2003 KIA RIO Complaints

AFTER TWO VISITS TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE SHOP, I FOUND OUT THAT 03 KIA RIOS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULES. AS SOON AS THE WEATHER IS COOL, IT PREVENTS THE ENGINE FROM GETTING ENOUGH GAS. THE CAR WON'T START COLD UNTIL IT'S BEEN CRANKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, AND ONCE YOU GET IT STARTED, THE CAR WILL CUT OUT FROM LACK OF GAS IF YOU STOP THE CAR.

THE CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINT SEAT BELT SYSTEM IN THE REAR SEATS OF OUR NEW KIA RIO CINCO DOES NOT WORK. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, NEW PARTS INSTALLED AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE KIA REPRESENTATIVE HAS DECLARED NO PROBLEMS ARE PRESENT. HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT LOCK DOWN TO INSTALL A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE LOCKING MECHANISM RELEASES TO EARLY. THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE SEATBELT SHOULD LOCK ON IMPACT. THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR INSTALLATION OF A CHILD SEAT.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND WILL NOT RESTART. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

BOUGHT 2003 KIA ON 11/16/02 EIGHT MON. AGO,SEATBELT LOCK CAME OFF,TRIMMING AROUND DOORS AND WINDOWS CAME OFF,NOW DRIVINGG INTO THE INTERSTATE CAR CUT OFF,TRANSMISSION VERY SLOW IN SHIFTING GEARS.*AK

I BOUGHT MY KIA RIO 2003 FEBRUARY 8, 2003. THE PROBLEMS STARTED ON MAY 15, 2003 MY CAR CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, AS I TRIED TO START THE CAR BACK UP IT TOOK 3 TO 4 TIMES TO GET IT TO FINALLY START. I TOOK IT IN 3 TIMES TO BE SERVICED AND THEY EITHER TELL ME THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, OR THEY TELL ME TO USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAS IN MY CAR AND A DIFFERENT GRADE. THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT KIA INC. SAYS IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MIDWEST FUEL, YET WHEN I WENT TO THE SERVICE DESK TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE BEING SERVICED FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THE MAINTENANCE CREW ADMITTED AFTER THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS CUTTING OFF, AND THAT IT IS BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 2003 KIA RIO. ALL THE TIMES I'VE BEEN SERVICED AT KIA NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, THEY TELL ME THEY DROVE MY CAR "X" AMOUNT OF MILES YET THEY FIND NO PROBLEM WITH IT, ALTHOUGH WHEN I DRIVE IT EITHER IT CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, HAS A HARD START, OR THE BRAKES SQUEAKS LOUDLY WHEN I COME TO A STOP. I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE BRAKES AND THEY TOLD ME ITS NORMAL FOR A NEW CAR, YET IT SEEMS TO GET LOUDER AND LOUDER. MY CAR WAS HARD AT TRYING TO START TODAY, AND IT CUT OFF AGAIN AT THE TOLLWAY BOOTH, I WILL BE TAKING IT BACK TO MATTESON KIA AUTO MART TOMORROW JUNE 16, 2003 AND THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *NLM

I BOUGHT MY KIA RIO 2003 FEBRUARY 8, 2003. THE PROBLEMS STARTED ON MAY 15, 2003 MY CAR CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, AS I TRIED TO START THE CAR BACK UP IT TOOK 3 TO 4 TIMES TO GET IT TO FINALLY START. I TOOK IT IN 3 TIMES TO BE SERVICED AND THEY EITHER TELL ME THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, OR THEY TELL ME TO USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAS IN MY CAR AND A DIFFERENT GRADE. THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT KIA INC. SAYS IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MIDWEST FUEL, YET WHEN I WENT TO THE SERVICE DESK TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE BEING SERVICED FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THE MAINTENANCE CREW ADMITTED AFTER THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS CUTTING OFF, AND THAT IT IS BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 2003 KIA RIO. ALL THE TIMES I'VE BEEN SERVICED AT KIA NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, THEY TELL ME THEY DROVE MY CAR "X" AMOUNT OF MILES YET THEY FIND NO PROBLEM WITH IT, ALTHOUGH WHEN I DRIVE IT EITHER IT CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, HAS A HARD START, OR THE BRAKES SQUEAKS LOUDLY WHEN I COME TO A STOP. I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE BRAKES AND THEY TOLD ME ITS NORMAL FOR A NEW CAR, YET IT SEEMS TO GET LOUDER AND LOUDER. MY CAR WAS HARD AT TRYING TO START TODAY, AND IT CUT OFF AGAIN AT THE TOLLWAY BOOTH, I WILL BE TAKING IT BACK TO MATTESON KIA AUTO MART TOMORROW JUNE 16, 2003 AND THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *NLM

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN JANUARY 2003, FIRST PROBLEM WAS THAT WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 4 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER THE STEERING WHHEL WENT OUT ON ME. I TRIED TO TURN THE CAR WHILE GETTING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND THE STEERING WHEEL KEPT SPINNING BUT I DID NOT TURN AND ALMOST HIT A CEMENT VIDUCT. NEXT ABOUT 1 MONTH LATER MY CAR BEGAN TO NOT START OR CUT OFF ON ME WHEN I WOULD FIRST START DRIVING AND THE CHIME WILLNOT GO OFF. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THEM AND HE WILL CONTACT ME WHEN THE MANUFACTURER TELLS THEM HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

I HOPE THAT I AM WRITING THE CORRECT PEOPLE ABOUT THIS HUGE PROBLEM. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO I PURCHASED A 2003 KIA RIO IN MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER I OWNED THE CAR I RAN INTO PROBLEMS WITH IT. IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY MORNING OR ANY TIME THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING FOR MORE THEN FOUR HOURS IT WOULD NOT START UP. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS OUT OF GAS WHEN I HAD A FULL TANK. IT WOULD TAKE ME ABOUT TWO TO FOUR TRIES BEFORE IT WOULD START. ALSO IT WAS GOING THROUGH MORE GAS THEN WHAT WAS DISCLOSED AS FAR AS MPG. AT THAT POINT I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. AT FIRST THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT BRAND AND MODEL OF CAR AND IT WOULD BE REPAIRED THE NEXT DAY. THE NEXT DAY I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TELLING ME THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND THEY NEEDED TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT THAT WOULD TAKE ABOUT SEVEN BUSINESS DAYS. THEY TOLD ME THAT I COULD PICK UP THE CAR BUT IT WILL START HARD AND GIVE ME POOR FUEL ECONOMY UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. I WAS UNHAPPY ABOUT THE LONG WAIT SO I CALLED KIA, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND FIND OUT WHY THIS COMPUTER WOULD TAKE SO LONG. TWO DAYS LATER I GOT A CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANGER WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY CAN NOT REPAIR THE CAR'S COMPUTER AT THIS TIME BECAUSE KIA DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR IT YET. HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE I LIVE IN MILWAUKEE I USE REFORMULATED GAS AND THE COMPUTER CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THAT KIND OF FUEL AND UNTIL KIA HAS A FIX FOR THAT THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO. I THEN ASKED HIM IS THE CAR SAFE, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE FINE TO DRIVE I JUST HAVE TO START THE CAR AND WAIT 5 TO 10 SEC AND TRY AGAIN TILL IT STARTS. *JB

THE SEAT BELTS WAS DESIGNED POORLY, THEY CUT ACROSS THE NECK AND THROAT OF THE DRIVER/PASSENGER. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP FOR SEAT BELT EXTENSIONS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO INSTALL BELT EXTENSIONS. TS *JB