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What 300 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Forte Koup

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (300)Crash / fire / injury (32)Engine (144)Electrical system (46)Lights (43)Fuel system (30)Airbags (18)Speed control (17)Engine & cooling (13)Transmission & drivetrain (12)Body & structure (9)Steering (9)

32 of 300 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Jan 25, 2019SteeringAirbagsSeat beltsCrash2 injuries

ACCELERATING BETWEEN 35MPH AND 45MPH, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DRIVER LET OFF GAS AND ATTEMPTED BRAKES WHICH DID NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE STRUCK GUARDRAIL ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. VEHICLE THEN DID A 180, DRIVER SIDE DOOR THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GUARDRAIL. DRIVER SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK, NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES INCLUDING WHIPLASH AND HEAD INJURY. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING DOWN A 2 LANE CITY ROAD. VEHICLE HAD 46,000 MILES AND WAS JUST SERVICED BY KIA DEALER.

NHTSA ODI 11172094

Aug 28, 2018EngineFire

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.

NHTSA ODI 11123010

Aug 19, 2018AirbagsSeat beltsCrash2 deaths

VEHICLE WAS IN A MAJOR CRASH ON ILLINOIS ROUTE 15 IN BELLEVILLE IL. VEHICLE WAS STRUCK IN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OFF CENTER BY A WRONG WAY DRIVER. PASSENGER IN THE KIA WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE DASH. PASSENGER WAS WEARING SEAT BELT AND IT APPEARS THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK. PASSENGER AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSAGER WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. DRIVER WAS WEARING SEAT BELT. DRIVER SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES TO HIS HEAD FROM IMPACTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. SUBJECTS SEAT BELT BROKE AND RIPPED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AS WELL. SUBJECT WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT BELLEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11120867

Jul 22, 2018Electrical systemBody & structureCrash2 injuries

THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY INFORMED THE LIENHOLDER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS POSSIBLY A TOTAL LOSS AND THE LIENHOLDER IGNORED THEM AND SOLD THE VEHICLE TO A PUBLIC AUCTION WITHOUT CONTACTING THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR TO PAY ON THE VEHICLE EITHER. THE OWNER OF THE CAR WAS INJURED IN THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION AS WELL AS A PASSENGER AND THE LIENHOLDER IS AWARE AND STILL SOLD WITHOUT PROPER NOTICE AND THEY CHANGED THE LOCKS OF THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT THE INSURANCE COMPANY FROM DOING A PROPER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN ON A HIGHWAY AND SHAKES AT 30 MILES AT AN IN LESS THAN 10 MINS. THE VEHICLE ALSO OPERATES ON ITS OWN. THE LIENHOLDER HAD BEEN AWARE OF THE ISSUE SINCE APRIL 2018. LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11112914

Apr 10, 2018AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES AND SORENESS TO THE BODY, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC'S TOW YARD. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,669. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11084311

Mar 19, 2018AirbagsCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND THEN TO A COLLISION SHOP. IT WAS NOT YET DETERMINED IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR PAIN AND BRUISING, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 11080209

Dec 28, 2017AirbagsFuel systemCrash1 injury

I WAS PARKING MY CAR YESTERDAY AT 7/11 AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN AND CRASHED INTO A CEMENT PILLAR. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE SEEN A BLOG WHERE DOZENS OF FORTE OWNERS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE, SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONCE. I WAS INJURED AND THE CAR NEEDS $9000 IN REPAIRS, ALSO I AM SURE MY INSURANCE WILL INCREASE.

NHTSA ODI 11057064

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Working with the data? Download all 300 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Kia Forte Koup verdict →