2017 Kia Forte Steering Problems

I am submitting this formal complaint regarding a serious safety issue I experienced with my 2017 Kia Forte. While driving, my steering wheel suddenly locked up & I was unable to turn left or right. This failure occurred in the middle of the road & put my life at serious risk. Thankfully, I was not involved in an accident. I was able to activate my hazard lights & safely maneuver to a stop before calling for assistance. My vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop, where I was informed that this is a known issue related to the MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) & ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The technician noted that Kia has issued a Product Improvement Campaign for some 2017–2018 Kia Forte models equipped with the 2.0L engine due to this very defect. However, my vehicle’s VIN was not included in the campaign, & the dealer has refused to provide assistance, stating that it is not their responsibility regardless of any service bulletins or improvement campaigns issued. This is deeply concerning, as it shows a clear disconnect between known safety issues and the manufacturer's accountability. There are numerous reports from other consumers experiencing the exact same failure outside the limited VIN range, indicating this issue may be much more widespread than Kia is acknowledging. It is unacceptable that a potentially fatal defect is being selectively addressed, especially when the manufacturer is aware of the problem. How many more incidents or near-accidents need to occur before a full recall is issued? This is not just a matter of inconvenience—it's a critical safety issue. The fact that Kia has already acknowledged the defect by issuing a product improvement campaign proves the problem exists. It is the responsibility of both the manufacturer and its dealerships to protect consumers by ensuring that all affected vehicles are repaired, not just those within an arbitrarily limited VIN range. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter further. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11690342

Incident

Sep 13, 2025

Car steers to tilting directions. Doesn't drive straight especially on the highway. Headlights are horrible.

NHTSA ID

11687131

Incident

Sep 13, 2025

Experienced temporary loss of electronic power steering (EPS) on 10FEB24. After driving about 15 miles returning from across town, my wife experienced a momentary loss of the EPS while slowing to make a left turn into our subdivision. She was able to wrestle the wheel through the turn with difficulty but then stopped the car to decide whether she should keep driving. After just a moment, she decided to try and when she pulled forward found that the power steering was working again. She made two more left turns over the two blocks to our house and had no trouble. She doesn't recall any dashboard warning lights coming on but was too flustered to have really noticed. I verified the drive belt looks fine and there are no saved fault codes. The car has about 116k miles on it and the drive belt was changed at 110k miles. Car was inspected two days later by my local repair shop including the suspension system. No fault codes or other anomalies were found and they could not duplicate a problem with the EPS.

NHTSA ID

11572677

Incident

Feb 10, 2024

The speedometer does not work. The car will not accelerate. I always have belt problems.

NHTSA ID

11565938

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

2017 KIA FORTE [XXX], WHEN I HIT A BUMP, THE REAR END GOES TO THE RIGHT OF LEFT OUT OF CONTROL, ALSO I LOOSE POWER BETWEEN 40- 50 MPH. AT TIMES THE CAR WOULD SHAKE. AFTER ABOUT 60, 000 MILES THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER MISFIRED. I REPLACED THE COIL PACK AND SPARK PLUG, HOWEVER I'M STILL LOOSING POWER, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11265806

Incident

Oct 3, 2019

Mileage

186,920 mi

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 ID

11172094

Incident

Nov 13, 2018

Mileage

46,000 mi

2017 KIA FORTE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CRACKING NOISES ON STEERING WHEEL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. *JS

NHTSA ID

11032408

Incident

Dec 10, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE JERKED RIGHT AND LEFT RANDOMLY. THE FAILURE PERSISTED WHILE DRIVING ON CURVY ROADS. THE DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 12402933. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,200.

NHTSA ID

11004256

Incident

Jul 8, 2017

Mileage

6,200 mi

THE VEHICLE IS THE S MODEL, NEW FOR 2017, I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 2,000 MILES SINCE LEASING IT IN SEPTEMBER 2016. THE CAR HAS POOR ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY GOING UP HILLS AND MERGING INTO TRAFFIC (MOVING, CITY). IT HESITATES AT TRAFFIC SIGNALS (FROM A DEAD STOP). THE VEHICLE TENDS TO SWAY SIDE TO SIDE FROM TIME TO TIME (MOVING, CITY), THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY TWO DIFFERENT KIA DEALERS. A TECHNICIAN HAS RODE ALONG WITH ME; FELT MY CONCERNS, BUT CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. I WAS TOLD IN MARCH 2017 THAT THE COMPUTER HAD BEEN "TWEAKED", BUT NO FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA ID

11004092

Incident

Jun 28, 2017

Mileage

1,975 mi