10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
24,486 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Kia Forte:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #100

Feb 032024

Forte

  • 135,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the low oil pressure and the battery warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, due to the warranty being expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage approximately 135,000.

- Marksville, LA, USA

problem #99

Jun 122023

Forte

  • miles
The engine light came on and vehicle started stalling. It was cutting in and out as if it was going to die, so I had to simultaneously break and give it gas. It was taken to the mechanic and an ignition coil was replaced. A month later on the highway, the car began the same process but with no engine light coming on. It was again taken to the mechanic and kept for two weeks with nothing showing on the diagnostic machine. A week after taking it home, the light was on again. Same scenario, of not finding anything wrong with it. The issue began at 100,000 miles. The car is almost paid off and I don't feel comfortable driving it. I have small children and don't feel safe driving around. I have contacted Kia about a possible recall which was denied. It is available for inspection upon request. I'm so disappointed that Kia won't address the issue because I have seen so many reviews saying the same thing. The vehicle is seven years old and has had several recalls already. I will NOT purchase another Kia because of the lack of responsibility and refusal to fix the situation. I believe it's the oil lubrication pump because the reviews stating the same issues are spot on what is happening. The cost of replacing the pump is almost what the car is worth.

- Middletown , OH, USA

problem #98

Aug 012023

Forte

  • miles
I purchased a used Kia forte at a dealership 43,000 miles, at 50,000 the car started having issues out in shop multiple times for oil consumption and battery issues. Then my engine stalled out and my car is sitting at a repair shop for over 6 mths now with a bad engine, the original owner did not get the software update so Kia won-??t cover my engine replacement/reimbursement. The dealership did not inform me of the product campaign/recall when I purchased the vehicle. I-??ve lost 2 jobs now and my apartment, I-??m only [XXX] and now no car either. Kia, the dealership and the mechanic all failed me. My life is hard enough as a young female with no help now this, what a mess, what can I even do now. Everything [XXX] for me now and I have lost everything. Idk what to do anymore. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Ardmore, OK, USA

problem #97

Jan 202024

Forte

  • miles
I was getting on the interstate gradually got up to 60 miles per hour when my car started to rev high an then lost all power an stalled it almost got me hit by a tractor trailer the car has ran ok up until then an Kia claims there not a recall for this but I-??ve read the stories of the same situation it-??s crazy to think they won-??t cover to fix this issue my car only has 82k on it an it-??s basically totaled an still have payments on

- Keyser, WV, USA

problem #96

Jan 012024

Forte

  • miles
The speedometer does not work. The car will not accelerate. I always have belt problems.

- Wauchula , FL, USA

problem #95

Aug 182023

Forte

  • miles
Engine failure-yes its available for inspection While driving home from work on the interstate following flow of traffic, check engine light came on, car started smoking, and shut down almost causing a accident because it was hard to attempt to pull over due to it smoking and shutting down while driving at 55 mph. The problem has been reproduced by Kia Dealership, this is a known issue with Kia's, however, Kia is not working with me on trying to resolve the engine issue It's been inspected by the manufacturer, open recalls on Kia Fortes the engine needs replacement The check engine light came on a few weeks prior, took to get a oil change & full inspection because I had to keep putting oil & coolant in it. However, was informed by mechanic Kia's were known to have oil issues with the oil pump something with foreign particles getting into the pump causing engine failure which was a open recall. In informed the mechanic I had to keep putting oil into it along with coolant, mechanic couldn't find any leaks in radiator, hoses, nor any oil messes on & around engine. I reached out to Kia to discuss that the engine light came on, but the mechanic was unable to find any issue, at that time Kia customer service stated my specific Kia didn't have any open recalls other than the trunk latch. Then 2 weeks later while driving home from work on the interstate, the engine light came on and car started smoking and shut down almost without warning, almost causing a crash on the interstate that could have ended in a tragic situation. Kia continues to give me the run around with a replacement engine on a Kia Forte LX 2.0 MPI engine.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #94

Dec 202023

Forte

  • 164,872 miles
My car started sounding like a diesel truck. The car didn-??t want to changes gears right. It was shutting off randomly. I got on the freeway and it wouldn-??t shift out of 3rd gear the way it was suppose to, the car speedometer was reading 60-70 mph but when I switched it to manual it was only in 3rd gear. I almost got rear ended by a diesel truck with a trailer due to it not wanting to shift. I had a mechanic look at it and put it in the code reader. It came up just the cam sensor which were replaced. Went to drive off and it sounded way worse than before. Reput it on the code reader and it said something about the oil pump. Got a second opinion and this mechanic said that it was the bearings in the motor. And now it-??s going to be a problem and that-??s I-??m better off getting a new car.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #93

Nov 182023

Forte

  • 165,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 165,000.

- Kaukauna, WI, USA

problem #92

Jun 152022

Forte

  • miles
Starting around 50k mileage, the engine experienced misfire-like issues: rough idling & transitory reduction of power during acceleration and cruising. This was brought to the dealership multiple times, but the check engine light had never come on, nor were there any error codes saved in the OBD system. After 60k mileage, the check engine light did come on temporarily, but would automatically clear, still without any error codes saved in OBD. Around 65k mileage, the vehicle could not accelerate to highway speeds, so I had it towed to the dealer and refused to take it back until they found the issue. They then observed an error saved in OBD showing a misfire on cylinder 3. Replaced all spark plugs + coil packs, which seems to have corrected the problem. After 70k mileage, I observed that the engine burns oil, about 1 quart per 3k miles. This rate has stayed consistent up to the current 100k mileage.

- Marysville, OH, USA

problem #91

Nov 272023

Forte

  • miles
My engine shutoff/misfired while I was driving. The rest of my vehicle maintained power, dashboard headlights, radio. I took it to an autoshop where the issue was replicated. When my engine shut off the I had three check lights come on eps, oil, and battery. There was no warning prior to the engine shutting off.

- Redlands, CA, USA

problem #90

Jun 252023

Forte

  • miles
I take my car to kia dealership for my oil changes.they put the $45 oil, not sure if conventional or semi.apprx.4mos ago they told me kia no longer use the $45 oil so needed to upgrade to full synthetic oil.so i did, approx 2mos after, engine light came on flasing.with the oil light flashing aswell.i needed to add 4quarts.from that day foward the car does not have power.no more than 60mph.ps.added another 2 quarts adout 3weeks ago

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #89

Oct 302023

Forte

  • miles
1. The knock sensor failed. As a consequence the vehicle will not run properly. 2. The vehicle has been at Fred Beans KIA of Langhorne for several weeks. I assume that it is available for inspection. 3. The vehicle will not run properly. It will not accelerate when the gas pedal is pressed and the engine often stops running. Very dangerous on highways and heavily traveled roadways. 4. Yes the problem has been confirmed by Ciocca KIA of Trenton, NJ. Frank's Service Center 645 Knowles Ave., South Hampton, PA 18966 and Fred Beans KIA of Langhorne, PA 19047. 5. Yes. See attached report. 6. Yes there was an engine warning light and a message on the screen.

- Newtown, PA, USA

problem #88

Sep 032023

Forte

  • miles
Car does not turn off. Put car in park, remove key, still running. Change gears, step on brake, park, remove key while still on brake pedal, still running. Had to remove two components from fuse box to turn off car & electrical (dashboard was still on when first component was removed, which stopped engine). Key fob doesn-??t work either, have to manually lock/unlock. Car is available for inspection. *trying* to set up an appt with the dealership to get it serviced, but it-??s a holiday weekend. This is dangerous, bc it-??ll kill battery, and if ppl don-??t figure out how to manually turn car off from fuse, the fumes can be dangerous. I was at work & in a parking garage. I had to run inside for a few min & the smell was strong afterwards. No warning signs/codes on car. Has not been inspected yet by anyone.

- Brighton, MA, USA

problem #87

Jul 292013

Forte

  • miles
It happened on July 29th 2023. Coming home from visiting my son my engine started to make a loud knocking noise. There have been no warnings, no light indicators came on, just nothing. Luckily made it home safely. Car has just a Lil over 97,000 miles on it. The coolant, oil, transmission fluid all are good. Took to a shop on August 2nd and said the motor is blown. With low miles and only 6years old the car should not have a blown motor already. I belive the recall should be extended to All 2017 KIA FORTES.

- Harrisonburg, VA, USA

problem #86

May 162023

Forte

  • miles
My 2017 Kia Forte was stalling during driving with no warning. Engine light would come on periodically and then go off again. It stalled numerous times on busy roads and at busy intersections. I'm blessed I was never rear ended. It finally died after parking it one day and wouldn't start again. It is at the Kia dealership where they tell me... for lack of mechanical terms, it has jumped time and they need me to pay $2200 to have it fixed. My tech told me, "this may fix your problems but we will not know until that is fixed because we can not further diagnose it until that gets fixed". In my 47 years of life I've never had a mechanic tell me to pay that much but we aren't sure if this will fix it. Kia knows these engines are junk and are trying to get out of replacing/fixing what is wrong for so many! This is so wrong! These car/engines are dangerous and a ticking time bomb!

- Fort Wayne , IN, USA

problem #85

Jun 232023

Forte

  • miles
The engine failed similar to all the other recalls I see on other kia models.

- Bradley Beach, NJ, USA

problem #84

May 182023

Forte

  • 103,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the mechanic retrieved DTC codes: P0017 and P0014. Additionally, metal shavings were found inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 103,000.

- Elgin, IL, USA

problem #83

May 152023

Forte

  • miles
Engine is siezed

- Fort Wayne , IN, USA

problem #82

Apr 242023

Forte

  • miles
My 2017 Kia forte with less than 100,000 miles on it started stalling and consuming excess amounts of oil. I was still paying on it. I made sure to keep oil in my car and always did my oil changes. No receipts for those because my father changed my oil for me. One day it stalled on the highway out of nowhere. It stopped stalling and nobody could figure out why it had done that even when taken into the shop. One day I went out to start my car and it wouldn-??t start. My husband had it towed to the dealership and it was a blown engine. I was still paying on this car. I had only had it for 2 years. Now, this make, model, and year are included in a recall for catastrophic engine failure and stalling, yet, when I look it up online my VIN isn-??t included-?? in fact my manufacturing date is only a week out from what they would include. This has been traumatizing to me considering I cared for my mother for ten years and she had just passed unexpectedly after a surgery, and I wasn-??t working because of this-?? now my husband has to now take me to work, if I can find a job that works around his schedule-?? and I have to pay 7,000 which is what is left of what I owe on my loan. I am unhappy to say the least.

- Oklahoma City , OK, USA

problem #81

Oct 012022

Forte 4-cyl

  • miles
Repeated engine failure. 10/1/2022 "internal problem required engine teardown found exhaust cvvt dowel pin had sheared off inside of exhaust camshaft causing excessive play. Replaced exhaust cvvt exhaust camshaft valve cover gasket rtv exhaust cvvt bolt timing chain tensioner timing chain and ocv. Replaced gaskets as needed." Paid $2877.01 to repair. Then on 5/15/2023, loud knocking in engine (sounds like a loose bolt knocking around). Took to dealer and got this quote. "-??Exhaust system (Loose Parts, Visible Damage, Leaks) OBD 2 PERMANENT CODE FOR P0420- RECOMMEND CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT $10,106.27 -??REPLACE ENGINE - NON ISG $4,232.81" Only has 127k miles and cannot pay this much... $14+k for a car that is worth $4k? Crazy! I question the work that was done in Oct 2022 and also question why it had to be done in the first place. Something is very wrong with this engine. It is available for inspections upon request. My daughter's safety was compromised as she commuted with a car that has a serious engine defects. Problem was diagnosed at dealership. It has been inspected by the Kia dealership. Engine light warning was on which is why my daughter took it to them in Oct. 2022. Came on again in May 2023 and she took it to dealership again as soon as she saw it which was when the knocking began. Link to outrageous quote on May 16, 2024. https://triage-america.superservice.com/home/en-us/customer-authorisation/#/A3zAAy&n2azet;VVM=&sms

- Cary, NC, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »