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2019 Kia Rio

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 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

Limited mileage data: 6 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Engine. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports

Engine complaints

6 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2026
Engine

On the morning of October 15th, the oil light of my 2019 Kia Rio came on, immediately followed by extreme engine noise, just before the engine locked. I had the vehicle towed to a nearby service center. They checked and reported that all oil had leaked out and motor had locked. I then had vehicle towed to Kia dealer and requeste…

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On the morning of October 15th, the oil light of my 2019 Kia Rio came on, immediately followed by extreme engine noise, just before the engine locked. I had the vehicle towed to a nearby service center. They checked and reported that all oil had leaked out and motor had locked. I then had vehicle towed to Kia dealer and requested a motor replacement. They not only charged me for a diagnostic test that determined the motor had locked but also refused to replace the engine without me paying $12,000. The vehicle's motor has the same problems as the motors in 2011-2019 kia Engine Defect Settlement but for some reason was allowed to be excluded from the settlement.

NHTSA ODI #11710569

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2025
Engine

The engine experienced a rod bearing failure resulting in internal engine damage and sudden loss of normal engine operation. The vehicle and failed engine components are currently available for inspection upon request. The engine failure occurred while the vehicle was traveling at high speed on the freeway, resulting in sudden …

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The engine experienced a rod bearing failure resulting in internal engine damage and sudden loss of normal engine operation. The vehicle and failed engine components are currently available for inspection upon request. The engine failure occurred while the vehicle was traveling at high speed on the freeway, resulting in sudden loss of engine power. This created a significant safety risk, as loss of power at freeway speeds increases the likelihood of collision with surrounding vehicles and posed a danger to myself and other motorists. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by a Kia dealership as rod bearing failure. The vehicle has been inspected by a Kia dealership. No inspection has been conducted by police or insurance representatives. There were no prior warning lamps, messages, or indications of engine malfunction before the failure. The only warning light present prior to the incident was the check engine light related to previous vandalism involving an attempted catalytic converter theft, which caused ongoing sensor issues unrelated to engine performance. That warning light had been present despite resets during routine maintenance and was not associated with any engine functionality issues. There were no pre existing engine performance problems, drivability issues, or warnings indicating impending failure. The engine failure was sudden and catastrophic. This failure is consistent with known Kia engine rod bearing defects that have resulted in recalls, safety campaigns, and settlements. Kia has denied assistance in this case, stating that my VIN is excluded due to manufacturing origin, despite the identical failure mode

NHTSA ODI #11705721

Mileage unknown · Oct 31, 2024
EnginePower Train

The oil light flashed in the car once after an oil change, so I took the car back the very next day to the mechanic and he said there was no oil in the car at the time. He filled the car back up with oil, and by the end of the week, the car needed oil again, but no light indicated the car was low on oil. Months went by with cons…

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The oil light flashed in the car once after an oil change, so I took the car back the very next day to the mechanic and he said there was no oil in the car at the time. He filled the car back up with oil, and by the end of the week, the car needed oil again, but no light indicated the car was low on oil. Months went by with constant oil changes and the car needing oil, so the mechanic told me to take the car to the dealership because he couldn't find a leak. Took the car to the dealership, they couldn't find a leak either. Took the car back to the main mechanic who said the car was consuming too much oil and that a new engine was needed. Spoke to the corporate office for the car company and was told that I needed to get all these tests did before I could be eligible for a new engine. I scheduled the tests, but before I could even make it to the dealership for the tests, the car gave out because there was no oil again and this time the car started burning. I called corporate again and was told that since I'm not the original owner of the car I would be denied for a new engine and that I wouldn't be offered a loaner car. I was told it was best for me to get another car, which is what I did, and now I'm stuck paying for two cars because I couldn't trade this one in because of the engine problem, even though the car is drivable. This car has put me in a lot of safety risks because there have been times when I was on the side of the road in the early morning hours because the car had no oil and was burning. The car wouldn't go over a certain speed limit when the oil was low and/or empty, so I was put at risk as well due to other drivers going the speed limit.

NHTSA ODI #11622905

Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other

My car is only 3 years old 70k miles.. I have regularly serviced and never had any issues until all of a sudden I was driving I heard a sound and my hood started smoking. My car quickly came to a stop and wouldn’t turn back on. The engine block threw a rod and left a giant hole in my engine. Kia is refusing to repair and my insu…

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My car is only 3 years old 70k miles.. I have regularly serviced and never had any issues until all of a sudden I was driving I heard a sound and my hood started smoking. My car quickly came to a stop and wouldn’t turn back on. The engine block threw a rod and left a giant hole in my engine. Kia is refusing to repair and my insurance won’t cover saying this is an engine malfunction. Thank god I was able to get to safety, something like this is dangerous and not what I wanted when i bought a Kia.

NHTSA ODI #11538782

Mileage unknown · Aug 9, 2023
Engine

Unknown. I was driving and my car slowed to a stop and started smoking. The engine stopped and I couldn’t restart the car. Kia says the engine block threw a rod. But they won’t cover saying I don’t have sufficient service records.. I can’t get records from an out of business shop. Insurance won’t cover saying this is a warranty …

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Unknown. I was driving and my car slowed to a stop and started smoking. The engine stopped and I couldn’t restart the car. Kia says the engine block threw a rod. But they won’t cover saying I don’t have sufficient service records.. I can’t get records from an out of business shop. Insurance won’t cover saying this is a warranty thing. I bought this car brand new cash purchase only a few years ago. Horrible experience and I feel robbed.

NHTSA ODI #11537326

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2022
EngineUnknown Or OtherFire

Unknown of specifics. I was driving up a hill. I heard a loud pop. I pulled off the side of the road. The battery light, oil light, and one other came on. I turned my car off. Tried to start it, again however it sounded like the starter wasn't working. Then smoke started to come out of the car. Within 10 minutes my entire car wa…

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Unknown of specifics. I was driving up a hill. I heard a loud pop. I pulled off the side of the road. The battery light, oil light, and one other came on. I turned my car off. Tried to start it, again however it sounded like the starter wasn't working. Then smoke started to come out of the car. Within 10 minutes my entire car was consumed in flames. A bystander stated the same thing happened to someone she knows- same make & model of car... about two weeks prior. Police believe there was something faulty within the car.

NHTSA ODI #11462323

Official recalls

1

21V622000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch

Aug 9, 2021

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.

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.