Reliable Auto DB

2023 Kia Forte reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Forte over 4 years — 16 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Forte years here — over the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front lower control arm and Arm.

2012 Kia Forte
Photo by Michael Gil from Calgary, AB, Canada, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
Complaints

62

Per year

16

Recalls

3

Years on the road

4

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (14 of 62), then Electrical system (10) and Forward collision avoidance (10). Those filings include 11 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 5 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2022 and 2024

The 2022 Forte has 27 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2024 has 25 complaints, 8 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2023 Kia Forte. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Front lower control arm 2024-04-01 · NHTSA campaign 24V244000
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.
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.
Recall Front lower control arm 2023-09-22 · NHTSA campaign 23V649000
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.
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.
Recall steering, linkages, knuckle, spindle, arm 2022-12-08 · NHTSA campaign 22V906000
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.
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.

Complaints by component (62 total)

Steering
14
Electrical system
10
Forward collision avoidance
10
Engine
9
Powertrain
8
Suspension
8
Lane departure
7
Air bags
5
Structure
4
Exterior lighting
3
Service brakes
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Back-over prevention
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Speed control
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

11

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

5

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

12022182023142024152025142026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Lane departure, Back-over prevention, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-21
  • "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…"
    Steering, Suspension, Powertrain · filed 2026-09-06
  • "Electrical system failed while operating vehicle on major highway. All lights flashed, system shut off, power steering locked up."
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-24
  • "The right front lower control arm has completely broken/fractured during operation. Kia has previously issued safety recalls SC283 (NHTSA 23V649) and SC306 (NHTSA 24V244) for this exact vehicle model year due to…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-08-09
  • "The A/C compressor field coil assembly failed on my 2023 Kia Forte. The air conditioning system is completely inoperative. The vehicle is currently [at my residence / at the dealership - specify location] and the…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-06

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2023 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Forte 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 28 39 32 MPG $2050
Forte 1.6L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 31 26 MPG $2500
Forte 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Forte FE 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 41 34 MPG $1900

Specs and fitment

4th generation (BD), 2019–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L and 1.6L turbo where equipped) , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 195/65R15 to 225/40R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V164000. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.

Compare

Previous year 2022 Kia Forte Next year 2024 Kia Forte See every Kia Forte model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Kia Forte reliable?

Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Forte over 4 years — 16 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Forte years here — over the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front lower control arm and Arm.

What are common problems with a 2023 Kia Forte?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (14 of 62), then Electrical system (10) and Forward collision avoidance (10). Those filings include 11 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 5 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2023 Kia Forte more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2022 Forte has 27 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2024 has 25 complaints, 8 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

Has the 2023 Kia Forte been recalled?

The 2023 Kia Forte has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2023 Kia Forte?

Owners have filed 62 complaints about the 2023 Kia Forte with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2023 Kia Forte get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2023 Kia Forte is 30.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Forte take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner’s manual.

What generation is the 2020 Kia Forte?

4th generation / BD (2019-on).

What tire sizes does a Kia Forte use?

US Forte fits commonly run about 195/65R15 to 225/40R18 depending on trim.