2002 Kia Rio

SINCE BUYING THIS CAR IN 2002 IT HAS STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AS OFTEN WITHOUT THE ISSUE BEING RESOLVED. DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM (THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY) AND HAD ANOTHER CLIENT'S CAR THAT DID THE SAME THING AND COULDN'T FIX IT EITHER. WE HAVE USED FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER, WHICH WORKED FOR 6 MONTHS UNTIL NOW. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND IS DANGEROUS AT INTERSECTIONS AND ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT STALLS!! LEMON LAW PAPERS WILL BE FILED IF NOT RESOLVED VERY SOON!!*JB

SINCE APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASING MY 2002 KIA RIO, I HAVE HAD ON-GOING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. AT VARIOUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION 'SLAMS' INTO GEAR, OR SHUTTERS. ALTHOUGH I HAVE BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF THREE DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, AND KIA CORPORATE, THEY CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO ISSUE OR THAT THEY CAN NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THEY CLAIMED AT ONE POINT THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DIRTY (ALTHOUGH IT WAS WELL BELOW THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE MILEAGE), SO I HAD A THIRD PARTY SERVICE STATION PERFORM A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FLUID/FILTER CHANGE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED, AND NOW A YEAR LATER THE DEALERSHIP IS AGAIN TELLING ME THAT IT IS THE FLUID - WHICH I HAVE NEVER HEARD AN ISSUE LIKE THIS BEING CAUSED BY FLUID, BUT IF THIS IS TRUE, THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE IN THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CHANGED EVERY 6-12 MONTHS. I RECENTLY BROUGHT MY CAR TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, AND HE WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AS A TORQUE CONVERTER AND A TCC PREMATURELY ENGAGING, AS WELL AS A TRANSMISSION 'SHUTTER'. HE PROVIDED ME WITH WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF THE ISSUE, AND I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP. AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NO ISSUE AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE 'NORMAL'. THIS VEHICLE IS A LEMON, AND I AM UNABLE TO OBTAIN PROPER SERVICE FROM KIA, AND I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BECOME A SAFETY HAZARD SHOULD THE SYMPTOMS CONTINUE TO GET WORSE, OR THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAIL WHILE DRIVING. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD THE CAR BACK FIRED THEN THE ENGINE SEIZED UP, THE TIMING BELT WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, BUT BECAUSE IT HAD 60,274 MILES THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THEY HAVE HAD AT LEAST SIX SIMILAR FAILURES IN THE LAST YEAR, A COUPLE WERE LESS THAN 59,000 MILES AND WERE COVERED. IN TALKING TO KIA DIRECT, THEY SAID BECAUSE WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND HAD NO SERVICE RECORD FROM BEFORE, NOTHING COULD BE DONE. IT'S CLEAR FROM THE NUMBER OF FAILURES THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT. THE TIMING BELT FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE LOCKUP COULD CAUSE A FATALITY IF IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS! *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 KIA RIO ON MY LUNCH BREAK GOING TO MY HOME. A YOUNG LADY PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME I WAS GOING AROUND 45 WHEN SHE PULLED OUT. MY CAR HIT HERS IN THE SIDE NEITHER MY AIR BAGS OR SEAT BELT FUNCTIONED LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE. MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T EVEN DEPLOY MY SEAT BELT ALLOWED ME TO GO INTO THE WINDSHIELD. AS MY BODY WAS THROWN FORWARD THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL BROKE MY FEMUR IN 3 PLACES. I FILLED A COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA ABOUT THE AIR BAGS AND SEAT BELT THEY CLAIMED THE CAR UNDER ROLLED THE OTHER CAR TO ME THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS PUSHED BACK AND IT WAS FLAT. KIA NEEDS TO HOLD UP THEIR END 2 ITEMS IN THE CAR FOR SAFETY FAILED. SOME PEOPLE ASK DID YOU HAVE YOUR SEAT BELT ON THE ANSWER IS YES I HAD 2 PEOPLE SHOW UP AT THE WRECK AND SAW IT ON ME AND IT BURNED THROUGH 2 SHIRTS I HAD ON AT THE TIME OF THE WRECK. *NM

DT:THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN TWO ACCIDENTS. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FIRST ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY OF 2003 WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH. SHE WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT DURING THE ACCIDENT. THIS WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT. THE SECOND ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH. SHE WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK UPDATED 01/19/06.

DT: IN THE HIGH HUMIDITY OR RAIN THE REAR BRAKES LOCK. IT MAKES A SCRAPING AND SCRATCHING NOISE, WHEN THE BRAKES DRY OUT. THERE IS NO FOREWARNING; NOTICED THIS PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2002. HAVE CONTACTED THREE DEALERS, AND A MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. ONE DEALER DID REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER PURCHASED TWO 2002 KIA RIOS, THE FIRST VEHICLE WAS FINE. THE OTHER VEHICLE WITHIN 30 DAYS OF PURCHASE AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES, DIED. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AT ANY CERTAIN SPEED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP OVER 14 TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT REPLACED ANYTHING . THEY HAVE REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WILL WORK FOR AWHILE, NO SPECIFIC TIME, AND THEN DIE AGAIN. CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER ACTUALLY DROVE VEHICLE WHICH WAS LOCATED IN SOUTH CAROLINA.*AK THE VISOR WAS REPLACED. THE INTERIOR LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF, THE DEALER STATED IT WAS A PINCHED WIRE. THE LIFTGATE LATCH WAS REPLACED AND THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ADJUSTED. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATESDTHE TIRES WERE PURCHASED ON APRIL 23, 2005. THEY SPLIT IN HALF AND CHUNKS WERECOMING OUT OF THE TIRES. ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. WIRE WAS COMING OUT OF THE TIRES. THE AIR PRESSURE IWAS CHECKED. THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS HAVE BEEN CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. THESE TIRES STARTED FALLING APART AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES.*AK