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.
Safety risk
Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer 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.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Unknown or other
3
—
Service brakes
2
—
Back over prevention
1
72,000 mi
Back over prevention: warnings
1
—
Electrical system
1
—
Engine
1
—
Exterior lighting
1
—
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
1
—
Fuel/propulsion system
1
—
Latches/locks/linkages
1
69,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
1
—
Steering
1
—
Structure: body
1
—
Visibility/wiper
1
—
The 2021 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2023 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
