IllustrationThere was no accident the radio/backup camera shuts down completely on the inside of the car when the car is too hot inside
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.
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
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
Unknown Or Other complaints
8 reportsMy 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.
On 09/08/2022 my 2019 Kia Rio was stolen due to a flaw in the ignition that allows thieves to easily start the vehicle with a phone charger. See Baltimore City Police Report 5220902309. A national recall on the Kia models affected would help to end the widespread danger that the thieves are causing as they 'joy-ride' the stolen…
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On 09/08/2022 my 2019 Kia Rio was stolen due to a flaw in the ignition that allows thieves to easily start the vehicle with a phone charger. See Baltimore City Police Report 5220902309. A national recall on the Kia models affected would help to end the widespread danger that the thieves are causing as they 'joy-ride' the stolen vehicles. For more information in this issue please see: https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/45853068/Zanmiller_v_Kia_America,_Inc_et_al
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.
The driver interior door latch will not fully retract. As a result it is nearly in the open position. With the door latch nearly in the open position, the door could unexpectedly open creating a safety hazard. Kia is unable to determine if this is covered by the warranty without paying a hefty diagnostic fee. There were no prior…
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The driver interior door latch will not fully retract. As a result it is nearly in the open position. With the door latch nearly in the open position, the door could unexpectedly open creating a safety hazard. Kia is unable to determine if this is covered by the warranty without paying a hefty diagnostic fee. There were no prior symptoms before this issue occurred.
No incident's with my vehicle, just need my recall to be complete before i ship my vehicle from LA to Hawaii.
I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET WHEN I APPROACHED A GREEN LIGHT IT TURNED YELLOW I MASH DOWN ON MY BRAKE IT ENGAGED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND IT GAVE ON ME AND I COULD NOT GET THE BRAKE TO ENGAGE AGAIN I COULD NOT STOP FOR THE LIGHT AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT.
THE CAR VIN NUMBER IS NOT RECOGNIZED IN ANY SITES BY KIA. SO HOW I CAN GET ANY INFORMATION ON RECALLS OR ANY OTHER ISSUE WITH MY CAR??
Official recalls
121V622000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.