2017 Kia Forte Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 1, 2026 · Filed: October 5, 2026

I was driving this car and received a check engine light and lulled over to find an electrical fire had occurred under the hood. I was able to use a fire extinguisher to put out this fire. The car was towed to a Kia dealership near my home for confirmation and an estimate of the damages. It apparently was caused by a problem that Kia has had with the ABS/hydraulic electronic control units that can trigger electrical shorts.

Incident: July 15, 2026 · Filed: October 3, 2026

I own a 2017 Kia Forte that has a recurring problem with water intrusion in the rear tail light assemblies. This issue was previously repaired around 2018 under Kia’s service action related to moisture and water entering the rear combination lamps, but the problem has returned. Moisture and water are again getting inside the tail light housing, which can lead to corrosion, bulb or LED failure, and electrical problems. I am concerned that this could cause the brake light or turn signal to fail unexpectedly. If one of these lights goes out without warning, other drivers may not be able to tell when I am stopping or turning, which could increase the risk of a rear-end or side-impact crash. Since this issue was repaired before and has now returned, I am concerned that the original repair did not permanently correct the defect and that the problem may be related to an ongoing sealing or manufacturing issue.

Incident: October 20, 2025 · Filed: September 30, 2026

2017 Kia Forte (Recall SC216 Trunk latch - this 2017 VIN needs to be included

Incident: July 22, 2026 · Filed: September 21, 2026

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 have been diagnosed with, and a recall was issued. This vehicle is not covered under the recall, but should be. The engine recall should be extended to all 2017 Kia Forte models.

Incident: June 3, 2026 · Filed: August 20, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident: May 26, 2026 · Filed: June 18, 2026

The vehicle exhibits a chronic, systemic electrical failure characterized by the intermittent loss of critical lighting systems, including turn signals and brake lights. This failur5e has persisted over several years and thousands of miles, independent of battery replacements or specific usage patterns. The issue has been confirmed via multiple independent service interventions. Most notably, in February 2024, a third-party professional repair - which included the replacement of the Power Distribution Unit (Central Fuse Box) was performed to address these electrical faults. Despite this professional intervention, the defect recurred in May 2026. The failure of the turn signals and brake lights while in traffic resulted in a Law Enforcement stop and the issuance of a citation. Prior to total failure, the vehicle often displays erratic engine performance, including sputtering and hesitation. These symptoms were identified early in the Vehicle's history, but inquiries regarding recall campaigns for similar Makes and Models were denied by Authorized Dealerships, who cited recall registry despite exhibiting identical Mechanical and Electrical failure modes. The failure of the brake lights and turn signals poses a severe and immediate safety risk to myself, my passengers, other motorists and those on the road...as it creates an unpredictable environment were emergency stopping and lane changes cannot be communicated to the surrounding traffic. The electrical architecture of this vehicle is fundamentally flawed, as evidenced by the recurring nature of the defect despite multiple repair attempts, including the replacement of the primary fuse distribution center. The vehicle, all service records. third-party repair receipt, and relevant law enforcement citation are available for inspection upon request to support this report. The recurring loss of safety-critical signaling systems represents a systemic design defect rather than isolated wear & tear.

Incident: August 24, 2022 · Filed: May 24, 2026

Kia has common problems on the airbags even tho my air bags is good but I want to still check it

Incident: May 6, 2026 · Filed: May 7, 2026

The headlights and dashboard lose power intermittently while driving at highway speeds, specifically triggered by using the turn signal. This is ongoing since January when I started having to take it for a recalls.More things kept happening. I kept having to have more repairs. Every time I went, I told them about this and it just keeps going on. Today I took a huge list of things they should check to see why it’s doing this. This is the following list that I gave them -2017 Kia Forte - Service Request: •Issue: Headlights/dash icons flicker specifically when using turn signals. •Issue: Average MPG keeps resetting (Computer Brownout). •Mandatory Checks: 1Multi-Function Switch (internal short). 2Manual Voltage Drop Test on the G01 Ground Point. 3Alternator Ripple Test (check for "dirty" power). Last night on my way home from my daughter’s house which is a 50 minute drive, it was in the dark pouring rain and no longer than I had got started going home, I used the turn signal and my lights flickered a little which that’s what they’ve done before. Then the icon inside the car for headlights flashed on and off, lights inside got very dim and then my headlights got so dim that I had to follow other cars that had LED headlights down an interstate at 65 mph or less safely just to get to my exit to get home for over 45 minutes. I have mentioned this to them repeatedly, but I gave this list to them this morning. I called a little bit ago just to check on things and I was told “well we’ve been driving it for over an hour and we can’t seem to get it to act up”. I said are you not going to do the things that I stated and actually physically touch and look and not just sticking it on a computer. He rudely asked- what are you talking about? It’s all computer. That’s what we do.I’ve had to deal with this since pretty much the middle of January 2026. We are now here at May 7 and it got at its worst last night and horrified me and my safety.When I have car will upload docs

Incident: April 13, 2026 · Filed: May 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 KIA Forte. The contact stated while operating the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was misfiring, severely shaking and was losing motive power suddenly while operating on multiple constantly for about 3 weeks, and state she noticed a check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to be a timing chain failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,922.

Incident: August 1, 2025 · Filed: April 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to pull off to the side of the road, and the vehicle shut off. The contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle, but after several attempts, the vehicle failed to start. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was initially informed that the engine would be replaced free of charge; however, the contact was later informed that there would be a charge for labor. The contact declined the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.