2004 Kia Rio problems
NHTSA has received 53 complaints about the 2004 Kia Rio, and 23% of them involve engine. After that come fuel system (11%) and electrical system (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 53 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 53,000 miles 46 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 10 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 11 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 46 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 53,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 53,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Rio with enough data (39 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
During a frontal-impact accident, the driver airbag failed to deploy until after I hit the steering wheel. I then saw the passenger airbag deploy. Neither the seat belt nor the airbag stopped me from hitting the steering wheel causing chest wall contusions and muscle strains in chest and back. I'm still out of work due to the injuries. The car was totaled.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia rio. The contact was involved in a head-on crash while driving 25 MPH. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact sustained major injuries while wearing his seat belt. A police report was filed. No other vehicle information was available.
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.
Vehicle was purchased used approximately 2 years ago. On the approximate incident date, the clutch pedal failed to actuate the clutch after producing a loud noise. Inspection at a repair facility revealed failure in several clutch components and a metal fatigue failure in the clutch and brake pedal support bracket. I am filing this complaint on behalf of my daughter for the failed support bracket, which I have in my possession.