2.9

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,875 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2003 Kia Rio:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #4

Feb 062008

Rio

  • 69,500 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Kia Rio. While driving at an unknown speed and approaching a stop, the vehicle stalled but did not shut off when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The fuel pump was replaced. Approximately four months later, the failure recurred. The dealer could not duplicate the failure. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 75,000 and failure mileage was 69,500.

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #3

Nov 302005

Rio 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 114,000 miles
The contact stated the fuel system malfunctioned. The fuel pump and components exploded in the gasoline storage tank. The entire fuel system needed to be replaced. A local repair shop replaced the fuel system. There was NHTSA recall campaign 04V179000 concerning the fuel system. The manufacturer said this problem was not due to the recall.

- Marbel Falls, TX, USA

problem #2

Dec 202004

Rio 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 16,000 miles
My 2003 Kia Rio has died out on me about six times so far. I have brought it into the dealer each time, now and they have said that they could not duplicate the problem or find a problem. They have replaced a throttle position sensor however, that did not help. My car doesn't die out all the time only once in awhile. It has died out while reversing, driving on the highway, waiting at a stoplight. I have pursued lemon law in Hawaii and am waiting for the decision of the arbitrator. At hearing, manufacturer knew of stalling defect however, he said it did not apply to my VIN number. I have also had problems with the shocks on my vehicle, they do not absorb much and make noise when I go on a bumpy road. My car also makes a large whistling sound when driving over 50 mph but it only occurs sometimes.

- Paia, HI, USA

problem #1

Jul 152003

Rio

  • miles
I purchased a 2003 Kia Rio in may of 2003 and in a month I had hard pulling to the right every time I went left took in to dealer and they rotated the tires and said that this happens on the trip over. We left and it was still pulling a little, with in a week it was the same. Very hard to handle this pull to the right when going left, and I have had bad gas mileage and hard starts from the beginning, and have had my headliner replaced after a few months of owning this car. It goes back in tomorrow hope they fix the problems,

- Yelm, WA, USA