2023 Kia Forte problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2023 Kia Forte include 1 fatality report, 10 crashes and 4 fires across 60 filings.

60
Complaints
3
Recalls
10
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
5
Injuries
128.1
Severity index

Severity index 128.1 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 128.1p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 3 of 82 by severity index among 2023 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 96% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2023 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

SteeringSteering: 13 complaints (21.7%)13 22%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 10 complaints (16.7%)10 17%EngineEngine: 9 complaints (15.0%)9 15%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 9 complaints (15.0%)9 15%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 8 complaints (13.3%)8 13%SuspensionSuspension: 7 complaints (11.7%)7 12%Power TrainPower Train: 7 complaints (11.7%)7 12%Lane DepartureLane Departure: 6 complaints (10.0%)6 10%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
STEERING1321.7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1016.7%
ENGINE915.0%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE915.0%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER813.3%
SUSPENSION711.7%
POWER TRAIN711.7%
LANE DEPARTURE610.0%

Complaints filed per year

09182022: 12023: 182024: 142025: 152026: 12 (partial year)222318242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20221
202318
202414
202515
2026 (year to date)12
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 47.0x those in 2022 to 2022 (47 against 1).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
22V90600008/12/2022STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARMKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Forte vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the front left steering knuckle may crack, which can result in a loss of steering control.
23V64900022/09/2023SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARMKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Forte vehicles. The right front lower control arm may have been improperly welded, which can cause it to fail.
24V24400001/04/2024SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARMKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Forte vehicles. The right front lower control arm may have been improperly welded, which can cause it to fail.

Other Kia Forte model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 12 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-29. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.