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2009 Kia Rio

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Kia Rio do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.5.

About this comparison →
39Owner complaints

Model-year median: 38.5

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
74
200646
200746
200839
200926
201024
201154
2012
Compare all Rio years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
17Engine
7Seats
4Structure
3Unknown Or Other
3
All reported categories
Electrical System
2Fuel/propulsion System
2Seat Belts
2Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2Steering
2Suspension
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Engine And Engine Cooling
1Fuel System, Other
1Power Train
1Tires
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

30 reports with mileage · 9 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 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seats. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

2 reports
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98,000 miles · Jun 9, 2016
Vehicle Speed Control

CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING FOR NO REASON. 4000+RPM BRAKES APPLIED DID NOT STOP IT. MISTAKE WAS TO KILL ENGINE WHICH KILLS THE BRAKES AND STEERING! LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED. STARTED CAR AGAIN AND ENGINE REVVED UP BY ITSELF. TURNED OFF AND ON AND ENGINE WAS NORMAL. IMPORTANT TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL NOT TO T…

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CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING FOR NO REASON. 4000+RPM BRAKES APPLIED DID NOT STOP IT. MISTAKE WAS TO KILL ENGINE WHICH KILLS THE BRAKES AND STEERING! LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED. STARTED CAR AGAIN AND ENGINE REVVED UP BY ITSELF. TURNED OFF AND ON AND ENGINE WAS NORMAL. IMPORTANT TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL NOT TO TURN OFF, NEUTRAL ALLOWS BRAKES TO WORK!!!!! CALLED KIA THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS.

NHTSA ODI #10873515

20,000 miles · Feb 11, 2014
EngineVehicle Speed Control

WHEN CAR SITS OVER NIGHT, THE NEXT MORNING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE IS HARD TO PRESS AND DISENGAGE AS TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN EVER THE CAR SIT FOR SOMETIME AFTER RUNNING. THIS PART WAS CHANGED UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW AT 20,000 MILES IS ACTING THE SAME WAY AND THE DEALER IN SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO DOESNOT WAN…

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WHEN CAR SITS OVER NIGHT, THE NEXT MORNING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE IS HARD TO PRESS AND DISENGAGE AS TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN EVER THE CAR SIT FOR SOMETIME AFTER RUNNING. THIS PART WAS CHANGED UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW AT 20,000 MILES IS ACTING THE SAME WAY AND THE DEALER IN SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO DOESNOT WANT TO CHANGE IT AS A CONTINUING DEFECTIVE PART. THIS PART CONSIST OF PLASTIC AND METAL. MAYBE DUE TO HEAT AND COLD TEMP., THE CONTRACTION AND EXPLANATION CAUSES IT TO MAL FUNCTION. I BELIEVE THIS PART SHOW BE REENGINEERED TO BETTER PERFORMANCE STANDARDSAS TO NOT FAIL. FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD CAUSE AN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WHICH COULD CAUSE AN FATAL ACCIDENT OR BLOW UP OF ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10563853

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.