2017 Kia Forte: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 422 complaints
422
Total Complaints
36,650mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
38
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

16,103 25th Percentile
36,650 Median Mileage
75,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine
141
Unknown Or Other
49
Electrical System
42
Exterior Lighting
38
Fuel/Propulsion System
29
Air Bags
17
Vehicle Speed Control
15
Power Train
12
Engine And Engine Cooling
10
Steering
9

Severity Assessment

38
Crashes
14
Fires
36
Injuries
6
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I HAVE HAD MY 2017 KIA FORTE FOR 3 MONTHS AND IN THE VEEY BEGINNING IT DROVE FINE. RECENTLY THE CAR HAS BECOME VERY SLUGGISH AND BECAME INCREASINGLY HARD TO ACCELERATE. I NOTICED IT BUT BRUSHED IT OFF. THIS PAST WEEKEND I LET SOMEONE DRIVE MY CAR AND THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW HARD IT WAS TO ACCELERA..."
"VOLUME BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL VOLUME UP TURNS VOLUME DOWN, MUTE BUTTON TURNS VOLUME UP."
"MY 2017 KIA FORTE S HAS FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM (FCWS) AND AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM. THE FCWS DOES NOT WORK IN THAT IT DOES NOT WARN ME OF IMPENDING COLLISION HAZZARDS. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE AEBS WORKS AS THE FCWS TRIGGERS THAT SYSTEM. KIA TECHS HAVE NOT SHOWN ME THAT IT WORKS..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 141 complaints
25th: 29,212 mi Median: 65,875 mi 75th: 97,900 mi
Unknown Or Other 49 complaints
25th: 14,000 mi Median: 26,594 mi 75th: 51,146 mi
Electrical System 42 complaints
25th: 9,750 mi Median: 32,850 mi 75th: 39,938 mi
Exterior Lighting 38 complaints
25th: 19,000 mi Median: 40,577 mi 75th: 49,000 mi
Fuel/Propulsion System 29 complaints
25th: 6,787 mi Median: 19,850 mi 75th: 56,754 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 52 FL: 46 GA: 30 TX: 30 OH: 28 AL: 18 PA: 18 TN: 15 MO: 15 NJ: 13

Who Files Complaints?

0.5%
Original Owners
99.5%
Second+ Owners

Kia Forte — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
201031035
201121344
201239834
201327126
201463460
201532021
201619220
201818720
201920119
20208812
20219213
2022355
20238713
20243711

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Air Bags
Campaign 22V031000 | 25/01/2022
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
Latch
Campaign 21V622000 | 09/08/2021
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
Pump
Campaign 21V260000 | 13/04/2021
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
  • Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
  • Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
  • Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
  • Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
  • Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Compare Kia Forte

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Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28