Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Kia Forte owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, when the contact heard a loud popping noise coming from the vehicle, the contact noticed that when depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle would not accelerate. The contact saw the check engine light warning light illuminated on the vehicle. The contact had to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle which it did and contact smelled something burning from the interior of the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from the front hood of the vehicle. The contact was able to continue to drive to their work. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, smoke was coming in through the A/C vents. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that a lack of engine oil caused the vehicle to overheat as there was no engine lubricant. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to two other independent mechanics where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to excessive oil consumption however, the contact had been completing oil changes every 3,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the engine replacement however, the dealer informed the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the repair due to the vehicle mileage. …
Engine #1 failure @ 50,475 miles Driving 70mph on the interstate my check engine light would come on only when pressing the gas pedal. Within 30 seconds while driving on a 10 uphill slope trying to change 4 lanes of traffic to be near the shoulder, I heard clanking, knocking, and a bang. 0rpms. Connecting rod through the block. One dealership did nothing but lock my car in their fence for 2 months before another Kia dealership replaced the engine. Then 680.3 miles later, engine #2 failure. Driving on unfamiliar country roads at dusk. 5 miles from the next pull off parking area. I had extreme loss of power. The check engine light appeared. A few seconds later it sounded like a shotgun went off in my engine. Engine died, there was only a few inches of dirt before the ditch. My battery died from my flashers before the tow truck came. …
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. …
The contact owns a 2017 KIA Forte. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the vehicle started losing motive power with an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle eventually stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and coast to the side of the highway as the engine ceased. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact saw oil leaking in the engine compartment. The contact left the vehicle on the highway and walked home. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Two weeks later, the vehicle was initially towed to her grandfather's home where he discovered debris in the oil pump which he linked to the vehicle failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where they informed her that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V260000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a scanner determined that there was a failure with the crankshaft. The contact replaced the spark plugs and crankshaft; however, the failure returned. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic ,where a defect with the timing belt was found, and the mechanic discovered metal shavings inside the oil pump. The contact stated that an oil change was performed on the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The contact was then informed by the mechanic that the failure was possibly linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V260000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, but no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine oil level was low. The contact stated that the oil was topped off; however, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V260000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and referred the contact to the local dealer. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact state that while her niece was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact's niece was able to restart the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the crank shaft sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the vehicle was retrieved, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil pan failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V260000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to pull off to the side of the road, and the vehicle shut off. The contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle, but after several attempts, the vehicle failed to start. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was initially informed that the engine would be replaced free of charge; however, the contact was later informed that there would be a charge for labor. The contact declined the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Oil/lubrication › Pump
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.
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.
Engine complaints in other Forte years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2017 Kia Forte?
NHTSA has 158 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Kia Forte, 52% of the model year's 305 complaints. The component named most often is engine › crank/camshaft position sensor (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Kia Forte engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-260 (pump, Apr 13, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Kia Forte engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 4 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.