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2017 Kia Forte recalls, complaints and safety ratings

There are 3 US recalls for the 2017 Kia Forte, and 5 in Canada. Owners filed 305 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine. Its best NHTSA overall crash rating is 5 stars.

3US recalls
0urgent recalls
305owner complaints
5★overall crash rating

Is your car affected?

Check by VIN to confirm the exact model and see every recall for it.

Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.

US recalls (3)

Air bags

2022-01-25 · campaign 22V031000 · 410,619 vehicles

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. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.

Risk and remedy

Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid, latch

2021-08-09 · campaign 21V622000 · 253,074 vehicles

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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

Risk and remedy

Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

Engine and engine cooling: engine, oil/lubrication

2021-04-13 · campaign 21V260000 · 4,069 vehicles

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.

Risk and remedy

Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Canadian recalls (5)

Show 5 Canadian recalls

Brakes

2024-03-12 · campaign 2024-163

Issue: On certain vehicles, the inspection completed by a Kia dealer during service campaign SC044 (Transport Canada recall number 2022-222) may not have been done correctly. As a result, a second inspection is required. Over time, the brake lines under the vehicle could corrode. If this happens, a brake line could fail and leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced braking. Note: This service campaign replaces service campaign SC044 (Transport Canada recall number 2022-222). Vehicles that had brake lines replaced under that service campaign don't require this inspection. Safety Risk: Reduced braking can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the brake lines. The dealer will apply an anti-corrosion treatment and replace the brake lines, if required.

Brakes

2022-05-02 · campaign 2022-222

Issue: Over time, the brake lines under the vehicle could corrode. If this happens, a brake line could fail and leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced braking. Safety Risk: Reduced braking can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the brake lines. The dealer will apply an anti-corrosion treatment and replace the brake lines, if required.

Airbag

2022-01-27 · campaign 2022-023

Issue: On certain vehicles, a defect in the airbag control unit could cause the airbag warning light to turn on. If this happens, the airbag system may not work properly, and the airbags may not inflate in a crash. Safety Risk: An airbag system that does not work properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the airbag control unit software. If the airbag warning light is on because of diagnostic trouble code B1620, the dealer will replace the airbag control unit.

Structure

2021-08-10 · campaign 2021-504

Issue: On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk compartment may not work properly. This could prevent a person that is trapped inside the trunk from opening it. Safety Risk: If a person is closed inside the trunk compartment, they may not be able to get out. This could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the trunk latch assembly.

Engine

2021-02-01 · campaign 2021-039

Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu GDI engine. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Kia recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Kia advises you to immediately visit a Kia dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.

Owner complaints (305)

Owners filed 305 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Forte (23 crashes, 10 fires, 21 injuries, 4 deaths reported). Among 16 model years of this model, it ranks #2 for the most complaints (median 150).

Most-reported problemComplaints
Engine145
Unknown or other49
Electrical system47
Exterior lighting44
Fuel/propulsion system29
Air bags18
Vehicle speed control17
Engine and engine cooling14

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2017 Kia Forte.

VersionOverallFrontalSideRollover
2017 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD5★4★5★4★

Fuel economy

EPA ratings for each 2017 Kia Forte version.

VersionCity MPGHighway MPGCombinedYearly fuel cost
Forte 2.0 L Automatic (S6)253328$2,400
Forte 2.0 L Automatic (S6)293832$2,100
Forte 2.0 L Manual 6-spd253428$2,400
Forte 5 1.6 L Automatic (AM7)253027$2,500
Forte 5 1.6 L Manual 6-spd232925$2,700
Forte 5 2.0 L Automatic (S6)253428$2,400
Forte Koup 1.6 L Automatic (AM7)253227$2,500
Forte Koup 1.6 L Manual 6-spd233026$2,600
Forte Koup 2.0 L Automatic (S6)253328$2,400
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Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.