2017 Kia Forte Exterior Lighting Problems
NHTSA component category: EXTERIOR LIGHTING · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How exterior lighting ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 300 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2017 Kia Forte overview page.
What owners report
“HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT MULTIPLE TIMES EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT WITH NEW HEADLIGHT BULBS. THERE HAS BEEN ONE OCCASION WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE I…”NHTSA complaint 11372353 — filed 10/30/2020
“FRONT WINDSHIELD SMEARS EVERYTIME I USE WINDSHIELD WIPER. I NOTICED THIS WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT, AND IT WOULD…”NHTSA complaint 11365642 — filed 10/21/2020
“MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE BARELY ON. I CAN NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT USING MY HIGH BEAMS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE…”NHTSA complaint 11363120 — filed 10/06/2020
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Exterior Lighting complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2017 Kia Forte have exterior lighting problems?
Exterior Lighting is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2017 Kia Forte: 39 of 300 complaints on file (13%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2017 Kia Forte have in total?
300 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 23 involved a crash, 9 involved a fire, 21 reported injuries, and 4 reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's exterior lighting category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the EXTERIOR LIGHTING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
