Kia bulletin TSB_ENG243
What it saysThis bulletin provides information regarding a loose crankshaft pulley condition on certain 2020-2023MY Forte (BDm) vehicles equipped with a 1.6L T-GDI and 6-speed manual transmission, produced from May 15, 2019 through… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 9, 2023, received Jul 5, 2023, about the engine. It names 4 model years (2020–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: LOOSE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY PARTIAL REPAIR - This bulletin provides information regarding a loose crankshaft pulley condition on certain 2020-2023MY Forte (BDm) vehicles equipped with a 1.6L T-GDI and 6-speed manual transmission, produced from May 15, 2019 through present, where excessive engine loads may cause the crankshaft pulley bolt to back out, causing the crankshaft pulley to come loose. If this condition occurs, a loose crankshaft pulley may cause the alignment dowel pin to shear and the crankshaft pulley to separate from the crankshaft.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ENG243 | Service bulletin | Jun 9, 2023 | 10238483 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 241 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 60 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
Hi I had my Kia forte GT 2022 for 3 years and my engine light has been on for about 3 months now . I get a check up and an oil change regularly. It comes on and goes off . I told my mechanic and he said I might have to get a new transmission. I only had this brand new car for 3 years . Is there a defect in these Kia forte GT or a recall
2022 Kia Forte · Engine · filed with NHTSA Apr 7, 2025 · ODI 11653093
Service engine light turns off then comes back on. Get message engine failure. Scanner at dealership scanned 15 codes relating to misfires on all cylinders. Positive battery terminal caked up real bad causing arcing and melting plastic. Last I heard from dealership was possibly a engine replacement
2021 Kia Forte · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 7, 2023 · ODI 11548829
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light, and a message that Kia had been alerted of a failure was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and stalled.
2020 Kia Forte · Engine · filed with NHTSA May 20, 2024 · ODI 11589673
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Forte under the same component group (engine), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ENG263 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MISFIRE CONCERN DUE TO OVERRUNNING ALTERNATOR DECOUPLER - This bulletin provides information to address unresolv… |
| PI2106 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2026 | PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2106 FLIGHT 501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is cond… |
| PI2105 | Service bulletin | Mar 25, 2026 | PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2105 FLIGHT 501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is cond… |
| TSB_ENG222_R8 | Service bulletin | Apr 3, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional in… |
| TSB_ENG222_R7 | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional in… |
| PI2106Y/Z | Service bulletin | Nov 8, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Kia, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Kia TSB_ENG243 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the TSB_ENG243 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Kia warranty extension on file lists the ones Kia has filed.
Which vehicles does TSB_ENG243 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 Kia Forte, 2022 Kia Forte, 2021 Kia Forte, 2020 Kia Forte. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.