Showing the 2017 Forte SX. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
About every 2017 Forte
The 2017 Kia Forte has 305 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most about the engine at 145. It gets 25 to 32 mpg combined and a 5-year fuel cost of $10,150 to $12,990 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. Its 3 recall campaigns may apply to this car and cover air bags, door latches and locks, and engine cooling.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
25–32 mpgcombined; city 23–29, highway 29–38; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,150–$12,990U.S. average; Ohio $9,070–$11,610 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2017 Forte. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 305 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Forte. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
145
4
4
3
Unknown or other
49
6
4
5
Electrical system
47
3
3
2
Exterior lighting
44
2
2
0
Fuel/propulsion system
29
2
2
5
Air bags
18
13
0
14
Vehicle speed control
17
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
14
0
0
0
Power train
12
0
0
0
Structure
10
2
0
2
Steering
9
1
0
2
Visibility/wiper
8
1
0
0
10 more parts
Service brakes
7
1
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
6
0
0
0
Wheels
6
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
0
0
0
Seat belts
3
3
0
3
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2017 Forte over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 141 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 Forte, the latest on Jul 18, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (48), engine and engine cooling (30), structure (20), equipment (19), power train (17).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2017 Forte.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
29 / 38 / 32
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 33 / 28
Forte Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM7)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 30 / 27
Forte 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 29 / 25
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 33 / 28
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM7)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 32 / 27
Forte Koup Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 30 / 26
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data