Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 27 safety complaints
about the 2020 Kia RIO with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 5 mention a fire, 1 person was injured and 3 deaths are recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the hydraulic brakes.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system,
named in 5 complaints, 19% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 2,780 miles,
the median across the 8
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers August 2020 to August 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
27 complaints on file
27
Complaints
3
Describe a crash
5
Mention fire
1
People injured
3
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 · 30%
8 30%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 19%
5 19%
ENGINE 5 · 19%
5 19%
POWER TRAIN 5 · 19%
5 19%
STEERING 4 · 15%
4 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 11%
3 11%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 7%
2 7%
WHEELS 2 · 7%
2 7%
AIR BAGS 1 · 4%
1 4%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 4%
1 4%
SEATS 1 · 4%
1 4%
SUSPENSION 1 · 4%
1 4%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 27.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2021 at 8.
12 9 6 3
202020212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA has not crash tested the 2020 Kia RIO. Its New Car Assessment Program
tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach
motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so
an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It
is not a low score.
What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a
different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people
inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke
during ordinary use.
Recall campaigns
1 on file
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
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
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
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.
SEATS
My 2020 Kia Rio S caught fire spontaneously while parked and unattended for 5 hours at my work parking lot. The vehicle was turned off and had not been involved in a collision. I was notified of the fire after it had already started. The fire caused catastrophic damage to the passenger compartment and resulted in a total loss of the vehicle. Component/system suspected: The exact component that initiated the fire has not yet been determined. Based on the circumstances, I am concerned about a possible vehicle electrical or mechanical failure, but I do not want to speculate as to the cause without investigation reports. The vehicle was subsequently taken to a salvage/inspection facility. I am …
NHTSA complaint 11760758, quoted in part. 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.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed December 1, 2021.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst