Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

25 crash reports6 fire reports18 injury reports

What owners actually said

128 reports

Mileage unknown · Nov 29, 2003

Fuel System, Gasoline

MY CAR TURNS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING IT.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10048800

Mileage unknown · Nov 24, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

KIA RIO CINCO RANDOMLY STALLS WHILE DRIVING. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10047508

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2003

Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment

THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE IN MOTION, HAPPEND MORE THAN 10 TIMES ALREADY BUT THE CAR STARTED UP I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES ALREADY FOR THIS PROBLEM PROBLEM STARTED AROUND MARCH 2003, THIS LAST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY TELL ME "OH THE OTHER MECHANIC DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT", "AND THE PROBLEM IS FIXE…

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NHTSA ODI #10039622

12,000 miles · Sep 22, 2003

Air BagsSteeringCrash

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VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 46 MPH. UPON IMPACT, PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. STEERING WHEEL CAME COMPLETELY OFF, AND THE DRIVER DIED AS A RESULT. *AK CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS HIT HEAD ON WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH BY A TOOTA TACOMA. THE DRIVIER OF THE TACOMA WAS ON DRUGS WHEN CROSSED OVER INTO PATH OF THE RIO. THE DRIVER OF THE RIO EXPERIENCED A SEVERED BRAIN STEM, PUNCTURED LUNG FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND A SEVERED ARM. THE DRIVER OF THE RIO WAS WEARING THE SEAT BELT. DURING THE CRASH THE RIO'S DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE FROM THE MOUNTINGS AND THE STEERING WHEEL BROKE OFF. AFTER THE CRASH THE RIO'S DRIVER WAS FOUND UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE TACOMA WAS BENT IN HALF AND THE TRUCKS BED BROKE OFF FROM THE FRAME. RIO HAS BEEN NOTIFED OF THE CRASH. IT WAS ASSUMED THE DRIVER OF THE TACOMA WAS TRAVALING ATLEAST 45-50 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. CW

NHTSA ODI #10040288

8,100 miles · Sep 12, 2003

Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. *AK *TS

NHTSA ODI #10032016

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2003

SuspensionVisibility

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AIR CONDITIONER WENT OUT OF CAR SO HAD IT LOOKED AT. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE COMPUTER CHIP OR SOMETHING. THIS CAUSED THE DEFROSTER IN THE CAR TO NOT WORK. BEFORE I COULD GET IT IN TO BE REPLACED, STARTED HEARING A STRANGE NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. CALLED TO GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY ABOUT THE AIR AND THE NOISE. THAT DAY, WHILE DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE, THE NOISE BEGAN TO GET WORSE. I THEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR, AND LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE STEERING WOULD NOT RESPOND, AND THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS "FLOATING" ALONG THE INTERSTATE. HAD THE CAR TOWED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE REAR WHEEL BEARING AND THAT IT DAMAGED SOME THINGS UNDER THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI #10038677

8,464 miles · Sep 4, 2003

Air BagsCrashInjury

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK *SCC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10026798

1,090 miles · Sep 3, 2003

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

UPON COMING TO A STOP SIGN AND ENGAGING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. DEALER CLAIMED THAT MASTER CYLINDER WORE OUT. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM FOUR TIMES EARLIER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10038144

Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2003

Latches/locks/linkages

THE DRIVER GOT INTO THE VEHICLE, CLOSED THE DOOR ,AND COULD NOT GET OUT. THE SCREWS TO HOLD THE DOOR LATCH WERE GONE WHICH CAUSED THE LATCH TO GET STUCK BETWEEN THE DOORS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10034109

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 2003

Structure

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WATER WAS LEAKING INSIDE OF VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10031445

Official recalls

04V179000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery

Apr 9, 2004

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 COMPARTMENT REPAIRS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY RESULT IN A FIRE.

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-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA02009 · Air Bag Non Deploy

Opened Jul 2, 2002 · Closed Jul 2, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

THIS INVESTIGATION IDENTIFIED A TOTAL OF 82 REPORTS ALLEGING NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DUAL FRONT AIR BAGS.OF THE 82 REPORTS, ONLY ONE INCIDENT, THE FATAL CRASH THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR OPENING THE INVESTIGATION, HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A MODERATE TO SEVERE CRASH IN WHICH THE AUTOMOTIVE RESTRAINT CONTROLLER ISSUED A COMMAND TO DEPLOY BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED SUMMARY REPORT