2017 Kia Forte
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 302 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 16 Forte model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 23 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 21 people were injured and 4 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bagsJan 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.
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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.
Campaign 22V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchAug 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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 21V622000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, oil/lubrication, pumpApr 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.
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V260000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
302 reports, newest first.
Engine, Dec 9, 2022
Cylinder 2 is misfiring and causing the engine to get out of rhythm. The car begins shaking and the engine struggles to keep running. The car feels like it will stop running at any given point of when it happens. The check engine light only appears when at a complete stop or when my foot is on the gas. When I take my foot off the gas and the car cruises, the check engine light goes away, making it extremely difficult to catch/code.
Power train, Engine, Dec 9, 2022
Son purchased his first car and like the 17 forte. Bought it for around 12k and drove it for 8k miles and he had the engine start knocking. No indication lights nothing. Checked the oil thinking it could be that but it wasn’t low on oil. Had it towed to our mechanic he said the motor was blown. Kia would not do anything after it sat in the dealership ship for 21 days. Just received an estimate of $7800 to replace a motor with a used motor with 42k on it!! Are you kidding me! These motors are horrible and there service is the same. Stand behind your product if you ever want to be successful. He could have been stranded in the middle of nowhere with a car having less then 100k miles on it. Needs to be recalled.
Engine, Nov 28, 2022
Engine #1 failure @ 50,475 miles Driving 70mph on the interstate my check engine light would come on only when pressing the gas pedal. Within 30 seconds while driving on a 10° uphill slope trying to change 4 lanes of traffic to be near the shoulder, I heard clanking, knocking, and a bang. 0rpms. Connecting rod through the block. One dealership did nothing but lock my car in their fence for 2 months before another Kia dealership replaced the engine. Then 680.3 miles later, engine #2 failure. Driving on unfamiliar country roads at dusk. 5 miles from the next pull off parking area. I had extreme loss of power. The check engine light appeared. A few seconds later it sounded like a shotgun went off in my engine. Engine died, there was only a few inches of dirt before the ditch. My battery died from my flashers before the tow truck came. This time the connecting rod went through the block and damaged my starter. Dealership replaced the engine. Engine #3 @ 52343 check engine light appears when pressing the gas pedal. 7 Cincinnati Kia dealerships are 5+ weeks from diagnosing engine troubles. I'm ashamed at Kia for allowing THIS. I've jumped out of airplanes without fear, but I am scared to drive my own vehicle. Kia has put me in financial stress due to rental vehicles, unexpected hotel costs, and not reimbursing me thus far.
Engine, Nov 8, 2022
The engine stalls , when I try to give it gas, it will stall sometimes to the point of shutting off. It will also cut it off if I am sitting and the engine is running, it will shut off and it takes several minutes for me to be able to get it back running. It seems like it is something with fuel injectors. I know there was a recall with this very same issue on models of 2017 that was made in a different month, but I have been told numerous times mine isn’t a recall when it seems to have same issue. This hasn’t been a one time occurrence, it occurs almost every time I drive my vehicle.
Power train, Oct 26, 2022
Failed/Malfunctioned component: Engine. Safety risk: Engine makes noises and stalls for no apparent reason. Reproduction/confirmation: I'm contacting the dealers&manufacturers. A third party mechanic said the engine noise was a knocking sound. Warning lamps/symptoms: Suddenly a noise started when the engine was working 3,000 rpm or more. After ~10 miles of driving, a louder noise started. After <10 miles more of driving (to visit a third party mechanic) from that, it had an engine oil lamp turned on, while the engine has enough engine oil. After ~1 mile, the engine failed.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 23, 2022
I as at work and received a message that there was a large oil spot where my car had been parked overnight at home. I checked my oil and it was not low. After work I was on my way to get my oil changed/checked and after 13 miles I heard a light knocking sound. I pulled over and checked my oil. My oil level was still good. I started my car and the noise was gone. I only had a few miles to the oil/lube express. Just as I pulled in the driveway of the business, the noise started again. The problem was the Oil Pressure Sender Unit was bad. The mechanic pushed it back on and I made it home without any noise. I called the dealership and the earliest they could make me an appt was 3 weeks out. No loaner car, my car had just ran out of warranty, and my car did not come up on recall for the list of Engine recalls. I bought the part and a recently retired certified KIA mechanic replaced it. Fast forward 4,000 the issue of the gas pump clicking off when my tank isn’t full has happened again. It started at aprox 36,000 when the engine light came on and it was impossible to put gas in. The car was checked out but nothing showed to be wrong. The code sensor was reset and I was able to fill up. Well this time, nothing is working. After a few seconds , gas spits out. This car has been a. issue for the last 45,000 miles and my dealership was always booked. I’ve always had the oil changed on time as well as the other maintenance. None of my other vehicles have been so unreliable. I don’t feel I should have to pay for these things when 80,000 miles is not very many in 5 years.
Engine, Oct 11, 2022
MY 2017 KIA FORTE HAS MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS AFTER ONLY 130,000 MILES. THE CAR JUST DIED ON MY SON GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND AFTER IT STARTED MAKE LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS ON AT ALL. THE ENGINE IS DONE FOR. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS CAR AND HAVE KEPT IT MAINTANCED WELL. I HAVE REALIZED AFTER READING ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WITH ISSUES THAT THE OIL PUMP ON THE CAR HAVE CAUSE ENGINE DAMAGE AND KIA HAS REPLACED ENGINES. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT HAS CAUSED MY TROUBLES
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Service brakes, Air, Sep 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and the engine was sputtering. The contact stated she pulled off the road and turned the vehicle off and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken back to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,258.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 30, 2022
Ongoing acceleration and shaking issues. Lose power randomly and has stalled randomly. Now is frequent. I was told it is normal for cars to have some shaking however this is not normal. I try to accelorate and cannot, I had my own diagnostic test done and asked for the coil to be replaced. Kia said it was the spark plugs. Took the car back the next day because I again couldn't accelerate. Over a week later and no communication and I called and left a message. Now kia said it is the coil. Car now at approx 71K miles.
Engine, Aug 23, 2022
In mid July 2022, the engine light was flickering on and off and my car started shaking. The KIA dealership told me the car needed the spark plugs to be replaced so I replaced the ones that they recommended. Then 2 weeks after that service the engine light came on again and my car began to shake so I took it in and they found a recall on the the ignition coils. They replaced those and then the next day the engine light came on and my car started shaking but this time, I started loosing acceleration in the car and the engine light stayed on. The KIA dealership tried to charge me $364.55 per ignition coil. It is scary to drive because I still have to go to work and church.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while making a stop the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuel pump, but the failure occurred several times. On a different occasion the vehicle stalled and shut down completely. The vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to a repair facility where they replaced the vapor canister purge valve and the canister solenoid, but it did not repair the vehicle. The vehicle then was towed to a Kia dealer where they did a fuel injector service and clear codes and a transmission fluid flush on the vehicle, but the failure reoccurred. The dealer was not able to determine the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 94,777.
Power train, Engine, Aug 16, 2022
Powertrain, engine light on, losing power
Engine, Aug 15, 2022
While son was driving on I10 at 65-70 mph engine died. Was able to restart to pull off the side of the highway. Car driven to Kia dealership with loud knocking noise, using side roads with another driver following. Kia confirmed that engine needs replacement and is a known issue. Our vehicle was in the Kia system under a different owner's name/address so we did not receive the 'courtesy notification' to have a fix that would extend warranty to cover engine problem. Many calls to Kia have not resulted in an agreement to fix or acknowledge severity of issue as far as engine failing while driving at a high rate of speed with an issue that is known to them.
Engine, Aug 13, 2022
My car stalled in the middle of a busy rotary …no lights or warning…never had an issue with the car until that day …I always was on top of all maintenance…was very dangerous as I was in traffic and it just stopped working..,was luckily not rearended…when brought to a mechanic he inspected it and stated it was the engine and that it was no good anymore…I did some research and found a lot of other Kia Forte of this year have had same issue but dealership said it’s not recalled and they would not replace until the government recalls it..This is a major safety issue as there was no warning at all that the engine had an issue, and this has happened to my last Kia …that was a 2015 optima and that engine was recalled so was able to get it replaced by dealership and I still have the car …I love my Kia but this is unexceptionable and DANGEROUS The car is currently at a mechanic waiting for a new engine to be installed at my expense…extremely expensive …do not have invoice yet as it’s not a completed job but I will be keeping in the event that this does become a recall as it is a hazard as there is no warning at all
Engine, Aug 4, 2022
I was driving in the highway in front of a semi truck and the car engine failed. I couldn’t accelerate or slow down and I could barely turn the wheel. The semi just barely missed me. This is the second engine failure in a year. Kia replaced my engine with a brand new one in January of 2022 but have not added my vin number to the engine recall.
Engine, Aug 4, 2022
The engine is malfunction. My car is shaking feally bad, as well as while driving it seems like it wants to shutdown. My engine warning indicator stays lit.
Engine, Aug 1, 2022
I started my car on Friday July 29th@9:45 am. The car sounded like it backfired. Then i attempted to drive to work thinking it was a fluke.. but a mile away the engine sputtered and then stopped. I had no warning lights come on in my car ever. I had the car towed to the local dealer kia(cherry hill nj) and they havent done anything for me yet. They keep telling me there are open recalls on the car… but I can not fine this recall info anywhere. I was never notified of a recall, via, mail, phone, email. I dont understand. My car has 51k miles on it, and it was purchased in late september of 2017. So i an within the warranty, and dont understand why this even happened!
Power train, Engine, Jul 18, 2022
In or around July 10th, 2022, the vehicle’s engine began making knocking sounds on several occasions while my wife was driving. On July 20th, 2022, I brought it into the dealership (Dick Hannah Kia, Vancouver, WA) where it was diagnosed as a problem with a bearing of a piston rod within the engine. On my drive to the dealership, I experience a loss of power, knocking sounds from the engine, and the oil light come on indicating a loss of oil pressure. Vehicle has 70,xxx miles. Dealership has advised me that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, but is failing to cover this under powertrain warranty. Seeing that this an engine similar to those noted in a NHTSA as related to Flaherty et al. v. Hyundai Motor Company et al., I wanted to file a safety report so that others are aware of the potential safety issue.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the trunk release failed to open the trunk as designed. The contact was able to use the key fob to open the trunk. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V622000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Jul 15, 2022
Rod bearing has failed, as I was driving my car jolted and die as I was on the highway and almost got hit in the rear due to my car not being able to move. Unknown,unknown.i did not have any warning lights prior or after this happen
Engine, Jul 14, 2022
Coil pack failed - car died with no warning driving down interstate. My mechanic found a code for a cylinder and replaced the coil pack. The car started acting the same as it did in the days prior to the engine dying while driving. I took it back to the mechanic and it showed no code. Started researching and saw a recall on coil packs on a third party website. Took it to dealership and they verified this but said they could not replace because one of the coil packs was after market and would not be reimbursed by manufacturer for any of them if all four were not returned. The manufacturer tells me there is no recall except for the trunk latch and that there is a service action they are not required to cover because it isn’t a safety issue. Seeing as how I nearly got ran over by an 18 wheeler, I’d say that it is a safety issue and my mechanic assures me it is not normal to have to replace coil packs this early. Since the problems are intermittent and no code shows up until the could pack fails, it is unsafe to drive. I’ve also noticed many people having the same problem on several complaint web sites. Someone is going to get hurt or killed.
Engine, Jul 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 58 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. While the contact was pulling over to the side of the roadway to see where the sound was coming from, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was unable to speak with a representative at the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 98,200.
Other or unspecified, Jun 29, 2022
Fuel door latch does not release properly preventing me from filling the vehicle and possibly running out of fuel while in traffic
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 28, 2022
MY 2017 KIA FORTE IS A EASY TARGET FOR THE " KIA BOYS" HERE IN COLUMBUS OHIO.. MY CAR WAS A VICTIM OF THEFT WHERE MY PASSENGER GLASS WAS SHATTERED AND MY STEERING COLUMN WAS TAKEN APART AND MY IGNITION WAS JAMED IN BY A SCREWDRIVER. KIA HAS MADE THIS CAR susceptible TO THEFT AND HAS NOTHING TO DO ABOUT IT. I WANT RELIEF FROM THIS HAZARD.