2021 Kia Forte: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
67 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 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. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 67 complaints, score 82/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Kia Forte and Hyundai Veloster: the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 67 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 13.4
What owners say
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!
Recalls: 2 campaigns (2 severe)
| 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, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control. |
| 21V164000 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. |
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 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.
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.
- Engine22 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other17 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Steering9 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electrical System8 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train7 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags6 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 2021 Kia Forte?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (22 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Kia Forte a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 82/100, computed from 67 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Kia Forte's most common problem?
22 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 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 2021 Kia Forte cost to run per year?
About $3,674 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $18,370 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 2021 Kia Forte have recalls?
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.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2021 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.
Moderate evidence — 67 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 67 NHTSA complaints on record (13.4/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (15.9/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems