2005 KIA RIO Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE COASTED INTO AN ALLEY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS COASTING, THE CONTACT SMELLED BURNING WIRES. SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM THE HOOD ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS RESTRAINED BY THE SEAT BELT AND SUFFERED NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES. BOTH THE CONTACT AND THE DRIVER SUCCESSFULLY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT SPARKS AND FLAMES WERE SEEN UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO AN AUCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE IS UNKNOWN.

THE DRIVER SEAT BELT LATCH ASSEMBLY IS SPLIT IN TWO. THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE EVENT, IT JUST HAPPENED ONE DAY. IT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, IT IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD TOGETHER WITH DUCT TAPE. *TR

GOING 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE 4 IN ORLANDO FL MY 2005 KIA RIO BROKE THE TIMING BELT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL ENGINE POWER & ROLLED TO A STOP WE WERE ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE & BARELY AVOIDED GETTING REAR ENDED. *TR

KIA PLACED A BULLETIN WITH YOU ON 1/1/05,#TSB82,#10015272. APPARENTLY KIA THOUGHT THAT WAS ENOUGH. MY KIA WAS PURCHASED 7/21/05. I WAS TOLD I HAD "BUMPER TO BUMPER COVERAGE IF I PURCHASED THE ADDITIONAL 4,000. EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY WERE REQUIRED TO FURNISH ME WITH A COMPLETE WARRANTY DISCLOSURE BEFORE PURCHASE. THEY DID FURNISH ME WITH A BOOKLET CALLED WARRANTY AND CONSUMER INFORMATION MANUAL AND A PAMPHLET CALLED START UP TIPS FOR YOUR KIA. I DID READ THESE. AND THE TIMING BELT ISN'T MENTIONED. LATER WHEN I READ MY OWNERS MANUAL I DID NOTICE THAT THE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS DID MENTION THE TIMING BELT, IT SHOULD BE CHECKED AT 30,000 MI, 60,000MI AND POSSIBLY CHANGED AT 105,000. KIA DOES CLAIM 100,000 WARRANTY, AND I HAD THE BUMPER TO BUMPER COV, SO I STILL FELT PRETTY CONFIDENT IN MY CAR. IF KIA HAD COMPLETELY DISCLOSED ALL THE MAINTENANCE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WOULD HAVE WALKED. AT 38,000 MI I WAS ON MY WAY TO WA. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO THE TOP OF RICE HILL WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. 6 LANES OF 70MPH TRAFFIC, CONCRETE ON ALL SIDES AND NOWHERE TO GO, WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER. IT WAS VERY DISORIENTING THE ENGINE REVVED BUT NO POWER, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NOTHING,I WAS DUMBFOUNDED. I PUT MY FLASHERS ON AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE RT. LANE. WE PUSHED IT OVER THE TOP OF RICE HILL AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. I CALLED KIA, THEY TOLD ME I HAD NO COVERAGE, BECAUSE MY CAR WAS A WEEK PAST 5 YRS. WE TOWED IT TO KIA WHERE THEY TOLD ME I WASN'T COVERED. SO I CALLED KIA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS UP TO THE SERVICE MAN.. I WENT BACK TO KIA, AND THE MANAGER TOLD ME I NEEDED TO DO A DIAG TEST ($174.) WHICH I KNEW WAS IMPOS. BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T START. AFTERWARD THE SERVICE MAN TOLD ME HE HAD LOOKED AT MY CAR AND THE TB WAS GONE BUT THE PISTONS WERE FINE WHICH IS RARE. THEY WON'T FIX IT. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND 100 CONSUMERS WITH BLOWN ENGINES AND DEFECT. TIMING BELTS. WHATS UP? THIS IS DANGEROUS! IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS! I WAS LUCKY! DO SOMETHING. *TR

2005 KIA RIO STALLING PROBLEM. I'VE HAD THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR 4-5 TIMES OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, AND DEALERSHIP SAID THEY CAN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. IT WOULD RESUME NORMALLY AFTER SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR AT LEAST A WEEK SO THAT THE DEALER COULD DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND FIND A CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN THE FUEL FILTER OR SENSOR. THE FUEL FILTER AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000. THE SENSORS AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. UPDATED 06/22/10.*JB UPDATED 08/11/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/05/10*JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST IS RUN ON THE CAR, ERROR P0101 IS DETECTED. THIS ERROR, "MASS AIR FLOW CIRCUIT RANGE PERFORMANCE PROBLEM," CAN BE CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR IN THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THIS ERROR HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN MY CAR, THE INCIDENT IN JANUARY BEING THE THIRD. IF IGNORED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY GO OFF AFTER TIME. SOMETIMES WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, THERE IS HESITATION IN THE ENGINE WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE HESITATION IS WORSE WHEN THE CAR IS WARMED UP AND HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 20 MINUTES. NO ONE AT KIA HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY AND IT IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO I HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THIS SENSOR MYSELF. *TR

I HAD A 2005 KIA RIO BURN DOWN FROM AN APPARENT ELECTRICAL FIRE INSIDE THE DASHBOARD. I WAS DRIVING HOME ONE DAY FROM WORK AND SMOKE STARTED TO SEEP THROUGH THE SEAL AROUND THE DASH. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED 911. WITHIN 5MIN MY CAR BURST INTO FLAMES AND THE WHOLE DASHBOARD STARTED TO MELT. *TR

OUR SON WAS DRIVING A 2005 KIA RIO 15 MILES SOUTH OF MCMINNVILLE, OR WHEN HE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND FLIPPED THE CAR. THE FEMALE PART OF THE SAFETY BELT CLASP FAILED WHICH RESULTED IN HIM BEING THROWN AROUND THE CAB. HE ENDED UP IN THE CAB ON THE ROOF IN THE BACK SEAT. HE IS STILL VERY SORE AND HAS BACK PAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING AT LOWS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RANDOMLY HESITATE. THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD OR IT HAS NOT RAINED WITHIN A FEW HOURS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. THE DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. TWO WEEKS LATER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. AN AUTHORIZED MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE ON A THIRD VISIT TO THE DEALER AND STATED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO SAY WHAT COMPONENT WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 9,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,000.