2017 Kia Forte: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
301 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2014 Kia Forte, which has 439 complaints and a score of 44, and treat the 2012 and 2017 cars (289 and 301 complaints, scores of 67 and 52) with caution. Buy a 2018 or later car: the 2020 has 74 complaints, no recalls and a score of 90. Read the full note on the model page. 2017 specifically: 301 complaints on record, score 52/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Kia Forte and Hyundai Veloster: the years to avoid, including 2017 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 301 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 33.44
What owners say
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.
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| 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 may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. |
| 21V260000 | 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. |
| 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 Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
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.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine144 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other49 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System46 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Exterior Lighting43 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
- Fuel/Propulsion System29 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Air Bags18 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Kia Forte years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Kia Forte?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (144 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Kia Forte a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 52/100, computed from 301 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Kia Forte's most common problem?
144 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Kia Forte sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2017 Kia Forte cost to run per year?
About $4,765 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,825 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2017 Kia Forte have recalls?
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.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2017 Kia Forte really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 301 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 301 NHTSA complaints on record (33.4/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (15.9/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems