2017 Kia Forte
Gas Midsize car
The 2017 Kia Forte is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 9 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forte, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 301 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 29 | 38 | 32 | $1,950 |
| Forte | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,250 |
| Forte | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 25 | 34 | 28 | $2,250 |
| Forte 5 | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 25 | 34 | 28 | $2,250 |
| Forte Koup | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,250 |
| Forte 5 | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 30 | 27 | $2,300 |
| Forte Koup | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 32 | 27 | $2,300 |
| Forte Koup | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 30 | 26 | $2,400 |
| Forte 5 | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 29 | 25 | $2,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (3)
Air Bags
highProblem: 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: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages
moderateProblem: 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: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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 And Engine Cooling
highProblem: 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: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Owner complaints
301 complaints filed
23 involved a crash, 9 a fire, 21 injuries, 4 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2017: 7 · 2018: 21 · 2019: 40 · 2020: 31 · 2021: 40 · 2022: 40 · 2023: 40 · 2024: 30 · 2025: 43 · 2026: 9
Most-cited components
- Engine — 144
- Unknown Or Other — 49
- Electrical System — 46
- Exterior Lighting — 43
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 29
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10% |
| 5 HB FWD | not rated | not rated | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Forte model years
2024 Forte
0 recalls · 24 complaints
D2023 Forte
3 recalls · 61 complaints
A2022 Forte
1 recalls · 26 complaints
B2021 Forte
2 recalls · 67 complaints
A2020 Forte
0 recalls · 74 complaints
B2019 Forte
2 recalls · 147 complaints
C2018 Forte
3 recalls · 136 complaints
A2016 Forte
1 recalls · 137 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 37555, 37492, 37556, 38114, 38091, 38115, 38092, 38093, 38116). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.