2021 Kia Forte: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
67 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
67 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 13.4
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owned a 2021 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked independently, causing the vehicle to veer off the road into a construction site. The contact stated that the air bags did deploy. The contact stated that she sustained noise and neck injuries, including placenta rupture, causing early labor. Medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police …
On May 13, 2023, I was involved in a severe frontal collision on the passenger side while driving my 2021 Kia Forte. The impact caused significant damage, and my insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss. Despite the severity of the crash, none of the airbags deployed. I experienced body pain for several days following the accident. Given the nature of the collision and the damage sustained, the airbags sh…
Was currently stuck in slow walking traffic and once traffic began to progress the car overheated engine notice appeared. Pulled into a parking lot as soon as car was parked the vehicle turned off. This happened during the night and was an extremely traumatic experience! Car does have a diagnosis about the engine been blown. Still in the works of being fixed by the dealership. Very long process!
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V304000 | Steering:Column | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, … |
| 21V164000 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Modu | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/… |
EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
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 (22 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 66/100, computed from 67 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Kia Forte, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/05/2022. 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.