2017 Kia Forte engine problems

The 2017 Kia Forte has 157 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 36% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

157

Engine complaints

36%

Share of year

Crash-involved

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Forte engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

21V260000EngineApril 13, 2021 · 4,069 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

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.

What owners report

“VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, SMELLED SOMETHING "OFF", WITHIN SECONDS ENGINE BURST INTO FLAMES. ENTIRE VEHICLE GUTTED. KIA LITERALLY JUST INSTALLED A NEW ENGINE, STARTER, BATTERY, AND INTAKE 2 DAYS PRIOR DUE TO ENGINE LOCKING UP - WITH 22000 MILES.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · August 27, 2018 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2017 Kia Forte have?

NHTSA has 157 complaints about the 2017 Kia Forte engine — 36% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2017 Kia Forte engine?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the engine: 21V260000.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.