2008 Kia Rio problems
NHTSA has received 57 complaints about the 2008 Kia Rio, and 47% of them involve air bags. After that come brakes (9%) and engine (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 57 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 47% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 12 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 11 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 49,000 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 | 16 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 46 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 49,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 65,000 miles (23 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 12 complaints mention a crash; 11 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 91% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 13th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Rio with enough data (32 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
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.
I was involved in a car accident. I was headed west down a two-way street when a car ran the stop sign and crashed into me as I was entering into the intersection. The car was going a high speed when the collision occurred. My whole front end of car was smashed in, my car had been hit so bad until the gadgets in the cabinet of my car were all out of place. My passenger head was busted open and I sustained head, neck, back and rib injuries. We were both wearing seat belts.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia rio LX. The contact was stopped to make a left turn when another vehicle crashed into the contacts vehicle. The force of the crash pushed the contacts vehicle into a ditch. The contact stated the rear and front ends of the vehicle, including the frame was damaged. The air bags did not deploy. The contact also stated that a month before the crash, a deer crashed into the vehicle and the front air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that two passengers sustained neck injuries.
I have driver/passenger and side airbags. I was blindsided by a dodge dakota on the passenger side. Her vehicle slammed both of my doors on the passenger side so badly neither one would open and my daughter had to climb out of my side. One was directly at the side airbag, my car was totaled to say the least as it had multiple damage to it. What should I do about the airbags not deploying?
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia rio. After starting the vehicle, the passenger side air bag off warning light illuminated intermittently. The failure occurred only when an occupant was present and while the vehicle was in motion. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v244000 (air bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia rio. While driving various speeds, the engine and clutch ceased without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who provided a cost estimate for the repairs. The contact reached out to the manufacturer to find out what type of clutch was needed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 103,000. The VIN was unknown.