2001 KIA RIO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTAPPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATES UP TO 100 MPH. THE DRIVER HAS TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE DRIVER HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *PH

I PURCHASED A 2001 KIA RIO APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AGO. I HAVE HAD 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHERE I HAVE INSERTED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM WAS TO SHAKE THE STEERING WHEEL VIGOROUSLY. I COULD USE SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT MIGHT BE THE CAUSE OF THIS. THANK YOU. *LA

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY,THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN ANALYSIS. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

THE VEHICLES DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE RIM DEVELOPED 14 INCH CRACKS ALL AROUND AND PIECES OF THE RIM WERE FALLING OFF. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE TIRE MAY FALL OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. *NLM SON NOTIFIED OWNER AT @ 45K MILES THAT THERE WAS A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND HE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM, PERHAPS WITH THE BRAKES. OWNER WENT FOR A RIDE WITH THE SON TO CONFIRM NOISE BUT OWNER COULD NOT HEAR IT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE SON COMPLAINED TO HIS FATHER AGAIN ABOUT THE NOISE, STATING IT WAS NOW MUCH WORSE. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE FOR A TEST DRIVE AND HE COULD HEAR A LOUD GRINDING/CRACKING/POPPING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END. HE REMOVED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL TO INSPECT AND HE SAW LARGE CRACKS AT THE WHEEL HAT AREA ABOUT 2-3" ABOVE THE LUG HOLES ON THE WHEEL DISC. THERE WERE SEVERAL CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS APPROXIMATELY 14 INCHES IN LENGTH ALMOST COMPLETELY CIRCLING THE WHEEL. WHEN HE REMOVED THE WHEEL LARGE PIECES OF THE WHEEL IN THE AREA OF THE CRACKS CRUMBLED AND FELL OUT ONTO THE GROUND. ALSO NOTICED FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL HAD SEVERAL 5" CRACKS IN SAME AREA. BOTH WHEELS WERE THE STANDARD EQUIPPED 13X5J STEEL WHEELS. NEITHER WHEEL HAD ANY SCRAPES, SCRATCHES, OR BENDS INDICATIVE OF ABUSE. REPORTED ISSUE TO DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, BOTH REFUSED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE BECAUSE VEHICLE NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT WHEEL SHOP WHERE HE PURCHASED 2 REPLACEMENT STEEL WHEELS.

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, HIT A GUARDRAIL, AND SLAMMED INTO A HILL. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND CHEST INJURIES. DRIVER WAS WEARING SEATBELT.*AK

MY CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING WOULD NOT RESTART TOWED TO DEALER. FOUND NO PROBLEM CAR STARTED FOR THEM. RETRIEVED CAR STOPPED FOR GAS, CAR WOULD NOT RESTART, WAS TOWED BACK TO DEALER. FOUND GLITCH IN CPU WAS REPROGRAMED. GOT CAR BACK, TWO HOURS LATER CAR WOULD NOT RESTART TOWED BACK TO DEALER. REPLACED FUEL PUMP, CAR RAN FOR THREE DAYS THEN AGAIN WOULD NOT START HAS NOW BEEN TOWED BACK TO DEALER.*AK

MARCH 17 2001 IS THE DATE THAT I PURCHASED MY KIA RIO SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THE TRANSMISSION IT JERKS BETWEEN GEARS AND SHAKES HORRIBLY WHEN I GO OVER 50MPH. EVERY TIME I HAVE TAKEN IT IN THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO ALSO HAS THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL CAR AS I AND HER ENGINE HAS BLOWN UP TWICE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO AFRAID TO DRIVE A VEHICLE. *AK

I BOUGHT MY CAR USED, AND HAVE HAD IT FOR ONLY SIX MONTHS. I READ THE OTHER COMPLAINTS FILED AND FEEL A LITTLE BETTER KNOWING THAT IT ISN'T JUST MY CAR WITH THE PROBLEMS. BUT I WISH THE DEALERS WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE RIPPING US OFF BY NOT FIXING THE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PARTS. MY RIO HAS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON (NOT ALL OF THE TIME) BUT WHEN IT DOES COME ON IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE THE FLASHING OVERDRIVE OFF LIGHT. THIS USUALLY LASTS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. JUST WHEN I WAS GETTING USED TO THAT THE ENGINE STARTED SHAKING WITH ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, IT DID NOT STALL BUT IT WOULD HAVE IF I DIDN'T PULL INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURN THE CAR OFF. A FEW HOURS LATER I TURNED IT BACK ON AND NO PROBLEMS AGAIN UNTIL JUST LAST WEEK THE ENGINE STARTED SHAKING AGAIN. LETS NOT LEAVE OUT THE MINOR PROBLEMS THOUGH. I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY INTERIOR FALLING APART AND MY COVER FOR MY FUSES FALLS OFF EVERY TIME I GET IN. MY PAINT IS PEELING OFF, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY BATTERY THAT DIED OUT OF NOWHERE. MY WARRANTY IS ALMOST UP AND I HAVE HAD NO HELP WITH THESE PROBLEMS THUS FAR. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 KIA RIO - I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE ENGINE SHAKES ( CAUSING THE WHOLE CAR TO SHAKE ) INTERMITTENTLY AND IT DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR PROPERLY ( IT IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ) CAUSING THE CAR TO HESITATE WHEN I ACCELERATE ONTO HIGHWAYS. I FEEL THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AS I AM AFRAID OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER REPEATEDLY, EVEN WHILE IT WAS ACTUALLY SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND THEY HAVE THE SAME ANSWER EVERY TIME...THE COMPUTER DOES NOT TELL THEM THAT ANYTHING IS DEFECTIVE ON THE CAR - THEREFORE, THEY CAN NOT FIX IT. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER CHIP AS IT OBVIOUSLY IS DEFECTIVE IF IT CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH A CAR THAT IS RUNNING THIS POORLY ...BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO SO. IT HAS ALSO HAD OTHER PROBLEMS. THE CAR HAS STALLED SEVERAL TIMES FOR NO REASON AS I GO AROUND A CORNER ( ALSO A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM ) AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG ON THOSE OCCASSIONS EITHER. THE AIRCONDITIONING HAD TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 9 MONTHS OLD. THE ENGINE MOUNTS COLLAPSED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR. THE MOLDING INSIDE THE CAR IS CONSTANTLY COMING OFF. I KNOW OF 4 OTHER KIA RIO OWNERS WHO HAVE ALL HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS AND ALL OF THEM HAVE TRADED IN THE RIOS AT A GREAT LOSS RATHER THAN PUT UP WITH THE CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS. I ALSO WANT TO GET RID OF MY RIO BUT THE VALUE OF THE CAR IS SO MUCH LESS THAN WHAT I OWE ON IT ( AFTER 3 YEARS OF PAYING ON IT ) THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO DO SO. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE, YET KIA DENIES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE RIO. *AK