan 25, 2022 · 410,619 vehicles
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
Latches/locks/linkages › Trunk lid › Latch
NHTSA recall 21V622000 · Aug 9, 2021 · 253,074 vehicles
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Oil/lubrication › Pump
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA side barrier crash testNHTSA side pole crash test
2017 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★★
Rollover
★★★★★
Rollover risk
10.3%
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Forte
32mpg combined
City / highway
29 / 38 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,100/year to fuel
Forte
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 33 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,400/year to fuel
Forte
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 34 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,400/year to fuel
Forte 5
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 34 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,400/year to fuel
Forte 5
27mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 30 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM7) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,500/year to fuel
Forte 5
25mpg combined
City / highway
23 / 29 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,700/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Engine
145
4
4
3
69,500 mi
Unknown or other
49
6
4
5
26,594 mi
Electrical system Ignition; Wiring › Connectors/plugs › Accesory power outlet/jack/port/usb/sae/cigarette lighter
47
3
3
2
32,850 mi
Exterior lighting Tail lights; Brake lights
44
2
2
0
40,288 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
29
2
2
5
19,850 mi
Vehicle speed control Accelerator pedal
18
0
0
0
33,000 mi
Air bags
18
13
0
14
29,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling Engine › Crank/camshaft position sensor; Engine › Oil/lubrication › Oil cooler
14
0
0
0
100,007 mi
Power train
12
0
0
0
1,975 mi
Structure Body
10
2
0
2
29,500 mi
Steering
9
1
0
2
26,100 mi
Visibility/wiper
8
1
0
0
10,050 mi
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Oct 1, 2026 · fireElectrical system I was driving this car and received a check engine light and lulled over to find an electrical fire had occurred under the hood. I was able to use a fire extinguisher to put out this fire. The car was towed to a Kia dealership near my home for confirmation and an estimate of the damages. It apparently was caused by a problem that Kia has had with the ABS/hydraulic electronic control units that can trigger electrical shorts.
Jul 15, 2026Exterior lighting I own a 2017 Kia Forte that has a recurring problem with water intrusion in the rear tail light assemblies. This issue was previously repaired around 2018 under Kiaâs service action related to moisture and water entering the rear combination lamps, but the problem has returned. Moisture and water are again getting inside the tail light housing, which can lead to corrosion, bulb or LED failure, and electrical problems. I am concerned that this could cause the brake light or turn signal to fail unexpectedly. If one of these lights goes out without warning, other drivers may not be able to tell when I am stopping or turning, which could increase the risk of a rear-end or side-impact crash.…
Oct 20, 2025Structure › Body 2017 Kia Forte (Recall SC216 Trunk latch - this 2017 VIN needs to be included
Jul 22, 2026Engine There was a rod failure in the engine. The vehicle is currently at the repair facility. This rod failure caused the vehicle to die while traveling down the road, so it was a safety risk. The rod failure was diagnosed by a certified mechanic. There were no warning lamps, messages, etc. This failure is the same issue that many Kia Forte's of the same year have been diagnosed with, and a recall was issued. This vehicle is not covered under the recall, but should be. The engine recall should be extended to all 2017 Kia Forte models.
Jun 3, 2026Engine and engine cooling See attached document for complaint.
May 26, 2026Engine The vehicle exhibits a chronic, systemic electrical failure characterized by the intermittent loss of critical lighting systems, including turn signals and brake lights. This failur5e has persisted over several years and thousands of miles, independent of battery replacements or specific usage patterns. The issue has been confirmed via multiple independent service interventions. Most notably, in February 2024, a third-party professional repair - which included the replacement of the Power Distribution Unit (Central Fuse Box) was performed to address these electrical faults. Despite this professional intervention, the defect recurred in May 2026. The failure of the turn signals and brake…
Aug 24, 2022Air bags Kia has common problems on the airbags even tho my air bags is good but I want to still check it
May 6, 2026Electrical system The headlights and dashboard lose power intermittently while driving at highway speeds, specifically triggered by using the turn signal. This is ongoing since January when I started having to take it for a recalls.More things kept happening. I kept having to have more repairs. Every time I went, I told them about this and it just keeps going on. Today I took a huge list of things they should check to see why itâs doing this. This is the following list that I gave them -2017 Kia Forte - Service Request: â¢Issue: Headlights/dash icons flicker specifically when using turn signals. â¢Issue: Average MPG keeps resetting (Computer Brownout). â¢Mandatory Checks: 1Multi-Function Switch…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
