Home/ Kia/ Rio/ 2003
Safety Score
78
Safe
Recalls
2
Complaints
50
NCAP Stars

Recalls (2)

Date NHTSA ID Component Units Completion
2006-08-04 06V294000 SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER 32,257 Details
2005-12-12 05V557000 CHILD SEAT 90,865 Details

Owner Complaints (showing up to 50)

Date Component Crash Injuries Summary
2021-03-22 EXTERIOR LIGHTING No 0 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE …
2015-12-22 ENGINE No 0 SEAT BELTS, CAR SEAT RETAINING HOOKS, ECM, AND DISTRIBUTOR ARE RECALLED. CHEYENNE KIA HAD 3 WEEKS BEFORE ORIGINAL APPO…
2014-09-04 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM No 0 ALL OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS QUIT WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. DONE A SEARCH TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE MINE A…
2013-09-16 SERVICE BRAKES No 0 FRONT, RIGHT BRAKE ROTOR SEPARATED AT THE INBOARD HALF. PIECES NOT FOUND. OUTBOARD HALF REMAINED INTACT, AND IS AVAIL…
2013-06-19 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM No 0 GOING OUT TO DINNER, ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY FROM HOME SMELL COMING FROM CAR. TURNED DOWN A SIDE STREET, SMOKE COMING FROM HE…
2012-08-06 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES No 0 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK FAILED AND COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED…
2012-04-07 SUSPENSION Yes 0 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTL…
2011-10-17 STRUCTURE:BODY No 0 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED AND COULD NOT BE OPENED AUTOMA…
2011-04-17 EXTERIOR LIGHTING No 0 I BOUGHT MY 03 KIA RIO IN 04 AND WITHIN A MO. HAVE HAD PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP EVERY MONTH FOR…
2010-12-28 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC No 0 MY BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE ON MY 2003 KIA RIO CRACKED. MY MECHANIC SAYS IT SHOULD NEVER CRACK NO MATTER THE TEMPERAT…
2009-08-11 SEAT BELTS No 0 BACK IN 2006 I PURCHASED A 2003 KIA RIO AND IN AUG 2009 I WAS SENT A LETTER TELLING ME MY REAR SEATBELTS HAD BEEN RECAL…
2009-04-07 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE No 0 WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD IN THE CAR, THE ENGINE SEIZED UP AND STALLED. THE CAR CURRENTLY WONT …
2009-04-02 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL Yes 3 TRAVELING APROX 30 MPH, REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK ON ANY PASSENGERS, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.…
2009-02-10 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES No 0 2003 KIA RIO DOOR OPENING MECHANISM HAS FAILED TWICE. IT WAS REPAIRED IN 2007. THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE DOOR SAI…
2008-12-23 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION No 0 THE CLUTCH IN MY 2003 KIA RIO HAS FAILED/BROKEN FOUR TIMES NOW. MY FATHER AND I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN MARCH …
2008-09-26 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE No 0 TIMING BELT BROKE AT 72000 MILES WITHOUT WARNING. KIA SAYS CHANGE AT 60000 MILES IN KY, BUT WARRANTY IN CA ALLOW FOR 1…
2008-05-21 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE No 0 BOUGHT 2003 KIA RIO NEW. IN JAN 2005 AT ABOUT 53,000 MILES I HEARD A RATTLE AT ABOUT 50 MILES PER HOUR. IN A FEW SECOND…
2008-02-06 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE No 0 TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND APPROACHING A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED BUT …
2007-09-11 STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR No 0 TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA RIO. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN AND THE CONTACT …
2007-02-22 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC No 0 2003 KIA RIO WITH DEFECTIVE ENGINE. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS PUT IN THE CAR I…
2007-02-12 POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY No 0 AT 53,000 THE VEHICLE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN ADVISED IT NEEDED A NE…
2007-01-24 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION No 0 THIS 2003 KIA RIO WAS PURCHASED USED AT A DEALERSHIP A.V. KIA, PALMDALE, CA, , BUT SOON DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRA…
2007-01-10 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM No 0 THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY BLOWER (PART # 97251 FD000) CONSTANTLY GOES OUT ON MY 2003 KIA RIO. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED MY C…
2006-10-17 SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING No 0 MY BACK PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING HAS GONE BAD THREE TIMES WITH A YEAR'S TIME. THE LAST BEARING WAS REPLACED IN SEP…
2006-09-07 AIR BAGS Yes 0 DRIVING DOWN I-65, AND A SEMI TRUCK TRIED GETTING OVER INTO MY LANE. I DROVE INTO THE MEDIUM, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHI…
2006-07-14 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING No 0 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CAR LOST TOTAL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO …
2006-07-03 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION No 0 JUNE 2006 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2006 MY KIA RIO HAS LOCKED UP IN THE PARKING GEAR NOT ALLOWING TO REMOVE TO REVERSE OR DRIV…
2006-05-01 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC No 0 AUG. 12, 2006 THE HARRELL-SWATTY COS. 6 CONCOURSE PARKWAY NE ATLANTA GA 30328-6117 DEAR MR. X: I AM EXTREMEL…
2006-03-07 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE No 0 DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT CAME UNBOLTED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO…
2006-02-18 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS No 0 DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN A CORNER AT 10 MPH THE TIMING BELT BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A…
2005-11-30 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE No 0 DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPONENTS EXPLODED IN THE GASOLINE STORAGE …
2004-12-20 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION No 0 MY 2003 KIA RIO HAS DIED OUT ON ME ABOUT SIX TIMES SO FAR. I HAVE BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER EACH TIME, NOW AND THEY H…
2004-11-06 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Yes 1 203 KIA RIO PURCHASED 12/02 SINCE PURCHASE HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH BRAKES, I HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER ON 5 …
2004-11-06 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR Yes 1 SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE IN 12/02 THE CAR HAS HAD SEVERAL REACUURING PROBLEM MOST OF WHICH THE BRAKES VIBRATION AND C…
2004-09-09 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING No 0 CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO DEALER F…
2004-08-10 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING No 0 WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL, THE VEHICLE TEMPORALLY LOST POWER. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROB…
2004-05-09 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL Yes 0 WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A DEER. THE DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES REPORTED. PLEASE PR…
2004-05-01 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING No 0 WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 30 MPH. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK
2004-03-15 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES No 0 NUTS ATTACHING THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS TO THE WIPER DRIVE SHAFT REPEATEDLY COMING LOOSE. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES B…
2004-03-02 STEERING:COLUMN No 0 WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED STEERING WHEEL MADE A KNOCKING NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICL…
2004-02-23 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING No 0 WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD A…
2003-12-24 EQUIPMENT No 0 MY KIA RIO HAS 15000 MILES ON AND THE BRAKES WENT IN THE CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER HERITAGE FORD AND THEY DID NOT WANT …
2003-12-10 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER Yes 0 I WAS GOING TO WORK AND HAD TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AT SPRING CREEK AND RINGGOLD ROAD. I PUT MY FOOT OF THE BRAKES TO S…
2003-12-01 STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP No 0 MY NEW 2003 KIA RIO WAGON WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID FROM DAY ONE, AND THE DEALER TRIED TO FIX IT,ITS STILL NOT…
2003-11-24 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS No 0 WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT CONSUMER HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES GRABBED ABRUPTLY. WHEN SHE TRIED TO MOV…
2003-11-06 SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER No 0 CONSUMER PURCHASED A KIA, RIO ON 11-6-03, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL CHILD'S CAR SEAT DISCOVERED THAT AUTOMATIC LOCK …
2003-10-03 SUSPENSION No 0 WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH STEERING WHEEL WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT, AND A LOUD NOISE WOULD BE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL…
2003-09-17 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING No 0 IN COLD WEATHER THE VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO START. ANYTIME THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT TO WARM UP IT WOULD STALL OUT. TH…
2003-09-15 POWER TRAIN No 0 IN JUNE I WAS HAVING A OVER HEATING PROBLEM. IF I WENT UP A HILL THE CAR WOULD HEAT UP TO THE PEG. IT NEEDED A NEW THE…
2003-09-02 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION No 0 VEHICLE WILL NOT START INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND STATES THAT HE DO…