2001 KIA RIO Complaints

FRONT DRIVER'S PLASTIC DOOR MECHANISM BROKE WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE, DEALER REPLACED THE MECHANISM AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF$210.00. *AK

THE FIRST TIME I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR AND THOUGHT IT WAS EITHER MY BRAKES OR A PVC BOOT GOING OUT ON MY CAR. DECEMBER 4, 2003. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND MY WHEEL-RIM WAS SERIOUSLY CRACKED. IT WAS CRACKED ALMOST THE ENTIRE WAY AROUND JUST ABUT AN INCH FROM THE HOLES FOR THE LUGS. IF IT WOULD HAVE BROKE COMPLETELY WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM ARIZONA TO FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, MY PASSENGER AND I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I DO TAKE AROUND 6-8 LONG DISTANCE TRIPS PER YEAR. WE WERE LUCKY. THE WHEEL-RIM WAS REPLACED WITH ONE PURCHASED FROM A USED AUTO PARTS GARAGE. THE SECOND TIME THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WAS JULY 1, 2004 ON THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. AGAIN I HEARD THE NOISE AND THOUGHT OF OTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS, BUT WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED WHEN THE TIRE REPAIRMAN CHECKED AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD A CRACK IN MY RIM. I CALLED SEVERAL KIA DEALERS, ONE NEVER RETURNED MY CALL AND THE OTHER SAID THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL BEING DONE FOR THAT PROBLEM. I THEN WENT TO A USED AUTO PARTS STORE AN PURCHASED ANOTHER RIM AND HAD IT REPLACED AT THE TIRE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I DO BUSINESS. AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT I WENT BACK AND BOUGHT A SPARE RIM JUST IN CASE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD ARISE AGAIN. THIS TIME I KEPT THE BROKEN RIM. ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK AS IT HAS COME APART INSIDE THE DOOR. THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN OFF TO GET TO THE INSIDE IT TO REPAIR IT. THESE ARE PROBLEMS WHICH I FEEL SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE DEALERS BUT OF COURSE ARE NOT BEING DONE.

CONSUMER HEARD A SQUEALING NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF VEHICLE. SHE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER IT WAS A TIRE, TIE ROD OR SUSPENSION. WHEN SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO KIA, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR WHERE THAT NOISE WAS COMING FROM. CONSUMER INSISTED NOISE WAS GETTING WORSE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF BALANCE. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT RIM BUSTED. THIS OCCURRED TWICE TWO YEARS AGO BECAUSE CONSUMER OVERLOADED THE VEHICLE. THE SAME RIM BUSTED AGAIN WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH 2001 KIA RIO.*MR THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN REFERENCE TO THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR AND MAIN FUEL TUBE ASSEMBLY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEMS WERE NOT RELATED. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD OTHER PROBLEMS. THE ENGINE WOULD HESITATE WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. THE REAR END VIBRATED. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH REAR DAMPERS. THE CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE DURING ACCELERATION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT HE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE CRACKED. THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE WORN EXCESSIVELY. *NM

PROBLEM WITH 2001 KIA RIO ENGINE STALLED. *MR THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON DUE TO OVERHEATING, AND THE FUEL PUMP STOPPED WORKING DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE GAS TANK. THE TEMPERATURE WENT UP ONCE THE FUEL BOX WAS BROKEN DUE TO AN ACCIDENT WHICH CAUSED THE RADIATOR FUSE TO BLOW. *SC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S ENGINE. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE JERKED INTO GEAR. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL VISITS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM PER DEALER. THE FRONT END MADE NOISES, AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FIVE OCCASIONS FOR THE AIR BAG. *SC *JB

IN DECEMBER OF 2003 I STARTED HEARING A LOUD CLANKING FROM THE PASSENGER-SIDE, REAR WHEEL. ASSUMING IT WAS THE REAR BRAKES NEEDING REPLACED, I PURCHASED THE PARTS. UPON REMOVING THE HUB CAP I SAW THAT THE RIM WAS SEVERELY CRACKED. WITHIN AN INCH OR SO OF ACTUALLY BREAKING COMPLETELY APART. (THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORN.) WHEN I RETURNED THE BRAKE PARTS TO HIGH DESERT KIA, IN VICTORVILLE, CA., I TOLD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE CRACKED RIM AND INQUIRED OF THE WARRANTY ON THE RIMS. I WAS TOLD THE WARRANTY PERIOD IS 30,000 MILES.(AT THE TIME, MY VEHICLE HAD APPROX.55,000 MILES.) THEN IN JUNE OF 2004, I HEARD THE SAME CLANKING FROM THE DRIVERSIDE, REAR WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THIS RIM HAD ALSO CRACKED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE FIRST. REALIZING THE FATAL CONSEQUENCES THAT COULD OCCUR SHOUL A RIM FAIL AND BREAK APART WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, I FIRST NOTIFIED YOU AND THEN THE KIA MOTORS HEADQUARTERS LISTED IN MY OWNERS MANUAL. UPON EXPLAINING THE CRACKING OF THE TWO RIMS AND WHAT HIGH DESERT KIA'S RESPONSE WAS TO ME, I WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO HIGH DESERT KIA AND THEY WOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE ALL 4 OF THE RIMS ON MY RIO, AT NO CHARGE.BUT IT WOULD BE A ONCE ONLY REPLACEMENT. AND THE RIMS WOULD ONLY BE WARRANTIED FOR THE 12 MONTHS THAT IS STANDARD FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE RIMS WERE REPLACED ON JULY 17TH, 2004. UPON MY INQUIRY, I WAS ASSURED THE 4 NEW RIMS ARE FROM A DIFFERENT LOT NUMBER AND MADE IN 2003.*AK

2001 KIO RIO. PURCHASED CAR NEW FROM DEALER. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE IT SHUT ITSELF OFF WHILE SLOWED DOWN IN TRAFFIC. AFTER THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR, DEALER SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING AND DEALER KEPT OFFERING DIFFERENT REASONS THIS IS HAPPENING: TYPE OF GAS USED, GAS CAP NOT COMPLETELY ON CORRECTLY. NUMEROUS TIMES WE HAVE BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER, THEY KEEP TELLING US THEY CAN NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH IT WHEN THERE OBVIOUSLY IS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, NO AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING NORTHBOUND IN THE CURB LANE WHEN THE OTHER VEHICLE TURNED LEFT INTO THE PATH OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *SC