Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 Kia Forte problems

Owners filed 305 complaints about the 2017 Kia Forte with NHTSA between Mar 2017 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (145).

Complaints
305
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
23
Reported by owners
Fires
10
Reported by owners
Injuries
21
People reported injured
Deaths
4
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine145
  2. Electrical system47
  3. Exterior lighting44
  4. Fuel/propulsion system29
  5. Air bags18
  6. Vehicle speed control17
  7. Engine and engine cooling14
  8. Power train12
  9. Structure10
  10. Steering9
  11. Visibility/wiper8
  12. Service brakes7
  13. Latches/locks/linkages6
  14. Wheels6

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20177
201821
201940
202031
202140
202240
202340
202430
202543
202613

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

145 reports4 crashes4 fires
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2026EngineODI 11765978

Electrical system

47 reports3 crashes3 fires
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 5, 2026Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11769030

Exterior lighting

44 reports2 crashes2 fires
“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 Kia’s 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. Since this issue was repaired before and has now returned, I am concerned that the original repair did not permanently correct the defect and that the problem may be related to an ongoing sealing or manufacturing issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 3, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11768734

Fuel/propulsion system

29 reports2 crashes2 fires
“About September 6th I was driving my vehicle. It is a blue Kia forte 2017. I just had cleaned it at a local car wash. Prior to this 1-2 weeks before my ac had just started to blow hot air. So I recharged it with some recharge that I purchased a recharge can and my buddy Scott helped me put it into my low pressure air conditioning valve area. Soon after like I said when I was leaving a car wash. And I drove down to a gas station and as I start braking my car started running a lot slower. Then finally it almost halted and all the dash lights all illuminated everywhere. And I had to turn the wheel super slow as I approached the left turn into the gas station. And then I noticed my car had shut off completely. I screamed to the men that were at a gas pump feet away to help me push the car into the station. They finally ran over and pushed it into the station. Soon after we attempted with one car, and one truck we tried to jump start my car with the batteries. It didn’t start or turn the engine over fully either few times we attempted jumping it. I finally called it quits and took a ride home. The next day my buddy tried to “ fix it “ he said it didn’t really work…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2025Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11690694

Air bags

18 reports13 crashes1 related recall
“There are 3 recalls on my engine type but kia dealership says no recalls,#21V6220000,#22V031000,#21V260000. ENGINE TYOE 2.0L NU MPI ENGINE(SC210),MY ph#XXX”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 22, 2025Air bags, EngineODI 11700945

Vehicle speed control

17 reports
“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 lights while in traffic resulted in a Law Enforcement stop and the issuance of a citation. Prior to total failure, the vehicle often displays erratic engine performance, including sputtering and hesitation. These symptoms were identified early in the Vehicle's history, but inquiries regarding recall campaigns for similar Makes and Models were denied by Authorized Dealerships, who cited recall registry despite exhibiting identical Mechanical and Electrical failure modes. The…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 18, 2026Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11745123
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.