IllustrationJUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 61, 230 MILES WE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CUSHION BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND KIA WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER THEIR RECALL. KIA'S SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS SC097. *TR
2007 Kia Rio
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2007 Kia Rio do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Rio years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
90–25K
625–50K
950–75K
475–100K
4100–150K
2150K+
34 reports with mileage · 12 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
21 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V244000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V244000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED SHE HAD TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST IN ORDER TO SEE WHY THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO, AND WHEN I CONTACTED THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE ME TO SEARCH FOR THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM...I HEARD OF A RECALL ON THE KIA RIO AIRBAGS ON NHTSA AND I CALLED KIA TO ASK TO BRING MY VEHICLE IN SO THE PR…
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THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO, AND WHEN I CONTACTED THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE ME TO SEARCH FOR THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM...I HEARD OF A RECALL ON THE KIA RIO AIRBAGS ON NHTSA AND I CALLED KIA TO ASK TO BRING MY VEHICLE IN SO THE PROBLEM COULD BE FIXED AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY SUCH PROBLEMS WITH THAT VEHICLE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN UNLESS I PAID TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT!!! *JS
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND A CAR CAME OUT OF A GAS STATION, CROSSED TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AND HIT MY CAR IN THE LEFT FRONT CORNER CAUSING IT TO ROLL OVER.
MY MOM WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON 8/24/09 IN A 2007 KIA RIO. SHE WAS HIT BROADSIDE FROM A GMC YUKON AND THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. SHE DIED FROM INJURIES FROM THE NECK, SHE HAD NO INJURIES FROM THE SHOULDERS DOWN!!! *TR
AIR BAG LIGHT DOES NOT GO OUT ALL THE TIME WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE PASSERGER SEAT. *TR
DRIVER TBONED ANOTHER AUTO WHO FAILED TO YIELD ON A GREEN LEFT TURN. TOTALED KIA RIO. BUMPER WAS TORN OFF, DRIVE SHAFT ON TOP OF THE RIO. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AT MOVING RATE OF 35-40MPH. DRIVER DID NOT RECEIVE BAD INJURY, BUT DID HAVE WHIPLASH, MILD CONCUSSION, AND DEEP TISSUE TRAUMA TO KNEE. KIA MOTORS WILL NOT RESPOND VIA E…
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DRIVER TBONED ANOTHER AUTO WHO FAILED TO YIELD ON A GREEN LEFT TURN. TOTALED KIA RIO. BUMPER WAS TORN OFF, DRIVE SHAFT ON TOP OF THE RIO. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AT MOVING RATE OF 35-40MPH. DRIVER DID NOT RECEIVE BAD INJURY, BUT DID HAVE WHIPLASH, MILD CONCUSSION, AND DEEP TISSUE TRAUMA TO KNEE. KIA MOTORS WILL NOT RESPOND VIA EMAIL OR PHONE. *TR
ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 10, 2009 I WAS IN A HEAD ON ACCIDENT. THE FRONT END OF MY 2007 KIA RIO SX WAS HIT. MY CAR WAS EQUIPPED WITH 3 AIR BAGS. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR
FELL ASLEEP DRIVING 2007 KIA RIO ON THE INTERSTATE TO ARMY RESERVE TRAINING (TRAVELING 65 MPH). CAR HIT - HEAD ON - THE UPCOMING END OF A GUARD RAIL WHICH DROVE THE RADIATOR BACK INTO THE ENGINE. NEITHER FENDER GOT DAMAGED. HAD SEAT BELT ON AND HIT HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL; CUT HEAD; CONCUSSION; DISLOCATED PART OF HAND. THE AIRBAG…
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FELL ASLEEP DRIVING 2007 KIA RIO ON THE INTERSTATE TO ARMY RESERVE TRAINING (TRAVELING 65 MPH). CAR HIT - HEAD ON - THE UPCOMING END OF A GUARD RAIL WHICH DROVE THE RADIATOR BACK INTO THE ENGINE. NEITHER FENDER GOT DAMAGED. HAD SEAT BELT ON AND HIT HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL; CUT HEAD; CONCUSSION; DISLOCATED PART OF HAND. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. UNCONSCIOUS FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE HIGHWAY PATROL WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY BUT THE GUY REBUILDING THE CAR (3 HOURS FROM US; $7000 WORTH OF DAMAGE) SAYS IT DIDN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO DEPLOY BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY 2 CENSORS AND BOTH CENSORS MUST TRIGGER TO DEPLOY. HOWEVER LOCAL MECHANIC SAYS THERE ARE 4 CENSORS AND ANY ONE OF THEM WILL DEPLOY THE AIRBAG. HAVE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY ON THE CAR FROM THE DEALER WHERE BOUGHT IT USED. *TR
ON OCTOBER 8, 2008. I WAS INVOLVED IN A MAJOR FOUR CAR ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, MY AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED IN MY VEHICLE. MY CAR WILL NOT BE REPAIRABLE IT WILL BE A TOTAL LOSS VEHICLE. IT WAS A 2007 KIA RIO, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Official recalls
112V244000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
May 31, 2012
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 DETECT WHETHER A CHILD PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT AND THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY DURING A CRASH NECESSITATING DEPLOYMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITH A CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO THAT CHILD.
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-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.