2005 Kia Rio

NOT REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE BUT MAYBE YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE. I CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TELLING ME I'M AT LESS THAN 90% EFFICIENCY RELATIVE TO POLLUTION. WHEN THE MECHANIC CHECKS THE CO2 AND OTHER POLLUTION REQUIREMENTS I'M OK. I STILL GET GREAT MILEAGE AND GOOD POWER. THE PROBLEM IS THE COMPUTER SAYS THE CONVERTER IS OFF AND HENCE CAN'T GET A STICKER BUT THE CAR IS NOT POLLUTING ?? IF I LIVED OUT SIDE A BIG CITY WHERE THEY DO NOT TRACK THIS STUFF THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM. PS THE COST TO REPLACE THE CAT CONVERTER IS OVER $1400.00. WHILE IT US STILL 90% EFFECTIVE??? WHAT GIVES PLEASE HELP. THANKS, *TR

KIA PLACED A BULLETIN WITH YOU ON 1/1/05,#TSB82,#10015272. APPARENTLY KIA THOUGHT THAT WAS ENOUGH. MY KIA WAS PURCHASED 7/21/05. I WAS TOLD I HAD "BUMPER TO BUMPER COVERAGE IF I PURCHASED THE ADDITIONAL 4,000. EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY WERE REQUIRED TO FURNISH ME WITH A COMPLETE WARRANTY DISCLOSURE BEFORE PURCHASE. THEY DID FURNISH ME WITH A BOOKLET CALLED WARRANTY AND CONSUMER INFORMATION MANUAL AND A PAMPHLET CALLED START UP TIPS FOR YOUR KIA. I DID READ THESE. AND THE TIMING BELT ISN'T MENTIONED. LATER WHEN I READ MY OWNERS MANUAL I DID NOTICE THAT THE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS DID MENTION THE TIMING BELT, IT SHOULD BE CHECKED AT 30,000 MI, 60,000MI AND POSSIBLY CHANGED AT 105,000. KIA DOES CLAIM 100,000 WARRANTY, AND I HAD THE BUMPER TO BUMPER COV, SO I STILL FELT PRETTY CONFIDENT IN MY CAR. IF KIA HAD COMPLETELY DISCLOSED ALL THE MAINTENANCE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WOULD HAVE WALKED. AT 38,000 MI I WAS ON MY WAY TO WA. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO THE TOP OF RICE HILL WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. 6 LANES OF 70MPH TRAFFIC, CONCRETE ON ALL SIDES AND NOWHERE TO GO, WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER. IT WAS VERY DISORIENTING THE ENGINE REVVED BUT NO POWER, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NOTHING,I WAS DUMBFOUNDED. I PUT MY FLASHERS ON AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE RT. LANE. WE PUSHED IT OVER THE TOP OF RICE HILL AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. I CALLED KIA, THEY TOLD ME I HAD NO COVERAGE, BECAUSE MY CAR WAS A WEEK PAST 5 YRS. WE TOWED IT TO KIA WHERE THEY TOLD ME I WASN'T COVERED. SO I CALLED KIA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS UP TO THE SERVICE MAN.. I WENT BACK TO KIA, AND THE MANAGER TOLD ME I NEEDED TO DO A DIAG TEST ($174.) WHICH I KNEW WAS IMPOS. BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T START. AFTERWARD THE SERVICE MAN TOLD ME HE HAD LOOKED AT MY CAR AND THE TB WAS GONE BUT THE PISTONS WERE FINE WHICH IS RARE. THEY WON'T FIX IT. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND 100 CONSUMERS WITH BLOWN ENGINES AND DEFECT. TIMING BELTS. WHATS UP? THIS IS DANGEROUS! IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS! I WAS LUCKY! DO SOMETHING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. IT WOULD RESUME NORMALLY AFTER SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR AT LEAST A WEEK SO THAT THE DEALER COULD DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND FIND A CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN THE FUEL FILTER OR SENSOR. THE FUEL FILTER AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000. THE SENSORS AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. UPDATED 06/22/10.*JB UPDATED 08/11/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/05/10*JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST IS RUN ON THE CAR, ERROR P0101 IS DETECTED. THIS ERROR, "MASS AIR FLOW CIRCUIT RANGE PERFORMANCE PROBLEM," CAN BE CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR IN THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THIS ERROR HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN MY CAR, THE INCIDENT IN JANUARY BEING THE THIRD. IF IGNORED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY GO OFF AFTER TIME. SOMETIMES WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, THERE IS HESITATION IN THE ENGINE WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE HESITATION IS WORSE WHEN THE CAR IS WARMED UP AND HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 20 MINUTES. NO ONE AT KIA HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY AND IT IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO I HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THIS SENSOR MYSELF. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING AT LOWS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RANDOMLY HESITATE. THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD OR IT HAS NOT RAINED WITHIN A FEW HOURS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. THE DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. TWO WEEKS LATER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. AN AUTHORIZED MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE ON A THIRD VISIT TO THE DEALER AND STATED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO SAY WHAT COMPONENT WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 9,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT PULLED ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND, AFTER A SHORT TIME OF ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. SHE TOOK PRESSURE OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT NOTHING CHANGED. SHE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL DID NOT ACCELERATE. SHE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED STEAM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. SHE PULLED THE LATCH TO LOOSEN THE HOOD AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD ALONG WITH A BURNING ODOR. ANOTHER DRIVER ARRIVED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. A POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED AND USED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE APPEARED TO CEASE, BUT THEN IGNITED AGAIN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES FOR GOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CONSULTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO PROVIDED HER WITH A CASE NUMBER AND INFORMED HER THAT THE MATTER WOULD BE INVESTIGATED. SHE HAS NOT YET HEARD BACK REGARDING THE INVESTIGATION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 37,000.

MY KIA RIO DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $6000. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY SINCE IT ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY, SAYING THAT MAINTENANCE ISSUES CAUSED THE FAILURE. KIA IS DEFRAUDING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC BY STATING IT HAS A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY THAT IT DOES NOT HONOR. *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING HIS 2005 KIA RIO HOME FROM WORK ONE NIGHT WHEN THE CAR STALLED. HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE ONE OF OUR COUNTY SHERIFFS TRIED TO GIVE HIM A JUMP. THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER. MY SON TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY HAD BEEN DENIED DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THEIR DEFINITION OF THAT WAS MY SON WENT OVER ON TWO OIL CHANGES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHERE TWO OIL CHANGES WOULD CAUSE A CAR TO LOCK UP. BECAUSE OF THE TWO OIL CHANGES KIA WILL NOT LOOK AT THE CAR. THEY ARE MAKING US TAKE THE PIECE OF JUNK THEY SOLD US TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN SITTING ON THEIR LOT FOR 2 WEEKS NOW. I HAVE CALLED THEIR CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND THERE AGAIN THEY WERE NO HELP. SO NOW I TAKE THE CAR TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH IT BECAUSE KIA WONT EVEN LOOK AT THERE OWN CAR. I AM NOT BEING TOLD WHAT IS AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR MY SON WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A LOWER BEARING KNOCK IN HIS CAR. HE CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP WHO NEVER RETURNED HIS CALL TO DISCUSS IT. IT THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE CAR THEN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AN OIL CHANGE IT IS THE OIL PUMP WHICH IS THEIR PROBLEM AND THEY AREN'T GOING TO FIX IT. BUYERS BEWARE IF YOU BUY A KIA AND GO OVER ON ANY OF YOUR OIL CHANGES THEY WILL NOT COVER YOUR CAR UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THEY WILL GET YOU IN THEIR SHOWROOM TO BUY THEIR CARS BECAUSE THE WARRANTY IS SO GREAT AND THEN THEY DON'T WANT TO COVER IT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE CAR. THAT CAR WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE IN A VEHICLE PURCHASE. *JB