← New search

2017 Kia Forte

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Forte years

Owner complaints for the 2017 Kia Forte are substantially higher than the model-year median of 141.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

135 reports with mileage · 166 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 144 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

23 crash reports9 fire reports14 injury reports

What owners actually said

301 reports
26,000 miles · Jun 3, 2020
Fuel/propulsion System

CAR DRIVEN 300 MILES ON ONE TANK OF GAS, TIME TO GET GAS, GAS WON'T GO IN AND WHEN I TRY TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR , IT SPRAYED OUT ALL OVER ME AND THE CAR. VERY SCARY. I CAN'T GET GAS INTO MY CAR. THIS JUST HAPPENED TODAY. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND I FILLED UP FINE LAST WEEK. CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT'S EMPTY AND WON'T FILL U…

Read full complaint

CAR DRIVEN 300 MILES ON ONE TANK OF GAS, TIME TO GET GAS, GAS WON'T GO IN AND WHEN I TRY TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR , IT SPRAYED OUT ALL OVER ME AND THE CAR. VERY SCARY. I CAN'T GET GAS INTO MY CAR. THIS JUST HAPPENED TODAY. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND I FILLED UP FINE LAST WEEK. CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT'S EMPTY AND WON'T FILL UP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327182

50,000 miles · May 26, 2020
Exterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT EVERY 2-3 MONTHS, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. SOMETIMES ONE WILL GO OUT AND BE OUT FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN COME BACK ON, BUT USUALLY THEY GO OUT AND STAY OUT UNTIL THE BULB IS REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11326043

75,000 miles · May 12, 2020
Fuel/propulsion System

WHEN I CAN TO A STOP WHILE CAR IS RUNNING MOST OF THE TIME THE CAR IS SPUTTERING AND WHEN I GO TO ACCELERATE IT SPUTTERS AND IT DOEST TAKE OFF NORMALLY UNLESS I PUSH DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL 1/2 TO FULL POWER WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS..... *TR

NHTSA ODI #11324258

Mileage unknown · May 10, 2020
Exterior Lighting

MY CAR HAS BEEN PARKED AND EVERY TIME I GO OUTSIDE MY LIGHTS ARE ON. THE HAS BEEN GOING FOR A MONTH. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS OUT OF MY HEADLIGHTS EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR THIS HAS GOTTEN TO BE COSTLY. WHEN I?M DRIVING SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WILL GO OUT. THESE LIGHTS HAVE HAD ME BUYING BATTERIES…

Read full complaint

MY CAR HAS BEEN PARKED AND EVERY TIME I GO OUTSIDE MY LIGHTS ARE ON. THE HAS BEEN GOING FOR A MONTH. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS OUT OF MY HEADLIGHTS EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR THIS HAS GOTTEN TO BE COSTLY. WHEN I?M DRIVING SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WILL GO OUT. THESE LIGHTS HAVE HAD ME BUYING BATTERIES AND BULBS . *TR

NHTSA ODI #11324063

28,000 miles · Apr 30, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineUnknown Or Other

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE DEC. 2017 WITH 318 MILES. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPUTTER WHEN TRYING TO START. FIRST TIME, TOWED IN WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. WENT HOME, NEXT MORNING THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED TO START. AFTER 3RD TRY & LOUD SOUNDING, I POPPED THE HOOD & THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS SHAKING IN ITS CRADLE. TOWED IN AGAIN, DEALERSHIP DIAG…

Read full complaint

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE DEC. 2017 WITH 318 MILES. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPUTTER WHEN TRYING TO START. FIRST TIME, TOWED IN WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. WENT HOME, NEXT MORNING THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED TO START. AFTER 3RD TRY & LOUD SOUNDING, I POPPED THE HOOD & THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS SHAKING IN ITS CRADLE. TOWED IN AGAIN, DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED COILS MISFIRE & REPLACED. VEHICLE DUPLICATED THE SAME PROBLEM A WEEK LATER. I REPLACED THE BATTERY. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN THE NEXT DAY. THIRD TIME, DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED FUEL PUMP BUT ENDED UP REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM BECAUSE REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP DID NOT FIX THE MATTER. THEY HAD MY VEHICLE FOR 2 FULL WEEKS. HAD THE VEHICLE BACK 2 DAYS, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BUT CONTINUED TO SPUTTER. DEALERSHIP HAS NOW HAD MY VEHICLE 5 WEEKS, FIRST SAID THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BUT KEPT MY VEHICLE ANYWAY. THEN SAID COILS WERE BAD EVEN THOUGH THEY JUST REPLACED THEM 3 MONTHS AGO SOMETHING IS CAUSING THE COILS TO MISFIRE. I HAVE NO ANSWERS. EVEN WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS INVOLVED, NO ONE HAS AN ANSWER. AT ONE POINT KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS CALLED TO ASK ME HOW THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THEM THEY DID NOT EVEN HAVE MY VEHICLE ANYMORE. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A REPORT TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER. MY VEHICLE HAS 30,000. I'VE MAINTAINED REGULAR OIL CHANGES & OTHER REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AS SUGGESTED, FAITHFULLY.

NHTSA ODI #11322902

61,000 miles · Apr 2, 2020
Exterior Lighting

BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I CHECKED THE BULBS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE FINE. IT SEEMS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE IN THE WIRING. I HAVE RESEARCHED IT AND IT IS FAIRLY COMMON. UPON CONTACTING KIA THEY CLAIM IT'S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ODI #11320087

8,700 miles · Mar 6, 2020
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO A MAIN ROAD. MY CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND ALMOST STALLED. THE CAR BARELY MOVED FORWARD AND TBE RPMS WERE ERRATIC. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. WHEN I FINALLY SPUTTERED INTO WORK, THE RPMS IN PARK WERE JUMPING BETWEEN 1000 AND 2000 RPMS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR.. IT ONLY HAS 8,700 MILES…

Read full complaint

I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO A MAIN ROAD. MY CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND ALMOST STALLED. THE CAR BARELY MOVED FORWARD AND TBE RPMS WERE ERRATIC. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. WHEN I FINALLY SPUTTERED INTO WORK, THE RPMS IN PARK WERE JUMPING BETWEEN 1000 AND 2000 RPMS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR.. IT ONLY HAS 8,700 MILES...

NHTSA ODI #11316614

5,000 miles · Mar 5, 2020
EngineFuel/propulsion System

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD.... I STOPPED AND HAD A PERSON STOP AND HE LOOKED UNDER HOOD TO SEE A GAS LINE BROKE AND WAS MAKING ITS WAY ON THE MOTOR

NHTSA ODI #11316407

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power Train

HAD THIS CAR FROM THE END OF 2017. AFTER ONE YEAR THERE WAS A RECALL DONE ON IT FOR THE SPARK PLUGS AND COIL. NOT EVEN 7 MONTHS AFTER GET IT DONE THE NEXT SET THEY ADD IN THE CAR ALMOST BOTTOM OUT ON ME WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR AND SOMEONE ALMOST RAN IN THE BACK OF ME. THEY FIX IT TOOK A WEEK TO GET MY CAR BACK. AND NOW I FEEL L…

Read full complaint

HAD THIS CAR FROM THE END OF 2017. AFTER ONE YEAR THERE WAS A RECALL DONE ON IT FOR THE SPARK PLUGS AND COIL. NOT EVEN 7 MONTHS AFTER GET IT DONE THE NEXT SET THEY ADD IN THE CAR ALMOST BOTTOM OUT ON ME WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR AND SOMEONE ALMOST RAN IN THE BACK OF ME. THEY FIX IT TOOK A WEEK TO GET MY CAR BACK. AND NOW I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS GOING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION I ASK THE DEALERSHIP IS IT TIME FOR SERVICE AND THEY SAID NO. I AM A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THAT. I SAY ON TOP OF ALL MY SERVICE TO THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11315991

Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2020
Electrical SystemExterior LightingService Brakes

WHEN I BRAKE, THE BRAKING LIGHTS DON'T TURN ON. I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES AND THE LIGHTS BULBS AND THEY ARE FINE. YET WHEN I BRAKE, THE BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T TURN ON.

NHTSA ODI #11310359

Official recalls

3

22V031000 · Air Bags

Jan 25, 2022

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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.

21V622000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch

Aug 9, 2021

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

21V260000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pump

Apr 13, 2021

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.