IllustrationAFTER FILLUP THE GAS TANK CAR SHAKE AND DIE WHEN RUNING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS THE 2ND CAR DOING THE SAME THING. *TR
2008 Kia Rio
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 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
150–25K
625–50K
450–75K
775–100K
6100–150K
1150K+
39 reports with mileage · 7 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 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 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 reports0 fire reports7 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
2 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE SPLASH GUARD UNDER THE VEHICLE HAD MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT TWO COIL PACKS FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE …
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE SPLASH GUARD UNDER THE VEHICLE HAD MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT TWO COIL PACKS FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO PUMP RAW FUEL INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. BOTH THE COIL PACKS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,200.
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.