2023 Kia Forte Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal knocking sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle later lost motive power while driving with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a week prior to the failure, the vehicle was taken to another dealer to determine the trade-in value, and no failures were found at the time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

NHTSA ID

11752655

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

Mileage

49,000 mi

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 ID

11727865

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

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 ID

11726670

Incident

Dec 26, 2025

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 ID

11641375

Incident

Nov 29, 2023

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 ID

11634724

Incident

Jan 7, 2025

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 ID

11582803

Incident

Apr 11, 2024

Driving down the road and the car will quit running and will take 20-30 for it to start again and now won’t start at all and it quit running while driving at Hyway speeds 10 times and could have been hit by other vehicles

NHTSA ID

11571337

Incident

Jan 10, 2024

The car caught fire on the highway. Per firemen there was a problem with the engine and fuel and it caught fire in under 3 minutes...

NHTSA ID

11563850

Incident

Jan 2, 2024

Never been in a accident on my second engine and had the transmission replaced now I have oil in my coolant and my screen stoped working but think it’s grime be dealership be I took it some ware and there found wires that was cut

NHTSA ID

11526440

Incident

Jun 11, 2023