2023 Kia Forte
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 63 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 16 Forte model years with reports.
Of the 2023 reports, 11 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 5 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Suspension, front, control arm, lower armDo not drive until repairedApr 1, 2024
Kia 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.
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Dealers will replace the right front lower control arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 17, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC306. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 23V-649.
Campaign 24V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, control arm, lower armDo not drive until repairedSep 22, 2023
Kia 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.
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Dealers will replace the right front lower control arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 27, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC283.
Campaign 23V649000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, linkages, knuckle, spindle, armDec 8, 2022
Kia 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.
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the front left steering knuckle, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 12, 2023. Owner may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC259.
Campaign 22V906000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
8 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Suspension, Power train, Sep 6, 2026, crash
Unknown. During a basic collision Avoidance maneuver performed by myself on the highway at speed of aprox 60MPH the steering suddenly became non-responsive, resulting in my inability to maintain directional control and cause a collision. The vehicle continued traveling before coming to its final resting position. During this sequence, the driver-side front suspension assembly sustained a catastrophic separation before the impact The steering knuckle was no longer attached to the vehicle, the strut was broken, and the driver-side wheel/tire ultimately ended up underneath the vehicle when the vehicle finally come to a stop . During the event The driver-side axle shaft completely detached and somehow come out of the transaxle housing and was found a significant distance back along the roadway, a great distance back before the initial impact . indicating that it separated before the vehicle reached its final resting position. It is in my strongest opinion the maneuver itself could have potentially been cause of the catastrophic event. And is potentially why I could not maintain complete complete control of vehicle the whole time.
Power train, Sep 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Power train, Apr 29, 2025
Catastrophic clutch pressure plate failure - while attempting to shift into gear, teeth on clutch pressure plate sheared horizontally when interacting with input shaft. No indicators appeared when failure originally occurred, only grinding sound when clutch pedal is depressed. Malfunction occurred at a stoplight leading to traffic blockage and no major safety risk. However due to nature of failure if issue occurred at speed there would have been immediate loss of power from engine to drivetrain, causing car to "coast" in effectively neutral until stopped. Vehicle has since been inspected and serviced with appropriate parts replaced by Kia certified technician at a dealer. Failure point was unable to be verified at the time and unknown if able to be replicated.
Power train, Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle was driving on the incorrect side of the road coming towards the contact head-on. While attempting to avoid crashing into the other vehicle, the contact swerved over to the side of the road and drove downhill. The contact then heard a loud thud, and the vehicle became undriveable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch assembly needed to be placed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Power train, Jan 18, 2024
The car will shift to reverse but it will not reverse. It will not move at all
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jun 11, 2023
Never been in a accident on my second engine and had the transmission replaced now I have oil in my coolant and my screen stoped working but think it’s grime be dealership be I took it some ware and there found wires that was cut
Power train, May 19, 2023
I’ve had my car at the dealer four times now within the first 10k miles to get its FOURTH transmission replacement. Kia will not replace the transmission with a brand new one however settles for used refurbished transmissions with Used parts. Which have been failing on average of 1000 to 1500 miles later
Power train, Mar 8, 2023
I have had two transmission replacements within the first 6000 miles on the vehicle. And now the 3rd transmission is whining after only 600 miles.