2 NHTSA safety recalls cover the 2021 Kia Forte. Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about this model year. Every recall repair is free at any Kia dealer.
Is yours affected? Recalls cover ranges of VINs, not every 2021 Kia Forte. Check your Forte by VIN and confirm open recalls at NHTSA.gov.
Each campaign as NHTSA published it: what is wrong, what can happen, and the fix. Newest first.
Owners filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Forte, reporting 11 crashes, 7 injuries. Kia has issued at least 72 technical service bulletins (repair instructions to dealers) for this model year. Complaints are unverified owner reports; a recall is the manufacturer’s admission of a safety defect.
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Forte. A few in their own words, shortened. Complaints are unverified and are not proof of a defect or of any recall.
“It keeps getting broken into by the KIA boys in attempt of theft. It's a group that targets KIAs because they're easy. I now have to make sure my steering wheel is locked up. I was recently hit by another driver, i had to go to the hospital but for some reason the airbag did not deploy.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11766285
“The contact owned a 2021 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked independently, causing the vehicle to veer off the road into a construction site. The contact stated that the air bags did deploy.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11733681
“On May 13, 2023, I was involved in a severe frontal collision on the passenger side while driving my 2021 Kia Forte. The impact caused significant damage, and my insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss. Despite the severity of the crash, none of the airbags deployed.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11713406
“The contact owns a 2021 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at 20 MPH and attempting to complete a left turn.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11622287
“A defect in 2021 Kia Forte vehicle engine start and security systems allows for the rear window to be broken without an alarm activation and the car to be started without a key or key-like device. The vehicle can be started with something as simple as a screwdriver.”
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11460437
Search the official database: NHTSA. Excerpts are quoted from the public record, shortened at a sentence and with personal details removed.
Not every 2021 Kia Forte is in every recall. Enter your 17-character VIN to see the recalls on record for your exact vehicle, then confirm which are still open at NHTSA.gov or with any Kia dealer.