- Safety
- 4
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 3
- on record
- MPG
- 30
- combined
Do not drive until repaired
2 active "park it" recalls — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.
Vehicle Summary
2023 Kia Forte
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 3
- Owner complaints
- 56
- Complaints citing a crash
- 10
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
3 Recalls on Record
2 of these are high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.
Safety recalls
3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 22V906000high
Steering issue
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.
Consequence
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V649000critical Do not drive
Suspension issue
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.
Consequence
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 24V244000critical Do not drive
Suspension issue
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.
Consequence
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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 crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2023 Kia Forte.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 3 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.7%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard & Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2023 Kia Forte 4 out of 5 stars overall, below the 5-star median for the 14 comparable 2023 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.7% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2023 Kia Forte, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
27
City
35
Hwy
30
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,050
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 296 g/mi
How this compares
At 30 MPG combined, the 2023 Kia Forte ranks 7th of 17 midsize cars EPA rated for 2023 — 1 MPG better than the 29 MPG median for that group.
That places it squarely mid-pack for its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,050, within $0 of the $2,050 typical for the class — roughly $10,250 over five years.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 296 grams per mile — about 4.4 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
56 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 56
- Total
- 10
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE14
- STEERING11
- OTHER8
- AIR BAGS5
- ADAS4
Serious Concerns
56 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 5 reports involve injuries. 10 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2023 Kia Forte, newest first.
- Do not drive
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Do not drive
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sedan
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
27
City
35
Hwy
30
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,050
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Do not drive
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Do not drive
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.