2023 Kia Forte Problems

What owners report

Complaints about the 2023 Kia Forte cluster around two themes: steering that pulls or stiffens, and driver-assistance features that misbehave — lane keeping that steers the car, forward collision braking that triggers without an obstacle, and warnings that come and go. A smaller but recurring group involves transmission replacements, engine misfires and oil consumption, and doors that come unlatched. Reported mileage spans a wide range, from a few hundred miles to around 60,000, with many of the steering and driver-assist complaints filed in the first months of ownership.

1. 1
   Forward collision avoidance

   Lane assist and forward collision braking act unexpectedly

   • 14 complaints (21%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 2.2 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe lane keeping nudging the car toward another lane or an exit, and forward collision or adaptive cruise systems braking hard when no vehicle is ahead, or failing to detect the car directly in front. Several owners report 'check forward safety system' messages, warning lights that stay on, or the vehicle dropping into a reduced-power limp mode after a system reset. Dealers are described as unable to reproduce the fault or find stored codes. Spread across the first two years of ownership, from low mileage up to about 35,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test adaptive cruise and lane keeping on a quiet road and watch for false braking or steering input; ask whether any ADAS or cluster software updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2023 Kia Forte keeps automatically braking and coming to a complete stop when pulling out of a parking space. It does it in drive and in reverse. On January 4, 2024 I was pulling out of a parking spot on the road and when my front end was completely in the road the car came to a complete stop and I came very close to causing a collision with another vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11568625, filed 2024-01

   “My Lane keep assist in my 2023 Kia Forte GT Line does not function as intended. It frequently pulls me into the lane with oncoming traffic as well as the lanes next to me. I'm unable to pinpoint when, where or why but I do know it typically happen in one spot of my town but everywhere else seems random. It's incredibly dangerous.”

   NHTSA complaint #11559953, filed 2023-12
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering pulls or stiffens at speed

   • 10 complaints (15%)
   • median 600 mi at 0.9 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the wheel tightening and the car drifting or pulling, usually to the right, on straight flat roads, so that continuous correction is needed to stay in lane. Some link it to lane-assist being active and say the system jerks the wheel or wanders on its own. Complaints mention repeated alignments, steering angle adjustments and multiple dealer visits, with some owners told the vehicle drives as designed or that no fault was found. Reported from as little as a few hundred miles up to roughly 40,000 miles, often noticeable above about 45 mph.

   Recall 22V906000

   What to check: Drive it on a straight, level road at highway speed and see whether it tracks straight without constant correction, and confirm with the seller whether any alignment or steering repairs were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Issue seems to be with the steering of the car. It is very stiff and difficult to maneuver. Steering needs to be hold tightly to keep car in the lane, else car keeps on going towards the right side. I took the car to service center as well and they also acknowledged the problem and as per my understanding they fixed some steering angle issue. But, issue is still persisting and I tried to take the appointment but seems like no Kia service center has appointment available before one month. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11520953, filed 2023-05

   “Recently I purchased a 2023 Kia Forte on 11/09/2024 with only 53,848 miles on the odometer. Within a month the car has lost total power four times. The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems keeps faulting and kicks in taking drive control of the vehicle making it challenging to control. The current miles on the vehicle is 58,281. When I called in to have the vehicle serviced through a Kia dealership, they indicated the earliest date to bring it in is on 01/23/24, I am on the schedule for 7 am. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11634724, filed 2025-01
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine misfire, rough running and oil use

   • 12 complaints (18%)
   • median 49,000 mi at 3.8 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report check engine lights with misfire codes, shaking and rough running, and in some cases knocking followed by loss of power and a dealer recommendation to replace the engine. Others describe oil sludging or consumption despite regular oil changes. A few complaints mention engine-compartment fires, including one while the car was parked. Reported from around 6,000 miles up to roughly 60,000 miles, across model years of ownership rather than a single narrow window.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition on the dipstick, ask for oil-change records, and have a scan tool read stored and pending codes before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety issue involving my 2023 Kia Forte GT. The vehicle has experienced persistent mechanical problems, including a check engine light and multiple diagnostic trouble codes, including P0420 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold – Bank 1), P0300 (random/multiple cylinder misfire), P0304 (cylinder 4 misfire), and P0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). These codes have appeared as stored, pending, and permanent, indicating ongoing and unresolved engine and emissions system issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11727865, filed 2026-03

   “The check engine light turned on when starting the car. The car was shaking and running rough. The car was towed to the dealership and cylinder misfire was detected. Since the car is less than a year old and around 6000 miles, this needs to be addressed by the company. This accident happening while the car was on the road could have caused serious injuries and concerns.”

   NHTSA complaint #11582803, filed 2024-04
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission failure and repeat replacements

   • 10 complaints (15%)
   • median 36,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the car losing motive power while driving, whining or hesitating, and dealers diagnosing a failed transmission. Several owners say the unit was replaced more than once within the first several thousand miles, and some report refurbished rather than new units being installed. One complaint describes a clutch pressure plate failure on a manual-transmission car. Mostly reported under about 6,000 miles, with additional cases around 25,000 to 36,000 miles.

   What to check: Check for whining, delayed engagement or hesitation on a test drive, and ask for the service history showing whether the transmission has been replaced or repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I’ve had my car at the dealer four times now within the first 10k miles to get its FOURTH transmission replacement. Kia will not replace the transmission with a brand new one however settles for used refurbished transmissions with Used parts. Which have been failing on average of 1000 to 1500 miles later”

   NHTSA complaint #11522816, filed 2023-05

   “Catastrophic clutch pressure plate failure - while attempting to shift into gear, teeth on clutch pressure plate sheared horizontally when interacting with input shaft. No indicators appeared when failure originally occurred, only grinding sound when clutch pedal is depressed. Malfunction occurred at a stoplight leading to traffic blockage and no major safety risk. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11657651, filed 2025-04
5. 5
   Suspension

   Right front lower control arm failure

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • typically at 1.5 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report the right front lower control arm cracking or breaking in use, sometimes with the vehicle collapsing or feeling unstable on the road, and in one case with suspension parts separating during a highway maneuver. Complaints note that the dealer had not completed the recall repair despite multiple visits, and one owner of an early-2023 build argues the failure matches the recalled part. Reported on vehicles with low mileage, including examples under 20,000 miles.

   Recall 23V649000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 24V244000 · DO NOT DRIVE

   What to check: Ask for the recall repair record by VIN and have the front suspension inspected for cracks near the right lower control arm welds before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My brand new 2023 Kia Forte LXS (Koa the Kia)'s lower right control arm is completely broken, the rack & pinion inner tie rod end is bent, as well has damage to bottom coverage panel, right side rims scratches and scratched under bumper paint from collapse. In March of 2024, the vehicle completely collapsed on the road, and felt like the car was dangerously floating. By the good grace of God, my children and I made it home safely. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11585792, filed 2024-04

   “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. The vehicle continued traveling before coming to its final resting position. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11762477, filed 2026-09

Buying note. These cars are recent enough that much depends on the individual example, so get the recall status by VIN and a service history showing whether steering, transmission or engine work has already been done. A thorough test drive at highway speed, with the driver-assistance features active, will show the steering and braking complaints that owners most often describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.