Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2012 record →
THE SEAT BELT WOULD OFTEN LOCK UP WHEN ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER, WHICH WOULD PREVENT THE OCCUPANTS FROM MOVING. ALSO, THE SEATBELT WOULD OFTEN LOCK UP IN THE RESTING POSITION, WHICH WOULD PREVENT AN OCCUPANT FROM PUTTING ON THE SEATBELT UPON ENTERING THE CAR. THE CAR HAD BEEN TAKEN TO A KIA DEALERSHIP TWO TIMES BEFORE THEY REPLACED THE SEATBELT. *TR
WE RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POLL AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOOK, PASSENGER HIT THE WINDSHIELD WITH HEAD AND DRIVER HIT HIS CHEST INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND HURT CHEST. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT ENGINE STARTUP, ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FAILED TO WORK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE HAD OCCURRED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,315 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,318.
THE FUEL HOSE VENT LINE LEAKED FUEL INTO BACK SEAT OF VEHICLE WHILE FUELING, TAKEN TO DEALER ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT KIA SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE AND I SPILT GAS ON THE SEAT. *TR
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2012 Kia Rio → · Every Rio year → · How the figures are calculated →