Recall campaigns by affected system, 2016–2024.
24V244000NHTSA report received April 2024NHTSA: do not drive until repairedModel years: 2023
NHTSA campaign 24V244000: Kia Forte suspension recall
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.
Consequence: Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed.
23V649000NHTSA report received September 2023NHTSA: do not drive until repairedModel years: 2023
NHTSA campaign 23V649000: Kia Forte suspension recall
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.
Consequence: Front lower control arm failure can cause a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed.
22V906000NHTSA report received December 2022Model years: 2023
NHTSA campaign 22V906000: Kia Forte steering recall
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.
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will inspect and replace the front left steering knuckle, as necessary, free of charge.
22V304000NHTSA report received May 2022Model years: 2021–2022
NHTSA campaign 22V304000: Kia Forte steering recall
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.
Consequence: Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge.
22V031000NHTSA report received January 2022Model years: 2017–2018
NHTSA campaign 22V031000: Kia Forte air bags recall
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.
Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary.
21V622000NHTSA report received August 2021Model years: 2016–2018
NHTSA campaign 21V622000: Kia Forte latches/locks/linkages recall
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."
Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge.
21V260000NHTSA report received April 2021Model years: 2017–2018
NHTSA campaign 21V260000: Kia Forte engine and engine cooling recall
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.
Consequence: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge.
21V164000NHTSA report received March 2021Model years: 2021
NHTSA campaign 21V164000: Kia Forte air bags recall
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."
Consequence: 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.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge.
20V459000NHTSA report received August 2020Model years: 2019
NHTSA campaign 20V459000: Kia Forte power train recall
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.
Consequence: A broken driveshaft can result in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): 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.
18V771000NHTSA report received October 2018Model years: 2019
NHTSA campaign 18V771000: Kia Forte exterior lighting recall
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."
Consequence: If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge.
The same full inspection at every tier, at the seller’s location, with a photo-documented report:
Other small cars to weigh against the Kia Forte. Recall counts cover different model-year spans and are not a reliability ranking.
How many recalls does the Kia Forte have?
As of NHTSA records retrieved 2026-08-27, NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the Kia Forte, model years 2016–2024. A recall applies to specific VIN ranges, variants, trims or build dates, so a particular vehicle may be affected by all, some, or none of them, and a campaign count is not a reliability ranking. Whether an open recall is a safety risk depends on the campaign, so read the NHTSA entry for the VIN. Each campaign below shows the remedy NHTSA records, which may be a dealer or service-center repair, an over-the-air software update, or, for some campaigns, a repurchase. This page details the most recent campaigns; the full record for any VIN is at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What should an inspector check on a used Kia Forte?
Beyond the standard pre-purchase checks, the recall history for this model concentrates in: air bags, steering, suspension, latches/locks/linkages, engine and engine cooling, exterior lighting. An inspector documents the visible and operational condition of those systems without disassembly; internal parts, software-only issues and whether a recall remedy was performed are VIN-lookup questions, not inspection findings.
Can a pre-purchase inspection tell me whether a Kia Forte recall was done?
No. Whether a recall repair was performed is recorded against the VIN, so NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls (or the manufacturer's own) is the authoritative check. Run it before you travel. The inspection covers what a VIN lookup cannot: the physical condition of the vehicle in front of you.
Can you inspect a Kia Forte at a dealer, a private seller, or out of state?
Yes. The inspector usually travels to the vehicle at the seller's location — a dealer lot or a private seller — and you do not need to be there. Vehicle Inspectors dispatches an independent inspector within 50 miles of any US ZIP code, widening to 150 miles if needed; more remote locations are quoted case by case. You get a photo-documented PDF report in 24–48 hours.
How much does a Kia Forte pre-purchase inspection cost?
A pre-purchase inspection of a Kia Forte through Vehicle Inspectors: Bronze $249 · Silver $349 · Gold $449. Your card is saved at booking, not charged. A hold is placed when an inspector schedules, and you are charged after the inspection is completed. If no inspector accepts within 72 hours, the request auto-cancels and nothing is charged.
Vehicle Inspectors matches buyers with independent inspectors nationwide. Local pages for cities with active inspectors:
