Vehicle recall 21V622000 · August 9, 2021
Kia Forte and Rio
The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
- Consequence
- A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
- Notes
- Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 21V622000
- Reported to NHTSA
- August 9, 2021
- Filed by
- Kia Motors America
- Manufacturer campaign
- SC216
- Owner notification
- February 10, 2022
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 253,074
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Latches/locks/linkages › Trunk lid › Latch
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
Has your Kia been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Kia dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.