22 complaints reported

2017 Kia Forte UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
22
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Feb 2026

I am emailing i have an issue with a my vehicle i took it in to the dealership and got the recalls performed and they still have not updated in the system i am trying to rent out my car on turo and am not able to do i also contacted the dealership and they said its all electronic what can i do to clear this up or speed it up am sorry am trying to get forward any sort of way you guys can help

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2026
Oct 2025

Had to replace a P0014 Exhaust camshaft position timing VCT solenoid - over advanced (Bank1) last year on October 1,2024. Now 2025 December 8,2025 need a nothing camshaft position timing VCT solenoid and also says I need replace my engine. I think something is not right about the engine or something on the engine. Not sure but something is definitely wrong. Never had this kind of problem before , but no cars i've ever had.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2025
Feb 2025

About three years ago the clear paint on my car started to peel on the mirrors and car handles. It's progressively gotten worse and now the roof and side mirrors only have patches left and driver side door has started peeling.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2022
Sep 2024

The hood latch doesn't always work and the hood could fly up and obstruct vision and cause a wreck,the gas door sticks and won't open on the first try, engine is slow on excelleration some times. Not sure when it all started

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2024
Oct 2023

Unknown. My 2017 Kia Forte LX turns off while I’m driving. The entire car dies but the electric works. I have to put in park and sit a minute before my car will start again.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2023
Apr 2023

My car was stolen on 4-17. They tore up the steering column . KIA knows what's going on with the TICK TICK challenge and is doing nothing about it. They quoted me $800 for labor only!!! This is unacceptable. I had to replace my window, my insurance won't cover, I had to purchase a club. I feel violated. I don't know if my car was used in the commission of a crime or will be stolen again. Why isn't KIA recalling or fixing these vehicles. I qualify for the starter immobilizer kit, but they should fix their problem first. I am livid!!!! Its all over the media in 17 states on the rise of these thefts. When is someone going to make them accountable, when someone has to die first.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2023
Jun 2022

Fuel door latch does not release properly preventing me from filling the vehicle and possibly running out of fuel while in traffic

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2022
Jun 2022 Fire

The 2017 Kia was parked in the attached garage of a private residence when a fire broke out. The building was fully involved by the time first responders arrived shortly after midnight on May 19, 2022. Both residents of the home were deceased at the scene, in separate bedrooms. The point of origin of the fire was determined to be at the Kia, which was heavily damaged in the fire. The individual making this report is the attorney representing the estates of the decedents.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2022
Nov 2021

Leaving work last week and noticed my trunk was open. Thought maybe I had accidentally pressed the release button and went to close but trunk latch wouldn not latch down and close. Had to fold the back seats down and crawl into the trunk while a coworker held the trunk shit and use a flathead screwdriver to manually lock the latch. After doing so now the trunk will not open.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2021
Oct 2021 Crash Injury

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking spot with the vehicle in reverse, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle inadvertently drove forward speedily. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact sustained neck, shoulder, and back injuries and sought medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2021
Oct 2021

Trunk latch on my vehicle gets stuck can only open after jumping down on hood while pulling lever at the same time intermittently happens. Lately been happening more often than not.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2021
Aug 2021

Trunk latch apparently broke and trunk popped opened on it's own while driving. We have not been able to tie it down due to broken latch. Obscures view and cannot be driven safely at this time. Has not been seen or confirmed by a repair shop yet

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2021
Jun 2021

My vehicle is stalling out while I am driving. Also I have to at times try too start it twice wont turnover on first try.Has been reported to dealer they dont seem to know what the problem is. I called 2 months ahead of April 2021 and Kia told me they were so booked up they couldn't see me till almost 2 months later. Car is still doin the same.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2021
Apr 2021

TRUNK OF CAR WILL NOT CLOSE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE ONE DAY IT CLOSES THE NEXT DAY IT WON'T

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2021
Mar 2021 Crash

MY CAR KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN...STOPS RUNNING, HAVE TO START IT AGAIN TO KEEP GOING

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2021
Feb 2021

THE TRUNK OF MY VEHICLE JUST OPENS ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN WHEN I PULL OVER TO CLOSE IT WON'T. THE LATCH IS NOT ENGAGING, ONCE I GET THE LATCH TO CATCH THEN I CAN'T GET MY TRUNK TO RE-OPEN. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2021.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2021
Nov 2019 Crash

HAD A SMALL SCRATCH TO FRONT OF VEHICLE STOPPED AEB SYSTEM FROM WORKING. HUTCHINSON KIA, ALBANY, GA CAN'T REPAIR IT BACK TO ORIGINAL AND WON'T REPLACE CAR OR REFUND MY INSURANCE MONEY, GOT TO CLOSE TO A STATIONARY OBJECT AT NIGHT HITTING IT WITH A SCRATCH ON FRONT GRILL

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2019
Oct 2019

ON 11/10/2019 IN N.C. THE TEMP DROPPED DOWN TO 29 DEGREES THE NEXT MORNING I GET UP TO START MY CAR AND THE BATTERY DRAGGED SO I HAD TO GET A BOOST. IT RAN ALL THAT DAY, THEN SUNDAY THE SAME THING APPENED AGAIN I HAD TO GET A BOOST. I WENT TO BUY A BATTERY AND ONCE THE BATTERY WAS TAKEN OUT WE NOTICED THE POSITIVE SIDE BOX (BOTTOM) HAD MELTED ONTO THE TOP OF THE BATTERY, SO MY BATTERY WAS DAMAGED BY THE BATTERY CABLE BOX.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2019
May 2019

CAR TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING HAVE TO KIDS DEALERSHIP WONT DO ANYTHING BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2019
Mar 2019

THE FUEL DOOR WILL NOT OPEN WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. PULLING THE LATCH THE FIRST TIME WILL NOT OPEN THE FUEL DOOR. I MUST INSERT SOMETHING SUCH AS A CREDIT CARD, OR TRY TO PRY THE FUEL DOOR WITH MY FINGERS, AND THEN TRY THE LATCH AGAIN BEFORE THE FUEL DOOR WILL OPEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2019
Jan 2019

THERE WERE SOME PARTS RECALLED, WHICH I HAS REPLACED AT 20,000 MILES. AT 23,000 MILES ON A TRIP THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AS IF NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS OR AS IF THE TIMING WAS OFF. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, EVEN AFTER RETURNING CAR TO DEALERSHIP FOR 4 DAYS AFTER WHICH THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. WHILE OUT OF TOWN ON A TRIP THE ENGINE LIGHT AND SPUTTERING CONTINUES. I HAVE ALWAYS BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP EVERY 5,000 MILES OF OIL CHANGE/MAINTENANCE. NOW AT 24,400 MILES I'M HESITANT ABOUT DRIVING A CAR I PURCHASED BRAND NEW.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2018
Sep 2017

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; I.E. WARNING AUDIBLE NOR WARNING IMAGE ON LCD DISPLAY. I HAVE TRIED RUNNING UP ON A CAR IN FRONT OF ME UNTIL ABOUT 10 FEET BACK AT 50-60 MPH WITH NO WARNING THEN I MANUALLY APPLIED THE BRAKES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA FORTE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2017

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Kia Forte has 22 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.