Recall history
Kia Forte Recalls by Year
This page groups every Kia Forte safety-recall campaign in the connected NHTSA dataset by model year. Read the component, safety consequence and remedy, then use the exact VIN to confirm whether a specific car is affected and repaired.
Data updated June 2026
- Recall campaigns
- 10
- Latest affected year
- 2023
- Urgent instructions
- 2
- Years analyzed
- 7
5 affected model years
SUSPENSION
Park-it or park-outside flags
11 year-level recall count
2 campaigns include a stop-driving or park-outside instruction. Do not assume the instruction applies to every Kia Forte; check the VIN immediately.
Year directory
Kia Forte recalls by model year
2023 Kia Forte recalls
3 campaigns on file
2022 Kia Forte recalls
1 campaign on file
2021 Kia Forte recalls
2 campaigns on file
2019 Kia Forte recalls
2 campaigns on file
2018 Kia Forte recalls
3 campaigns on file
Campaign details
Kia Forte recall campaigns
Duplicate campaign numbers across model years are combined below. Urgent stop-driving and park-outside instructions appear first, followed by the newest NHTSA reports.
Do not driveSUSPENSION24V244000
Affected model years
What can happen
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recall 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.
NHTSA report received 2024-04-01T00:00:00Z.
Do not driveSUSPENSION23V649000
Affected model years
What can happen
Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recall 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.
NHTSA report received 2023-09-22T04:00:00Z.
STEERING22V906000
Affected model years
What can happen
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Recall 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.
NHTSA report received 2022-12-08T05:00:00Z.
STEERING22V304000
Affected model years
What can happen
Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.
Recall summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
Remedy
Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC235.
NHTSA report received 2022-05-05T04:00:00Z.
AIR BAGS22V031000
Affected model years
What can happen
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Recall summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
NHTSA report received 2022-01-25T05:00:00Z.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES21V622000
Affected model years
What can happen
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Recall summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Remedy
Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
NHTSA report received 2021-08-09T04:00:00Z.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING21V260000
Affected model years
What can happen
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recall summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.
NHTSA report received 2021-04-13T04:00:00Z.
AIR BAGS21V164000
Affected model years
What can happen
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.
Recall summary
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."
Remedy
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.
NHTSA report received 2021-03-11T00:00:00Z.
POWER TRAIN20V459000
Affected model years
What can happen
A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recall summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Forte vehicles. The left front axle driveshaft may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to break.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle driveshaft for a heat treatment verification code, and replace it if the code is missing, free of charge. The recall began September 2, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC195.
NHTSA report received 2020-08-05T04:00:00Z.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING18V771000
Affected model years
What can happen
If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recall summary
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The headlights may not have been manufactured with the correct low beam aiming. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.
NHTSA report received 2018-10-31T00:00:00Z.
Important limitation
A recall campaign is not the same as an open recall on one car
Campaigns are attached to production ranges, equipment and configurations. Some vehicles in the same model year are not covered; others have already received the repair. Only a VIN-level lookup can confirm applicability and completion.
Source trail
Where this Kia Forte data comes from
VinExposed combines model-level research with the vehicle-specific history you get from a VIN. Reliability scores and complaint patterns come from Auto Reliability Index's Kia Forte research, which analyzes NHTSA records and independent repair data.
Recall counts describe a model year, not the repair status of one car. Confirm the exact VIN with the official NHTSA recall lookup and a vehicle-history report before buying.
Buyer questions
Kia Forte research FAQ
How many recalls does the Kia Forte have?
The available NHTSA model-year records contain 10 unique recall campaigns across 5 Kia Forte model years. A campaign can affect multiple years and only certain production dates or configurations.
How do I know whether my Kia Forte recall was repaired?
Campaign data cannot show repair completion for one car. Enter the 17-character VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup or ask a franchised dealer to check the manufacturer system.
Can a Kia Forte be sold with an open recall?
Used vehicles can be offered for sale with unrepaired recalls. Recall repairs are generally completed by an authorized dealer at no charge, but confirm eligibility and parts availability for the exact VIN.
Check the actual car
Model research narrows the list. The VIN confirms the car.
Check title brands, accidents, odometer history, auction records and recall status for the specific Kia Forte you are considering.