BrakeNewsOwner complaints, read early

Your vehicle report

2023 Kia Forte

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
66
Received Dec 2022 to Oct 2026
Official recalls listed
3
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed8 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Automatic emergency braking applies without reason6 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Airbags fail to deploy in crashes5 complaints · 7.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #24V244000Do not driveKia 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.
  • Recall #23V649000Do not driveKia 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.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 5 fires, 5 people injured, 1 death.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 5 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2023 Kia Forte
5
Show as a table
MonthComplaints
December 20221
January 20230
February 20231
March 20231
April 20230
May 20234
June 20233
July 20232
August 20233
September 20231
October 20232
November 20230
December 20231
January 20243
February 20241
March 20241
April 20245
May 20240
June 20240
July 20241
August 20242
September 20240
October 20240
November 20241
December 20240
January 20252
February 20252
March 20250
April 20251
May 20251
June 20251
July 20253
August 20251
September 20251
October 20251
November 20250
December 20252
January 20261
February 20261
March 20263
April 20261
May 20262
June 20260
July 20261
August 20263
September 20263
October 20263
Total66

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed812%–NHTSA recall #22V906000
Automatic emergency braking applies without reason69.1%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes57.6%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring57.6%5.1×
Engine stalls and loses power while driving46.1%9.5×

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #24V244000April 1, 2024215 vehicles affected

    Do not drive: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.

    suspension: front: control arm: lower arm

    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.

    Remedy

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #23V649000September 22, 20233,866 vehicles affected

    Do not drive: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.

    suspension: front: control arm: lower arm

    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.

    Remedy

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #22V906000December 8, 2022939 vehicles affected

    steering: linkages: knuckle: spindle: arm

    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.

    Remedy

    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.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2023 Kia Forte.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN