2017 Kia Forte: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
300 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
300 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 33.33
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2017 KIA Forte. The contact stated while operating the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was misfiring, severely shaking and was losing motive power suddenly while operating on multiple constantly for about 3 weeks, and state she noticed a check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to be a timing chain failure. The vehi…
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to pull off to the side of the road, and the vehicle shut off. The contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle, but after several attempts, the vehicle failed to start. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed t…
Failure of the engine oil pump pertaining to the exact situation covered in NHTSA campaign 21V-260, but vehicle is not covered. The campaign covered vehicles manufactured from June 5, 2017 to July 24, 2017. Vehicle was manufactured in Mexico, is equipped with the 2.0 Nu MPI engine. The loss of motive power in the vehicle has increased the risk of crash and driver injury.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V622000 | 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… |
| 21V260000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lub | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick insi… |
| 22V031000 | 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 C… |
EPA combined 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,200
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (144 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 38/100, computed from 300 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Kia Forte, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/08/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.