VIN Lookup Result
KNAFW411AB5874553
Decoded via the official NHTSA Vehicle Identification Number database. Permanent shareable link.
Year
2011
Make
KIA
Model
Forte
Trim
HGS
Body Style
Sedan/Saloon
Drive Type
—
Engine
1.6L
Fuel Type
Gasoline
Transmission
—
Plant
HWASUNG, SOUTH KOREA
Vehicle Type
PASSENGER CAR
Manufacturer
KIA CORPORATION
Owner Complaints
161 filed Get Report →
Service Bulletins
79 on file Get Report →
Market Value
Buyer-paid data Get Report →
CarWhere Pricing
See KIA Forte prices →
89 verified KIA deals, 2.7% avg off MSRP
Safety
3 open recalls →
View recall details and remedy.
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011 Forte vehicles manufactured August 27, 2010, to November 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a transmission fluid cooler hose that may have been improperly manufactured, resulting in a transmission fluid leak.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
The manufacturer has filed 79 technical service bulletins with NHTSA for the 2011 KIA Forte — factory-acknowledged issues with documented fixes, distinct from recalls. Top areas:
PI2102_OWNR_501 — PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2102 FLIGHT #501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting an important Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update o
CS2311_OWNR_PC201 — CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: POSTCARD OWNER RENOTIFICATION (CS2311) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. Kia has developed a new zinc-reinforced i
PS797 — PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the
Owners have filed 161 complaints with the federal government (NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation) about the 2011 KIA Forte. Complaints are owner-reported issues — unlike recalls, they are not manufacturer-acknowledged defects, but they show where this model-year has real-world trouble spots.
VIN KNAFW411AB5874553 identifies a 2011 KIA Forte HGS sedan/saloon. The first three characters (KNA) form the World Manufacturer Identifier — encoding country, manufacturer, and vehicle type. Characters 4-8 (FW411) describe the model, body, and engine. The 9th character (A) is the check digit. Position 10 (B) encodes the model year (2011). Position 11 (5) is the plant code — this vehicle was assembled in HWASUNG, SOUTH KOREA. The final six characters (874553) are the unique sequential production number.
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NHTSA vPIC database, decoded 2026-09-21
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