2004 KIA RIO Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS BELOW 25 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT, CAUSING SEVERE HESITATION. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND NO REPAIR WAS AVAILABLE. 11/30/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S FRONT END MADE A LOUD CLANKING NOISE AND WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED UPON EXAMINATION THAT BOTH ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS. THEN, THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR END, AND WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE AXLE BEARING WAS BAD AND THAT THE REAR WHEELS WERE BENT. THE DEALER PROVIDED THE VEHICLE WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE AND BRAKE SERVICE AND REPAIRED THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION OF ONGOING PROBLEMS. NO FURTHER REPAIRS WERE MADE. UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPALCED. UPDATED 09/25/07 *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON JANUARY 19TH 2005, IT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE CARBURETOR AND A BAD ODOR THAT COMES FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO SOLD TO THE CONTACT WITHOUT NOTIFICATION OF RECALL DEFECT TO THE CARBURETOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS TO HAVE A PART REPLACED TO REMEDY PROBLEMS WITH THE CARBURETOR BUT VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCES THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK ON TEN OTHER OCCASIONS FOR SERVICES RELATED TO THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS THAN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED A REFERRAL TO ANOTHER DEALERS FOR SERVICE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE RECOMMENDED DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER THE DEALER REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT, AN ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED. THE CONSUMER HEARD A WIND NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKES WERE MAKING A LOUD NOISE. UPDATED 08/01/06. *JB

WHILE ON A LONG ROAD TRIP, I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH ON MY 2004 KIA RIO CINCO. AT HIGHWAY SPEED I ATTEMPTED TO PASS A TRUCK WHEN, AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CLUTCH PARTIALLY DISENGAGED CAUSING MY ACCELERATION TO CEASE. I LET OFF THE THROTTLE AND WHEN RE-ENGAGING THE THROTTLE, THE CLUTCH SLIPPED AGAIN. I HAD TO LET OFF,APPLY BRAKES, AND SWERVE IN BEHIND THE TRUCK I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PASS TO AVOID BEING STRUCK BY AN ONCOMING TRUCK. THE CAR SEEMED TO OPERATE PERFECTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT BUT I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE BY PHONE AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BY A DEALER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHEN I FINALLY FOUND A DEALER THAT HAD THE TIME TO LOOK AT IT A DAY LATER, I WAS TOLD IT WAS THEIR POLICY TO NOT REPAIR CLUTCH PROBLEMS SINCE THEY ARE CALLED A "WEAR ITEM". THEY ALSO TOLD ME THE CLUTCH PLATE LOOKED TO BE BADLY BURNED BUT I COULD FINISH THE TRIP IF I BABIED IT. I CONTINUED ON TO OUR FINAL DESTINATION AND HAVE DECIDED TO SELL THE CAR. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED, THE CAR ONLY HAD ABOUT 10,000 MILES ON IT. I AM A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER AND AM ALMOST THE SOLE DRIVER SO THIS WASN'T CAUSED BY DRIVER ABUSE. I GUESS THEIR ARE LOOPHOLES IN THE WARRANTY THAT KIA ADVERTISES SO HIGHLY AND THEY AREN'T AFRAID TO LOSE CUSTOMERS WHEN THEIR PRODUCT FAILS. *NM

MY 2004 KIA RIO STARTED TO STALL AT STOP SIGNS AND LIGHTS @ 24,000 I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING ERRATIC TACHOMETER READINGS (UP AND DOWN) AND I HAVE HAD A CONTINUED ROUGH IDLE. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALER ON MORE THAN 6 OCCASIONS AND AT THAT POINT THEY ONLY RETURNED THE COMPUTER CHIP AND TOLD ME THERE SEEMS TO BE NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. AFTER HIRING A LAWYER AND CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM THEM TO FIX THE CAR, THEY ORDERED A THROTTLE ARM AND AGREED TO TRY IT OUT. ON JUNE 23, 2006 BEFORE THEY PUT THE THROTTLE ITEM IN, I STALLED @ 30 MPH MAKING A TURN ONTO TO A STREET FROM A INTERSECTION. A CAR COMING THE OTHER WAY AND STOPPED INCHES SHORT OF HITTING ME ON MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. AT THIS POINT EVEN WITH THE NEW PART PLACED IN MY CAR, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR SINCE THEY SAID THERE IS NO WAY TO GUARANTEE THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE STOPPED WHEN HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE CALIPERS WERE BLOWN OUT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED DOWN FOR A DISTANCE. THE LEVER THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING BLOCK WAS MANUALLY PUSHED BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALERSHIP WHICH DETERMINED THE HOUSING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PARTS FOR REPLACEMENT WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. THE RETAINING NUT ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM LOOSENS, CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT TO FUNCTION. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED AND TIGHTENED THE RETAINING NUT, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED HOWEVER, NO OTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE JERKED AND CUT OUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME , ON AND THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVEN TIMES, AND THEY STATED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL THROTTLE MODULE EVERY TIME, AND STATED THERE WAS A POOR CONNECTION AT THE ENGINE BULK. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED AT THIS TIME. *AK

CAR IS A KIA RIO CINCO, I HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT SEEMS TO BE CLUTCH SLIPPAGE IN ALL GEARS. CAR WILL ONLY ACCELERATE ABOUT 10 MILES IN EACH GEAR, THEN BEGINS TO STALL AND THEN DECELERATE, UNLESS I MOVE IT TO THE NEXT GEAR. WHEN I REACH 5TH GEAR AT ABOUT 42 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR WILL DRIVE OK UNTIL I REACH 50 AND THEN BEGAN TO DECELERATE, STABILIZING AT ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR. *JB