2003 KIA RIO Complaints

View complaints related to 2003 KIA RIO. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 80 complaints submitted for the 2003 KIA RIO. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - GLEN ALLEN, VA

    WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE STALLS. THERE WAS A LOST TO THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKE SYSTEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *MR

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - LOGAN, IA

    NUTS ATTACHING THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS TO THE WIPER DRIVE SHAFT REPEATEDLY COMING LOOSE. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE 3-15-04. YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOOSE UNTIL YOU NEED YOUR WIPERS IN RAIN OR SNOWY CONDITIONS AND YOU TURN THEM ON TO FIND THE DRIVE MECHANISM IS LOOSE FROM THE BLADE AND SLIPS. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO NOT HAVE WIPERS WHEN YOU NEED THEM.*AK

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - SACRAMENTO, CA

    WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED STEERING WHEEL MADE A KNOCKING NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT STEERING COLUMN BOLT SNAPPED. *AK

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - ROY, WA

    WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - LUMBERTON, MS

    THE LUG NUTS PEELED OF THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL. *PH THE TIRES WERE BEING ROTATED. WHEN THEY WERE REMOVED THE LUG NUT(S) PEELED OFF. THE REAR BRAKES WERE LOCKING AS WELL AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SKID SIDEWAYS DURING THE FIRST MILE OR EACH MORNING. *SC *JB

    Source: CONSUMER LETTER
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - APPLE VALLEY, CA

    IN JUNE I WAS HAVING A OVER HEATING PROBLEM. IF I WENT UP A HILL THE CAR WOULD HEAT UP TO THE PEG. IT NEEDED A NEW THERMOSTAT. THE ENGINE BLEW UP & I HAD TO HAVE A NEW ONE. NOW THEIR IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION, SO KIA HAS SENT FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I'M AFRAID TO GO ANYWHERE FOR FEAR THAT SOMETHING ELSE WILL HAPPEN TO IT. I'M ALONE, THEREFORE I NEEDED SOMETHING I CAN RELY ON.

    Source: CONSUMER ACTION GROUP
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - MILWAUKEE, WI

    IN APRIL 2003 I BOUGHT A 2003 KIA RIO CINCO FOR MY FAMILY. WHEN I TRY TO START IT IN THE MORNING IT WILL NOT START. IT TAKES ABOUT SIX TO TEN TRIES TO GET IT STARTED. THEN IT RUNS BAD FOR MILES. IT ALSO RUNS VERY HOT AND IT SEEMS THE MORE I DRIVE IT THE LESS PREFORMANCE I BEEN GETING. MY BRAKES ARE ALSO BAD WHEN I FIRST DRIVE IT AFTER IT SITS FOR HOURS. KIA TOLD ME THAT IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH THE REFORMULADED GAS WE USE IN MILWAUKEE AND CHICAGO. AFTER MONTHS OF PEOPLE AT KIA NOT CALLING ME BACK AND TRING TO RESOULVE THIS WITH KIA I AM INTERESTED IN A CLASS ASTION LAW SUIT.

    Source: CONSUMER ACTION GROUP
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - CHICAGO, IL

    THE CAR CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING THE CAR HAS A HARD START, IT TAKES AT LEAST 3 TRIES FOR IT TO STAY ON THE BRAKES SQUEAK LOUD WHEN COMING TO A STOP

    Source: CONSUMER ACTION GROUP
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - YELM, WA

    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, *CB

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 KIA RIO
    - MINERSVILLE, PA

    MY KIA RIO HAS 15000 MILES ON AND THE BRAKES WENT IN THE CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER HERITAGE FORD AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO COVER THIS. IT WAS ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE IN THE FRONT. SO THAT MEANT A FAULTY PART IN MY EYES. I CALLED KIA ALSO WHO DID NOT CARE. SO I HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED AND WHEN TAKING THEM OFF ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THE PAD ITSELF WAS THERE BUT THE BRAKE FELL OFF THE PAD. AND MOST NORMAL CARS THE BRAKES ARE HELD ON WITH A POP RIVET. NOT THIS CAR. THEY ARE HELD ON WITH THIN PIECES OF ALUMINUM WHICH EVERYONE KNOWS HOW EASY ALUMINUM BENDS AND TWISTS EXACTLY HOW MINE WERE. AND THE BRAKE IS HELD ONTO THE PAD WITH GLUE!!! THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR FAULTY MANUFACTURING. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS CAR AND WITH THE WAY KIA HANDLED THIS SITUATION. *LA

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE