NHTSA has received 65 owner complaints about the 2023 Kia Forte, or 17.2 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.43, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2023 vehicles we track, it ranks #37 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 51% lower; against other Compact cars it is 22% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2022-12-20 and 2026-10-13. Median delay from incident to filing: 12 days.
65Complaints
17.2Complaints per year on the road
0.43Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls · ⚠ 2
23.1%Share involving a crash or fire
19Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2022) drew 5.8 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2024) drew 9.3 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2023 model collected 33 complaints, 60% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Steering (18.5% of complaints), followed by Electrical (15.4%) and Engine (13.8%). Steering complaints are 2.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 15 reports (23.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 15 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (43% of incidents). In the last 12 months 19 new complaints were filed, versus 14 in the 12 months before — up 36%.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls for this model year, 2 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.43
vs. other Kia models0.49
vs. other 2023 models0.41
vs. other Compact cars0.78
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (33)0.4
Front left tire blew out, plastic liner became shredded due to it. Beneath that plastic liner sits the main electrical wiring harness which rubs against the wheel creating sparks leading to total engine fire and failure
Electrical · 2026-10-13 · ODI 11770848 · Fire
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.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-06 · ODI 11762477 · Crash
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the steering wheel was loose and was difficult to turn.
Steering · 2026-10-06 · ODI 11769303
While car was rolling in reverse, breaks got stiff and driver had to use excessive force to get car to stop. Battery warning came on when pushing hard on the breaks. Then got the car in park, reved the gas to make sure the car was on which it was.
Brakes · 2026-09-28 · ODI 11767544
Four times, my 2023 Kia forte has went into limp mode. Three times accelerating onto the freeway, the blindspot/anticollision (BCA) system reset. This put the vehicle in limp mode and it deaccelerated to 3 mph. I had to pull over and restart the car.
Electrical · 2026-09-21 · ODI 11765968
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM Campaign 24V244000 · 2024-04-01
⚠ Park-outside / do-not-drive warning
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM Campaign 23V649000 · 2023-09-22
⚠ Park-outside / do-not-drive warning
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
