What 56 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Forte Koup

I was driving home, on my way while driving I approached a curve on my way around the curve my vehicle continued to accelerate to the right as I was going around the curve. I tried to redirect the vehicle back to the left by trying to turn the steering wheel towards the left but I could not control the direction of the way the vehicle continued on. Still trying to turn the steering wheel back towards the left it kept to the right and ran off the road into a tree. Also once impact occurred i don’t remember if the airbags deployed because my head was laying flat on the steering wheel. Once the emergency services arrived I was accessed and removed from the vehicle and transported to the hospital emergency. There were no warning lights or messages what so ever ahead of the accident. A claim with the insurance was filed and also a complaint with the Kia manufacturer was filed. At this time no one has accessed the damages of the vehicle, State Farm has the vehicle at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11740816

I was driving in a road, when a female deer appeared out of the trees and bushes from the right shoulder of the road. I tried not to hit it but but the deer got in my way. I hit the deer and quickly moved over to the right shoulder. The whole front right of the vehicle was destroyed and the airbags did not open. Sheriff arrived and saw the vehicle, the vehicles debri and the deer which had to be put down. He asked for the vehicles registration and did a report of the accident. The Sheriff then called a local tow company who arrived in a couple of minutes and towed the vehicle to their garage/shop.

NHTSA ODI 11740134

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while leaving Walmart and approaching the vehicle, the contact became aware that another driver with a similar vehicle was able to unlock her vehicle with the other driver’s key fob on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The lights flashed, alerting the contact that the vehicle was unlocked. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11732467

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. In addition to these mechanical problems, the vehicle is emitting strong and concerning chemical fumes into the cabin during operation. These fumes are noticeable while driving and create a hazardous environment for occupants, raising concerns of toxic exposure and making the vehicle unsafe to operate. The vehicle also exhibits drivability issues, including jerking and performance irregularities when accelerating. Despite multiple attempts to have the vehicle diagnosed and repaired under warranty at authorized Kia dealerships, including All Star Kia East and All Star Kia Seigen Lane, the dealerships have refused to properly diagnose or repair the vehicle. I have been informed that my vehicle or account is “flagged in all systems,” and service has been denied on that basis. The refusal to address an emissions-related defect, combined with active misfires and the presence of chemical fumes entering the cabin, presents a serious safety risk. I am requesting that this issue be investigated as a potential safety defect affecting this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11727865

My son, [XXX] , has opened a complaint/Case #XXX with Kia. His 2023 KIA Forte had been idle for at least 24 hours when the engine compartment caught fire. He became aware of this when the Fire Department knocked on his apartment door around 4:00 PM 12/26/25 and said they were evacuating the building because a car was on fire. He went outside and was shocked, to say the least, that it was his car. The Fire Department had taken off the hood to extinguish the fire. He removed his belongings once the fire was out. He contacted his insurance company but since it was a holiday weekend, he did not get a call back until 12/29/25. He then filed a claim with State Farm Insurance which was required to get his car towed to a Kia repair location. On 1/9/25, [XXX] [XXX] t Castrucci Auto Shop in [XXX] [XXX] he car was totaled. I talked with [XXX] who was [XXX] between the auto shop and State Farm, told me that once the repair exceeded the value of the car, he was instructed by State Farm it was totaled and there was no need to continue. On or around 3/4/26, Kia sent engineers to assess the damaged vehicle. Kia determined it was an engine fire and the cause was undetermined due to the condition of the engine department. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11726670

Backing out of a driveway that had a mud hole. Car got turned and stuck in the mud. We were trying to push it out and then it started smoking under the drivers tires and then we heard a pop. Next thing the undercarriage is on fire and we got away. Withing minutes the whole car was engulfed in flames. UNKNOWN MODERATE ONLY CAUSE WE WERE STUCK AND COULD EXIT THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY MANNER NO NO

NHTSA ODI 11724342

My son was in a car accident in my car January 1 at none of the Air bags went off. Not one there is a police report and I have pictures. Its a 2023 kia forte

NHTSA ODI 11718865

Unknown Concerning the front passenger steering component. Carfax showed prior accident with minor damage to the front passenger bumper. I purchased the car not long ago and and was hit in the same exact spot. When I looked up the VIN for more information online I came across the safety issue with some other 2023 forte. I'm concerned that my vehicle could possibly have the same issue though it's not showing up right now under recall.

NHTSA ODI 11709300

My low beam headlights seem to burn out at an unusually high rate. Multiple times per year, and this is much higher than any other vehicle that I've owned. I believe there may be some type of electrical issue.

NHTSA ODI 11707776

My father was in a fatal vehicle accident in which the car was going very fast and then he crashed into a building. The car then started on fire. The black box was unable to be recovered to check car function. There were no medical findings

NHTSA ODI 11703022

Electrical issues since 44K miles I’m at 50 K miles. I’ve complained multiple times and they kept saying electrician wasn’t available. Then they lie about it being a waitlist for a loaner car. All the lights on the dashboard goes on and all the dealership couldn’t diagnose the problem. The second time the check engine lights went out the back up camera. They said it was the back up camera the backup camera was replaced the backup camera now messes up all the time and does not cut on when backing up randomly cut on when driving Kia issue was flashing lights, but they decided to worry about the check engine light, which was the careless converter, they fixed the careless converter And didn’t fix the flashing lights problem. They tried to say the car electrical reason was physical damage, which was false and now the electrical problems are getting worse the gear shifter license to work on the PRND the right brake light in the front and back goes in and out. I don’t know what the mileage is while driving I got a ticket from the cops because of that, the mileage randomly changes and I never know how much gas is in the car when I put in gas.

NHTSA ODI 11691550

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 25,000.

NHTSA ODI 11690318

Summary: Unintended full brake engagement at highway speeds caused by electronic parking brake/Auto Hold button defect. Extreme risk of collision. Details: On [XXX], my wife was driving our 2023 Kia Forte GT Line when the Auto Hold and electronic parking brake system malfunctioned. The system fully engaged the brakes without warning while traveling at highway speed, scraping the brake rotors and creating an immediate risk of being rear-ended. This occurred multiple times. The following day ([XXX], the brake pedal would not depress at all, rendering the vehicle undrivable. The dealership (McFarland Kia, North Hampton, NH) diagnosed “a sticky substance” inside the electronic parking brake button, located next to the cupholder. There have never been any liquid spills in this vehicle. The more likely cause is a combination of factory lubrication and normal dust/debris accumulation over time. If such a small amount of dust or residue can trigger unintended full braking while driving, it is a dangerous design flaw that poses a life-threatening hazard to drivers and passengers. The vehicle was repaired after I paid $284.99 out-of-pocket, but I am pursuing reimbursement through my Zurich Vehicle Service Contract. I have also requested an independent third-party brake and rotor inspection, as this defect may have caused further damage. Why this is a safety issue: Sudden, uncommanded braking at highway speeds can cause high-speed rear-end collisions. The defect can occur without visible warning and without any driver action. The defect can be triggered by minimal non-liquid debris, which is unavoidable over the life of a vehicle. I am requesting NHTSA investigate whether this is an isolated case or part of a larger design defect in the Kia Forte’s electronic parking brake/Auto Hold system. This condition should not be possible in a vehicle that meets federal safety standards. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11683514

Driving home. Unexpectedly foward collision warning came on light never turned off even after a reset was done on the car

NHTSA ODI 11677136

The front radar FCA/SCC is misdetecting vehicles in other lanes and often slams on the brakes for no reason. Other times it lights on the dash and says the system (radar detection) is off or is blocked, when it clearly is not. Kia had this same issue with the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Kia Telluride and issued TSB SC243 (with a software update). I have been to 2 different dealerships, and one had a bunch of excuses and the other dealership had no idea what i was talking about. The car was about 21 months old and millage 20,000 miles when the issue began.

NHTSA ODI 11673182

As I was driving at about 20 mph coming to a stop my passenger front door unlatched and caused the door to open and the door sensors to go off. This door was in fact locked and closed. Now I’m very scared to drive my car because if I was going faster the door could swing open and would be very dangerous to and to others.

NHTSA ODI 11672658

Passenger front side makes noises like something is clicking. It makes like a rattle noise too

NHTSA ODI 11669077

Clunking when going over bumps especially when turning into a driveway. Started at about 20,000 miles along with excessive clicking when turning the steering wheel.

NHTSA ODI 11660911

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. However due to nature of failure if issue occurred at speed there would have been immediate loss of power from engine to drivetrain, causing car to "coast" in effectively neutral until stopped. Vehicle has since been inspected and serviced with appropriate parts replaced by Kia certified technician at a dealer. Failure point was unable to be verified at the time and unknown if able to be replicated.

NHTSA ODI 11657651

The oil in the engine constantly sludges even with regular maintenance with full synthetic oil, I went over a pot hole and two of the rear lights went out and won’t go back on even after replacing bulbs and wiring harness, and the worst of all is the suspension, the lower control arm and the trailing arm both have gone out after only 20k miles of light mostly highway driving, this car offers nothing but problems it’s no surprise that they discontinued the model it’s an absolute nightmare. I bought it brand new and it feels like I’m going to die in it, every speed bump or pot hole I go over feels and sounds like I’m hitting a wall, I’ve replaced the ball joints and am thinking about replacing the control arms because I’m worried they are going to break. I completely understand that living in San Fernando valley there are worse road conditions than usual but I’ve never had a car fall apart like this from driving out here. What’s worse is even after having to have parts replaced with OEM parts IMMEDIATELY the replacement parts are beginning to wear out, I can’t go over speed bumps that are higher than a few inches without scraping the bottom of the car because the car is riding low, I suspect the coils and struts are also already going out also, just the most terribly engineered vehicle, I don’t know if it’s due to something that should be recalled but it absolutely feels like it is to me and I know many other people are suffering through the same issues with their fortes.

NHTSA ODI 11641375

The contact rented a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the contact noticed that the Lane Keep Assist was following the lines on the right side of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to veer towards an exit several times. The contact was able to steer the vehicle back into the correct lane. The rental company was notified of the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11640377

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. I also contacted Kia Corporate office today 01/07/24 to inform them of the issue being that it is still under the manufacture warranty up till 60,000 after filing a complaint with them I began researching the vehicle on Google which led me here to NHTSA website there are numerous complaints that have had similar issues. This is a major problem as it puts my life in grave danger as well as others if this should occur while in traffic. The car loosing all power could cause a major accident. The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems kicking in without warning or cause takes away the ability to control the vehicle this could also cause a major accident. Why are these vehicles still being sold with these kinds of safety issues that could cause loss of life if an accident was to occure. Clearly this is a poorly manufactured vehicle and there needs to be a recall or some recourse for the consumers who have been sold these death traps. I have only acquired 4,433 miles on this vehicle since purchasing it on 11/09/24, and I should not be worrying about these kind of safety concern. Please advise

NHTSA ODI 11634724

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle was driving on the incorrect side of the road coming towards the contact head-on. While attempting to avoid crashing into the other vehicle, the contact swerved over to the side of the road and drove downhill. The contact then heard a loud thud, and the vehicle became undriveable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch assembly needed to be placed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 11633927

The vehicle has 20k miles and just shut down while going 40 miles per hour. It just turned off. There were no codes or warning lights. The dealership said they had could not find anything wrong and though they suspected what was wrong they could not prove it and so could not get reimbursed for the repair and wouldn’t do it. Why does a new car shut off while going to miles per hour, that is scary to drive. If it happens at the wrong place or time I and others could be in danger.

NHTSA ODI 11626840

I walked out to my car and I noticed there were scratches and dents that weren’t there that morning. I park in a carport in my apartment, and the only vehicle that could’ve possibly hit mine would be the GMC Yukon who parks in the carport next to me. Their car is completely wrecked on the back, so although there are scratches that match the damage to my car, they could easily say they didn’t do it. However, their back drivers side window is replaced with black tape, and their passenger side mirror is blown off as well. These 2 damages blocked their vision of my vehicle, which explains why they are responsible for the damages. The tags on their vehicle have been expired for 2 years as well.

NHTSA ODI 11609267