Vehicle recall record

2021 KIA Forte

2 recall campaigns · 2021–2022 · 0 with a do-not-park-indoors warning

Campaigns
2
First notice
2021-03-11
Latest notice
2022-05-05
Same-make model-year average
2.7

Risk markers carried in the record

No park-it or park-outside warning is flagged in this vehicle's collected record. This does not establish that the vehicle is defect-free or that every notice is included.

The markers above summarize fields available in this dataset. A missing marker is not a safety finding. Recall status and remedy eligibility can depend on vehicle identification number, equipment, production date, and whether a repair has already been completed.

Recall distribution by component

2 component categories

Counts and shares use the vehicle-level recall records shown below. The horizontal bar is scaled to the largest category on this page.
ComponentCampaignsShareRelative volume
AIR BAGS150.0%
STEERING150.0%

Component labels follow the source record's component field. Where the source includes a more detailed subcomponent after a colon, this distribution groups the record under the first component segment. Shares are calculated against 2 campaigns and rounded to one decimal place, so displayed percentages may not sum to exactly 100 percent.

Recall dates by calendar year

2 calendar years

These are recall notice dates, not vehicle model years.
Calendar yearCampaignsRelative volume
20211
20221

The timeline groups campaign records by their reported recall date. This explains why the date range (2021–2022) can begin before or end after model year 2021. The underlying vehicle may be covered by notices issued in several different calendar years.

Recall campaign details

2 vehicle-level records

Campaign summaries, consequences, and remedies are preserved from the collected NHTSA source text.
CampaignDateComponentSummary and source detailsFlags
22V3040002022-05-05STEERING:COLUMN

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack a…

Read the complete source text

Summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.

Consequence
Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC235.

No listed flag
21V1640002021-03-11AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in t…

Read the complete source text

Summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence
In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.

Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.

No listed flag

Each row represents a campaign listed for this make, model, and model year. A campaign can also cover other vehicles. The excerpt above is a direct beginning of the source summary; expand a row to read the complete summary and any consequence or remedy text included in the local record.

How 2021 KIA Forte compares within KIA

7 listed 2021 model-year records

Other collected KIA records for model year 2021.
VehicleCampaignsDate range
KIA K562021-03-11–2025-11-18
KIA Sorento42021-07-08–2025-09-26
KIA Rio22021-12-01–2022-05-05
KIA Seltos22021-04-13–2025-02-18
KIA Sorento Hybrid22022-06-23–2022-09-19
KIA Niro12023-07-31–2023-07-31

This comparison is calculated from vehicle records for the same make and model year in this snapshot. It is a simple arithmetic average, not an industry benchmark. A model may appear under more than one configuration in the source data, and campaign counts do not indicate the probability that a specific vehicle has an unresolved defect.

Data source and interpretation

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-11-01. Recall records reflect manufacturer reports submitted to NHTSA. Absence of a recall here does not mean a vehicle is defect-free.

This page reports 2 campaign records, groups them into 2 component categories, and places the notice dates into these calendar years: 2021: 1; 2022: 1. These are derived views of the supplied records, not additional findings from NHTSA.

The collection includes model-year records with one or more recalls. It is not a complete vehicle history, VIN eligibility result, repair-status check, safety rating, or guarantee that the source has no later updates. Confirm current campaign details and vehicle applicability with official NHTSA information and the manufacturer.