2002 KIA RIO

Typical pattern

19.1% of complaints about the 2002 KIA RIO came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 2.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (35 complaints), typically at 3.4 yr or about 78,780 miles.

Complaints: 152
Median age at failure: 2.3 yr
Median mileage: 50,000 n=77
Crash / fire / tow: 28.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

04V179000 2004-04-09

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE OF THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR IS SUBJECT TO FRACTURE OR CRACKING DURING REMOVAL OF THE QUICK CONNECT COUPLING SECURING THE MAIN FUEL TUBE ASSEMBLY TO THE FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE, OR WHEN FORCE IS ACCIDENTALLY APPLIED TO THE INTAKE NIPPLE DURING THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY PROCESS OR DURING ENGINE COMPARTMENT REPAIRS.

FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY RESULT IN A FIRE.

In owners’ own words

Engine cooling mileage not reported 5 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 TO 60 MPH THERE'S A HESITATION; THEN, ENGINE SHUTS DOWN IF THIS HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY SOMEONE COULD BE KILLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Engine cooling mileage not reported 4 mo in service

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE STALLS AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. *SLC

Engine cooling mileage not reported 9 mo in service

CAR STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES AT ANY SPEED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. AND THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 11 mo in service

I WAS WONDERING IF OTHER KIA OWNER'S HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS? I HAD THE FRONT BRAKES REPLACED DUE TO A CLIP THAT FELL OFF AND GOT BETWEEN THE BRAKE PAD AND DRUM, AND THE REAR BRAKES REPLACED DUE TO BRAKE DUST AND GLAZING OF DRUMS. NOW LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, I'M STARTING TO HAVE THE SAME GRINDING NOISE IN THE REAR BRAKES AGAIN AND I HAVE AN APPT. WITH MY KIA DEALER ON WED. 9/11/02 TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKES EXAMINED AGAIN. THE GRINDING NOISE GETS LOUDER AS TIME GOES BY, AND OCCASIONALLY THE BRAKES GRAB.

Other RIO model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 KIA RIO

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other RIO model years

How to read this