Your vehicle report
2017 Kia Forte
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 305
- Received Mar 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine stalls and loses power while driving36 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Headlights dim or fail at night25 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving18 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #22V031000Kia 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.
- Recall #21V622000Kia 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."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Vehicle catches fire from wiringFirst signal: Nov 2025
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 23 crashes, 10 fires, 21 people injured, 4 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 21 |
| 2019 | 40 |
| 2020 | 31 |
| 2021 | 40 |
| 2022 | 40 |
| 2023 | 40 |
| 2024 | 30 |
| 2025 | 43 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 13 |
| Total | 305 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 36 | 12% | 11.2× | NHTSA recall #21V260000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 25 | 8.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 18 | 5.9% | 3.1× | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 14 | 4.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 13 | 4.3% | 3.5× | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 12 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #22V031000 |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 10 | 3.3% | – | NHTSA recall #21V622000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 9 | 2.9% | 4× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2025 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.1% |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 8 | 2.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 1.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #22V031000January 25, 2022410,619 vehicles affected
air bags
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #21V622000August 9, 2021253,074 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch
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."
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.
NHTSA recall #21V260000April 13, 20214,069 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pump
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2017 Kia Forte.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN