RecallMyCar

Kia Rio Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls and 1,291 owner complaints across 24 model years of the Kia Rio (2000–2023). The most-complained-about year is 2001.

11
safety recalls, all years
1,291
owner complaints, all years
2001
year with most recalls
2001
year with most complaints

Pick your Kia Rio model year

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2023 Kia Rio012
2022 Kia Rio111
2021 Kia Rio215
2020 Kia Rio127
2019 Kia Rio121
2018 Kia Rio128
2017 Kia Rio231
2016 Kia Rio277
2015 Kia Rio152
2014 Kia Rio152
2013 Kia Rio1153
2012 Kia Rio154
2011 Kia Rio024
2010 Kia Rio026
2009 Kia Rio039
2008 Kia Rio146
2007 Kia Rio146
2006 Kia Rio174
2005 Kia Rio137
2004 Kia Rio238
2003 Kia Rio374
2002 Kia Rio1128
2001 Kia Rio3223
2000 Kia Rio03

What Kia Rio owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 1,291 complaints with NHTSA. The 2001 model year has the most, with 223.

All Kia Rio recalls (11)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Kia Rio, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

  1. Service brakes, hydraulic: control unit/module Park outside

    NHTSA 23V652000 Reported 1,730,192 vehicles potentially affected Kia America, Inc.

    Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which…

    Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk,…

    Model years: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

  2. Latch (latches/locks/linkages)

    NHTSA 23V594000 Reported 319,436 vehicles potentially affected Kia America, Inc.

    Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, 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,…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is…

    Model years: 2016, 2017

  3. Column (steering)

    NHTSA 22V304000 Reported 30 vehicles potentially affected Kia Motors America

    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.

    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…

    Model years: 2021, 2022

  4. Master cylinder (service brakes)

    NHTSA 21V936000 Reported 87 vehicles potentially affected Kia Motors America

    Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223.

    Model years: 2020, 2021

  5. Latch (latches/locks/linkages)

    NHTSA 21V622000 Reported 253,074 vehicles potentially affected Kia Motors America

    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…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is…

    Model years: 2018, 2019

  6. Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive

    NHTSA 12V244000 Reported 72,568 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS CORPORATION

    KIA is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 rio vehicles, manufactured from february 20, 2005, through december 9, 2007. The front passenger seat occupant sensor mat can experience fatigue cracking. If sufficient cracking occurs, the occupant classification system (ocs) will cease to function such that the system will not be able to…

    Remedy: KIA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ocs seat sensor mat, free of charge. The recall began on july 26, 2012. Owners may contact KIA consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.

    Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008

  7. Seat belts: rear/other

    NHTSA 06V294000 Reported 32,257 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

    Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." when used with certain child seats, the automatic locking retractor (alr) function in the rear outboard seatbelt assemblies may disengage.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace both rear outboard seatbelt assemblies free of charge. The recall began on september 15, 2006. Owners may contact hyundai-KIA at 1-800-333-4542.

    Model years: 2003

  8. Child seat

    NHTSA 05V557000 Reported 90,865 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

    Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' certain child restraint anchors will not fully latch onto the lower latch anchors located between the rear seat back and rear seat cushion because of interference between the child seat…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower anchors free of charge. The recall began on january 30, 2006. Owners may contact KIA at 1-800-333-4542.

    Model years: 2003, 2004, 2005

  9. Wheels

    NHTSA 05V159000 Reported 24,119 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

    Certain passenger vehicles may have a manufacturing flaw that could cause the wheels to crack under long term driving fatigue. If cracks occur, wheel noise and vibration will result and become progressively worse over time.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace all four wheels free of charge. The recall began on june 22, 2005. Owners may contact KIA at 1-800-333-4542.

    Model years: 2001

  10. Delivery (fuel system)

    NHTSA 04V179000 Reported 187,790 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

    On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel intake nipple of the fuel distributor is subject to fracture or cracking during removal of the quick connect coupling securing the main fuel tube assembly to the fuel intake nipple, or when force is accidentally applied to the intake nipple during the vehicle assembly process or during engine…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel distributor and main fuel tube assemblies. The recall began june 18, 2004. Owners should contact KIA at 1-800-333-4542.

    Model years: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

  11. Fuel system, gasoline

    NHTSA 03V352000 Reported 57,340 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

    On certain passenger vehicles, fuel leaks may develop at the fuel distributor assembly because of quality deviations.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel distributor and fuel connector assemblies. Owner notification is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2004. Owners should contact KIA at 1-800-333-4542.

    Model years: 2001

Other Kia models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.