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2010 Kia Rio

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Kia Rio do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

21 reports with mileage · 5 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 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. 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.

9 crash reports0 fire reports7 injury reports

What owners actually said

26 reports
140,000 miles · Jul 7, 2022
Air BagsCrash

The contact owned a 2010 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle crashed head-on into a guard rail. During the crash, the front-end of the vehicle was severely damaged; however, no air bags were deployed. No injuries were reported; however, the contact was concerned that the a…

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The contact owned a 2010 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle crashed head-on into a guard rail. During the crash, the front-end of the vehicle was severely damaged; however, no air bags were deployed. No injuries were reported; however, the contact was concerned that the air bags had not been deployed to provide protection to the driver or the front seat passenger. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ODI #11472774

65,000 miles · Jan 26, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System

HAVING TO REPLACE AT LEAST ONE FUEL INJECTOR EACH YEAR. USUALLY NUMBER ONE PLUG.

NHTSA ODI #11172266

100,100 miles · Oct 4, 2018
Unknown Or Other

AFTER DRIVING TO WORK APPROXIMATELY A 25 MINUTES TO WORK I PARKED MY VEHICLE AND SMELT SOMETHING LIKE BURNT PLASTIC. ASSUMED IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE AREA I WORK. AFTER MY SHIFT ROUGHLY 8 HOURS I HEADED HOME AND SUDDENLY THE CAR WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR THEN COMPLETELY DEAD. AFTER THE TOW TRUCKED LIFTED THE VEHICLE …

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AFTER DRIVING TO WORK APPROXIMATELY A 25 MINUTES TO WORK I PARKED MY VEHICLE AND SMELT SOMETHING LIKE BURNT PLASTIC. ASSUMED IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE AREA I WORK. AFTER MY SHIFT ROUGHLY 8 HOURS I HEADED HOME AND SUDDENLY THE CAR WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR THEN COMPLETELY DEAD. AFTER THE TOW TRUCKED LIFTED THE VEHICLE I WAS ABLE TO SEE SEVERE MELTING OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE PLASTIC. IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE. IT WAS TOWED TO LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP AND HAVE NO IDEA TO WHY YET THIS HAPPENED. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE DANGER TO JUST HAPPEN TO A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE RANDOMLY.

NHTSA ODI #11133234

131,000 miles · Mar 28, 2018
Unknown Or Other

SINCE JANUARY MY 2010 KIA RIO HAS STALLED AT TRAFFIC STOPS. IT USUALLY STARTS AGAIN AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, ALTHOUGH RECENTLY IT NEEDED A JUMP START. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THREE MECHANICS WHO ALL SAY THEY CAN'T FIND A CODE OR WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I'VE TRIED GAS ADDITIVE, NEW CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, TUNE UP. NOTHING WORKS. I'VE CALLED KIA CU…

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SINCE JANUARY MY 2010 KIA RIO HAS STALLED AT TRAFFIC STOPS. IT USUALLY STARTS AGAIN AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, ALTHOUGH RECENTLY IT NEEDED A JUMP START. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THREE MECHANICS WHO ALL SAY THEY CAN'T FIND A CODE OR WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I'VE TRIED GAS ADDITIVE, NEW CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, TUNE UP. NOTHING WORKS. I'VE CALLED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THERE ARE NO RECALLS BUT I STILL HAVE A CAR I THINK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I'VE STALLED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON CITY STREETS AND STATE ROADS SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVE A CASE NUMBER WITH KIA, AND PLAN TO TAKE IT TO KIA DEALERSHIP IN ONE MORE EFFORT TO FIND CODE OR WHAT'S WRONG. I DON'T HAVE REPAIR INVOICES HANDY BUT HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $500.

NHTSA ODI #11081771

62,000 miles · Jun 24, 2017
Air Bags

AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON.

NHTSA ODI #11000961

Mileage unknown · Feb 18, 2017
Air Bags

AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON.

NHTSA ODI #10955394

88,000 miles · Dec 6, 2016
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

WHEN DRIVING, THE CAR STALLS FOR NO REASON (THERE IS FUEL IN THE CAR, HAS REGULAR OIL CHANGES, AND A BRAND NEW BATTERY). IT TAKES A COUPLE MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WILL RESTART. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THEN TURN RIGHT OFF, BUT THE RPM GAUGE STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM STILL DRIVING. THERE IS A JE…

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WHEN DRIVING, THE CAR STALLS FOR NO REASON (THERE IS FUEL IN THE CAR, HAS REGULAR OIL CHANGES, AND A BRAND NEW BATTERY). IT TAKES A COUPLE MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WILL RESTART. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THEN TURN RIGHT OFF, BUT THE RPM GAUGE STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM STILL DRIVING. THERE IS A JERKING MOTION WHEN THAT HAPPENS. THIS HAPPENS ON CITY STREETS AND ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS BECOMING UNSAFE AND THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT REPLICATE THE SITUATION. ALL THEY DO IS RUN THE CODE BUT NOTHING COMES UP. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER 2016 AND HAS HAPPENED EVERY DAY SINCE THEN.THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR COULD STALL ANYTIME WHILE DRIVING AND I COULD BE SERIOUSLY HURT AND OTHER DRIVERS COULD GET HURT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10930298

126,000 miles · Jan 4, 2016
Service Brakes

I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH EXITING ON THE FWY OFF RAMP WHICH TURNS TO THE RIGHT. INITIALLY MY BRAKES WORKED AND THEN IT MADE A AWFUL WINDING SOUND. THE CAR WAS GAINING SPEED AS I MADE THE TURN AND I TOTALLY LOST MY BRAKES AND HAD TO USE MY HAND BRAKE TO STOP BEFORE ALMOST RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF A CAR. I HAD MY BRAKES CH…

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I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH EXITING ON THE FWY OFF RAMP WHICH TURNS TO THE RIGHT. INITIALLY MY BRAKES WORKED AND THEN IT MADE A AWFUL WINDING SOUND. THE CAR WAS GAINING SPEED AS I MADE THE TURN AND I TOTALLY LOST MY BRAKES AND HAD TO USE MY HAND BRAKE TO STOP BEFORE ALMOST RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF A CAR. I HAD MY BRAKES CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THAT MY SHOES WERE VERY GOOD BUT I WEN AHEAD AND PUT NEW ONES ON ANYWAY. I AM STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ON THE FWY HAVING TO USE MY BRAKES AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH CAUSE THE SAME NOISE AND NO BRAKES UNTIL I HAVE SLOWED BELOW 40MPH.

NHTSA ODI #10817662

Mileage unknown · Nov 23, 2015
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE ENGINE STALLED. ONCE THE ENGINE STALLED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FAILU…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE ENGINE STALLED. ONCE THE ENGINE STALLED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V258000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI #10806345

88,000 miles · Sep 23, 2015
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

MY HAD MY CAR ABOUT ONE YEAR AND IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER. WHEN I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT I HAD TO PAY FOR TWO DIAGNOSTIC TESTS 95.00 EACH. THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION COIL, SPARK PLUGS, AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT IS NOW ALMOST EXACTLY ANOTHER YEAR PAST AND SAME PROBLEM BUT NOW DEALERSHIP CAN'T READ KIA CODES AND WANTS ME…

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MY HAD MY CAR ABOUT ONE YEAR AND IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER. WHEN I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT I HAD TO PAY FOR TWO DIAGNOSTIC TESTS 95.00 EACH. THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION COIL, SPARK PLUGS, AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT IS NOW ALMOST EXACTLY ANOTHER YEAR PAST AND SAME PROBLEM BUT NOW DEALERSHIP CAN'T READ KIA CODES AND WANTS ME TO DRIVE IT 60 MILES AWAY WITH THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENING. THE KIA DEALERSHIP MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIX BUT HAVE TO GET THE CAR THERE. I DID MY OWN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AT AUTOZONE AND A REPAIR SHOP. THEY GOT THE CODES SAYING IGNITION COIL, SPARK PLUGS, EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AND POSSIBLE CATLYTIC CONVERTER WITH AN ESTIMATE OF 1260.00

NHTSA ODI #10774546

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.