Table 1 shows one common equipment related problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Forte.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Equipment problems |
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.
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.
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).
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.
Auto emergency breaking & forward collision warning: yes it available for inspection ASAP my safety was risk, while driving on the freeway I was staying in my lane driving and all of a sudden it said forward collision: warning when passing a vehicle that was driving in the next lane to the right , then immediately the auto emergency brakes turned on and once it did that I had trouble with steering the vehicle it felt as if it was pulling me to the right lane where the vehicle next to me was driving. Then following moments when stepping on gas peddle it vibrates, puts the other driver at risk if we crashed due to the malfunction.
While driving my 2023 kia Forte gt my driver side door came unlatched. The door was locked and fully closed when this happened while turning from the 2nd street bridge to e main street in louisville, ky which is a busy road at times. I was going about 10-15mph at about 11:15ish, temp was around 70 degrees f when this happened and the car started to set off the warnings. I don't know what caused this to happen considering the door(s) were locked when I started to drive 15 minutes prior. There was nothing in the door frame or latch that could've made this happen.