How many recalls does the 2017 Kia Forte have?

NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2017 Kia Forte model year. Whether one car had the recall work done depends on that car, so check its VIN with NHTSA.

2009: 1 owner complaint, Not judged

Our take: only with records and an inspection. Owners filed 2.2 times the complaints of a typical year of this model.

Year verdict

Maybe

2.2× a typical year

More owner complaints than usual. Buy only with records and an inspection.

Confidence: Medium

Close to the Pass line, so a few complaints either way could tip it.

NHTSA did not answer for 15 years, so this may change.

Past 100,000 miles

Locked

How this year held up past 100,000 miles.

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How the dial was counted

Year verdict: Typical year: 97 complaints, the median of 8 nearby years. Each counted over its first 8 years from January 2016; this one had 219.

Same car, better year: 2018 or 2020 Forte (both Worthy)

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Odometer check

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WhipWorthy sticker

2017 Kia Forte

Complaints305From owners
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Recalls3On file
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NHTSA did not answer just now, so we cannot show crash ratings. Try again in a minute. You can also check it on their site.
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MPG28 to 32Combined, EPA
Loading fuel economy

Complaints are unverified owner reports, not adjusted for how many were sold.

Compare this car Every Forte year

Car report

Park this car in My Garage and see its recalls at a glance.Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Value signals

We do not price cars.

These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.

Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Fuel: $2,000 to $2,300 a year.The EPA’s estimate for 15,000 miles a year, 55% in town, at its fuel prices. Each version
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
Have the VIN? Check it is this car, and see its open recalls at NHTSA.
VIN
On the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the driver’s door sticker.

What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

The full record

Tap to open

What owners complain about

305 complaints; the part named most is the engine

Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Mar 29, 2017 to Oct 5, 2026. 56% name a part that is usually costly to fix.

Owners reported 23 crashes, 10 fires, 21 injuries and 4 deaths in these complaints.

Engine158 · 52%Usually costly to fix
Other or unknown49 · 16%
Electrical47 · 15%

What one owner wrote about the engine

There was a rod failure in the engine. The vehicle is currently at the repair facility. This rod failure caused the vehicle to die while traveling down the road, so it was a safety risk. The rod failure was diagnosed by a certified mechanic. There were no warning lamps, messages, etc. This failure is the same issue that many Kia Forte's of the same year…

Filed Sep 21, 2026NHTSA complaint 117659781 of 18 owner quotes

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13 more parts, and 18 owner quotes

Every part owners name for the 2017 Kia Forte, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Transmission and drivetrain, Body and frame.

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SourceOwner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Forte. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Seller kit

Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points

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Walk up to the seller ready

Questions to ask the seller of a 2017 Kia Forte, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.

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Write your offer

A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email

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Send the seller a fair offer

Type the asking price and your own offer for the 2017 Kia Forte, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.

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When problems show up

Engine: the middle complaint around 85,000 miles

The bar holds the middle half of the complaints that gave a mileage; the dark mark is the middle one. 96 complaints of 305 gave one. Owners file when something fails, so this shows when problems were reported, not how long the cars last.

EngineCostly60,000 to 105,000 mi
Half of these 64 complaints came between about 60,000 and 105,000 miles, the middle one around 85,000.

SourceMileage from owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Forte. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Will it outlast the loan?

The month of your loan each problem zone lands in

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1 problem zone to lay against your loan, 1 usually costly

See the month of your loan each one lands in, and what you would still owe then.

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Recalls

3 recalls on file

Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.

Air bags
Jan 25, 2022 · Recall 22V031000
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.
What can happen
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix
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.
Doors, locks and latches
Aug 9, 2021 · Recall 21V622000
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."
What can happen
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix
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
Apr 13, 2021 · Recall 21V260000
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.
What can happen
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
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.

SourceRecalls listed by NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Forte. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Crash ratings

NHTSA did not answer

NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight.

NHTSA did not answer just now, so we cannot show crash ratings for this car. Try again in a minute. You can also check it on their site.

Fuel economy

28 to 32 mpg combined, across 3 versions

The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in.

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, SIDI
Forte · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
25 mpg
Highway
33 mpg
Combined
28 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,300
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L
Forte · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
29 mpg
Highway
38 mpg
Combined
32 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,000
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L
Forte · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
25 mpg
Highway
34 mpg
Combined
28 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,300
This one on fueleconomy.gov

SourceEPA fuel economy data, fueleconomy.gov. EPA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

True cost to own

The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years

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What it really costs to own

What the 2017 Kia Forte costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.

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Every year of the Forte

9 Worthy, 5 Maybe, 0 Pass, of 16 years on file

Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.

Best and worst years of the Forte

NHTSA did not answer for 20 years, so the chart may be missing some.

SourceNHTSA owner complaints and recalls for the Forte. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Before you buy this one

5 checks, with a close look at the engine

Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.

Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 3 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the engine. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look hard at the engine. It is usually costly to fix.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the engine.
Start it cold if you can. Listen for knocking or ticking, and watch for warning lights and smoke.

Going to see it? Take the checklist52 checks with the bad signs to look for, saved on your phone.

Check this exact car

The verdict is about the model year. These checks are about the one in front of you. Most are free or a few dollars.

VIN for these checks

Copy it, then paste it into each check. Nothing is sent until you open one.

Official checks on this VIN

Open recallsFree
NHTSA
Safety recalls on this VIN that are not fixed yet, from the last 15 years.
A recall already fixed does not show.
Check recalls at NHTSAnhtsa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Theft and total lossFree
NICB VINCheck
Whether an insurer reported it stolen and not found, or wrote it off as a total loss.
Only insurer records. Five checks a day.
Open NICB VINChecknicb.org (opens in a new tab)
Title brandsA few dollars
NMVTIS, the federal title system
Salvage, flood, junk and rebuilt brands from any state, and the last miles on the title.
No repairs, service or recalls. Sold by approved sellers listed on the site.
See the approved sellersvehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov (opens in a new tab)
Title statusVaries by state
The state motor vehicle office
Whether the title is branded in that state and, where the state offers it, whether a lender still has a lien.
It will not name the owner. Each state asks its own way, and some only by mail. Ask to see the seller’s title too.
Find your state’s officeusa.gov (opens in a new tab)

What a paid report adds

A history report such as Carfax or AutoCheck pulls in more of the car’s past than these checks can:

Crashes and damage reported by police, insurers or shops, even when it was fixed.
Service visits that shops reported, with the miles each time.
How many owners, for how long, and the states it was registered in.
Whether it was a rental, fleet or lease car, when that was reported.

It only knows what was reported to it. A clean report is not proof of a clean car. Ask the seller first: many dealers hand one over for free.

Red flags in a history

Salvage title
Usually an insurer called it a total loss. In most states it cannot be driven on the road until it is rebuilt and inspected.
Rebuilt title
A salvage car that was fixed and passed a state check. It can be fine, but it is worth less, can be harder to insure, and needs a careful inspection.
Flood damage
Water can ruin wiring and sensors months later. Be wary of a flood brand that vanished after a move to another state.
Lemon or maker buyback
The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix. Ask what the defect was and how it was fixed.
Odometer rollback
A mileage reading lower than an earlier one, or a title marked not actual miles.
Many owners, fast
Three owners in two years can mean a problem each one passed along.
Gaps in the records
Years with no service or registration. Ask why: it may have sat, been off the road, or been rebuilt.

Title words and rules differ by state. Not legal advice.

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection
Have a mechanic you choose, not the seller, put it on a lift and look it over before you pay.
Insurance quote
Get a quote on this exact car before you sign. Ask your own insurer and one or two others.

Model year	Owner complaints	Verdict
2009	1	Not judged
2010	232	Worthy
2011	162	Worthy
2012	292	Worthy
2013	195	Worthy
2014	444	Maybe
2015	262	Maybe
2016	4	Not judged
2017	305	Maybe
2018	136	Worthy
2019	150	Maybe
2020	78	Worthy
2021	69	Worthy
2022	28	Worthy
2023	66	Maybe
2024	26	Worthy

The verdict on the 2017 Kia Forte

Value signals

What owners complain about

Seller kit

Write your offer

When problems show up

Will it outlast the loan?

Recalls

Air bags

What can happen

The fix

Doors, locks and latches

What can happen

The fix

Engine

What can happen

The fix

Crash ratings

Fuel economy

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, SIDI

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L

True cost to own

Every year of the Forte

Before you buy this one

Check this exact car

Official checks on this VIN

What a paid report adds

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection

Insurance quote

Air bags

What can happen

The fix

Doors, locks and latches

What can happen

The fix

Engine

What can happen

The fix

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, SIDI

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L