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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2020 Kia RIO

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

26

Complaints

3

Crashes

5

Fires

1

Injuries

3

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 Kia RIO have filed 26 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2020 and March 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 5 of them (19%). The typical failure was reported at 2,780 miles, the median across the 8 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

21V936000 · December 1, 2021

The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.
The risk
Reduced braking performance can cause longer brake pedal travel or extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223.

Kia Motors America · up to 87 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 26.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 27%
ENGINE 5 19%
POWER TRAIN 5 19%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 15%
STEERING 4 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 12%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 8%
WHEELS 2 8%
AIR BAGS 1 4%
SEAT BELTS 1 4%
SUSPENSION 1 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 8.

2020 2021 2026
2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

3 deaths · fire · crash · towed

Yes my son bought this car last year I have been checking since January there has still been no recalls on his particular car he was in a car accident and unfortunately him and his passengers were all killed. I have contacted an attorney who has sent an inspector they said initial look it look like something to do with a rod in the engine and it catching fire but from other things it’s possible he could’ve had other problems dealing with the brakes the emergency assistance. So they think possible electrical and what else they have not said. They are getting with Kia to get his car moved there so they can have one of their people take it apart to preserve evidence to find out which or if

NHTSA complaint 11462852, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

1 injured · crash · towed · 5,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Rio. The contact stated while driving through an intersection, another vehicle ran a red light and crashed into the left front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the seat belt detached from the base. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained broken teeth, a split tongue, a broken hand, a concussion, and an abdominal contusion that required medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.

NHTSA complaint 11418755. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

fire · towed

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Rio. The contact stated the vehicle was parked at her residence, when entering inside the cab, she noticed the gear shaft was melted. The contact stated she did not visibly see fire. The police did come to her residence and informed the cause of the fire was an electronic failure but they do not file any fire reports. The contact did not contact the fire department. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer and was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed back to her residence. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint 11464361. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 19,333 miles

MY CAR WAS PARKED AT MY PLACE AFTER GETTING OUT OF IT AROUND 8:30AM. I RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE AT 12PM AND THE INSIDE WAS BURNT BECAUSE A FIRE STARTED IN THE MIDDLE CONSUL.*DT*JB

NHTSA complaint 11395163. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

28,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while coming to a stoplight, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle did not need to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

NHTSA complaint 11725043. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Upon stopping at a red light and or stop sign, when applying brakes, the car continues to move forward, even after pumping the brakes. Vehicle has been diagnosed by a certified auto mechanic. The findings and recommendation for the Brake Master Cylinder to be the reason the vehicle continues to creep forward, when brake are applied and held. This issue has on two separate occasions near collision, because the vehicle wouldn't stop.

NHTSA complaint 11690648. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
I was driving up a hill and it would not go past 20-30 mph, and the rpm will sometimes go up when not accelerating. The transmission does not shift when driving and will sometimes make the car stop and go stop and go continuously. Tried accelerating but the rpm would go up while the mph would not.

NHTSA complaint 11665742. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

I went into a rural King store to shop when I came back out my car was completely filled with smoke. I opened the front passengerdoor and the smoke hit me in the face it was so thick and green it was just it took my breath. It took me 10 minutes to locate what had happened and down on the door frame of the passenger side of the front seat where the wiring is there was a whole melted all the way through that panel and you could see the wiring was exposed so I assume that the wiring had caught on fire. I'm not sure about this it has been looked at and it is at Jeff Wilder Toyota in Clarksville Indiana. They want me to pay $1,000 deductible for this but I feel like if it was a wiring issue key

NHTSA complaint 11653010, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

I came out of a store last week and there was smoke inside my car and when I opened the door there was a hole down by the door frame on the passenger side that it burned all the way through to the frame of the car and now my lights are flashing on and off and sometimes a passenger headlight works sometimes the driver had light works but it's either one or the other it's doing all kinds of crazy stuff with the lights now I'm thinking it has to be in the electrical fire because it got hot enough to melt all the way through the plastic part of the bottom of my door I do have pictures

NHTSA complaint 11647263. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Recall SC223 Brake master cylinder. Rough metal edges can pinatrate Seals causing leaks poor braking functionality. NHTSA Capaign ID# 21V936000. Nov.30th.2021, 87 vehicles effected. Clay Cooley kia refused to honor the recall and fix the problem with my vehicle on 10/25/2024. Recall on the catalytic converters. Recall SC176 , Carbon monoxide poisoning due to exhaust systems malfunctioning and exhaust coming through the AC system. When I took my 2020 Rio S to Vanguard Kia Arlington Texas. Vanguard kia refused to honor the recall because my vehicle had over 80,000 miles and that's why Vanguard Kia service advisors wouldn't replace the catalytic converters. Or Vanguard kia would have replaced

NHTSA complaint 11622150, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia RIO

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2022 10 1 —
2021 15 2 —
2019 21 1 —
2018 28 1 —
2017 31 2 —
2016 77 2 —
2015 52 1 —
2014 52 1 —
2013 153 1 —
2012 54 1 —

Other 2020 Kia models

Telluride 744 Soul 370 Sportage 159 Optima 138 Sorento 131 Forte 71 Niro 37 Sedona 20

Every Kia on this site — 176 vehicles, 208 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst