Model year 2023 · Midsize Cars

2023 Kia Forte: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2023 Kia Forte at 26–34 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 66 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

26–34

NHTSA overall rating

4/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Kia dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2023 Kia Forte recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2023 Kia Forte, newest first.

Suspension: Front: Control arm: Lower arm

NHTSA 24V244000 Reported Apr 1, 2024 Do not drive

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC306)
Units affected: 215 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Suspension: Front: Control arm: Lower arm

NHTSA 23V649000 Reported Sep 22, 2023 Do not drive

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC283)
Units affected: 3,866 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Steering: Linkages: Knuckle: Spindle: Arm

NHTSA 22V906000 Reported Dec 8, 2022

Filed by: Kia America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. SC259)
Units affected: 939 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2023 Kia Forte fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2023 Kia Forte EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Forte	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	22/31/26 mpg	$2,600	348
Forte	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 7-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	27/35/30 mpg	$2,250	296
Forte	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	28/39/32 mpg	$2,100	277
Forte FE	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	30/41/34 mpg	$1,950	261

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2023 Kia Forte crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2023 Kia Forte NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2023 Kia Forte 4 DR FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	10.7%	Standard & Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2023 Kia Forte owner complaints

Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Forte, most recently on Oct 22, 2026. 11 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 5 injured people and 1 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2023 Kia Forte complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Steering	15
Electrical system	11
Engine	9
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings	8
Suspension	8
Unknown or other	8
Power train	7
Air bags	5
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	5
Service brakes	5

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Kia Forte model years

Kia Forte by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2024 Forte	26–34 mpg	0	26	4/5
2022 Forte	26–35 mpg	1	28	4/5
2021 Forte	28–35 mpg	2	69	4/5
2020 Forte	28–35 mpg	0	78	4/5
2019 Forte	31–35 mpg	2	150	4/5
2018 Forte	25–32 mpg	3	136	5/5
2017 Forte	25–32 mpg	3	305	5/5
2016 Forte	24–30 mpg	1	138	5/5
2015 Forte	24–30 mpg	1	259	5/5

All Kia Forte years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2023 Kia models

2023 Kia Carnival 2023 Kia EV6 2023 Kia K5 2023 Kia Niro 2023 Kia Rio 2023 Kia Seltos 2023 Kia Sorento 2023 Kia Soul 2023 Kia Sportage 2023 Kia Stinger 2023 Kia Telluride

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Kia.