The owners of 3,866 Kia Fortes from the 2023 model year are being advised not to drive their vehicles due to a manufacturing error. The automaker blames its supplier for an incorrectly manufactured part that could fail, leading to a loss of control.
The recall affects Fortes built between April 12 and June 7, 2023, that received a right front lower control arm with a bad joint connection point. Kia’s investigation found that the error occurred as a result of bad welding, which could fatigue over time.
That could, in turn, cause the part to break, leading to a separation of the lower control arm from the Forte’s cross member. If that happens, the toe angle can change, which can suddenly impact the vehicle’s steering and increase the risk of an accident.
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As a result of the potentially sudden nature of the failure, and its impact on driver control and safety, owners are encouraged not to drive their vehicles until a recall remedy has been completed. If you own a 2023 Forte, you can find out if your specific example is at risk of experiencing this issue by using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s VIN lookup tool.
Meanwhile, Kia is working to get repairs completed quickly, and plans to start reaching out to owners by first-class mail on September 27. They are encouraged to make arrangements with Kia Roadside Assistance in order to have their vehicles towed to a nearby Kia dealer, where the front right lower control arm will be replaced by one that was welded correctly. The repair and the tow will be completed at no cost to the owner.
