67 owner complaints filed with the United States safety regulator · top issue: Engine · verdict CAUTION 66/100
“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 ”NHTSA complaint, 2021 Kia Forte owner
“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”NHTSA complaint, 2021 Kia Forte owner
“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!”NHTSA complaint, 2021 Kia Forte owner
| Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 11/03/2021 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module SAFETY | 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 p |
| 05/05/2022 | Steering:Column SAFETY | 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 |
On the federal record it scores 66/100: 67 owner complaints (13.4 per year on the road) and 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems.
The most-reported component in NHTSA complaints is Engine, with 22 of 69 categorised reports.
The 2021 Kia Forte scored 66/100 on the federal record.