Model overview

The Kia Rio is a subcompact vehicle manufactured by the South Korean maker Kia Motors as November 1999 across four generations. Body styles have included a three and five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, provided with inline-four gasoline and diesel powertrains, and front-wheel drive.

The Rio followed the first-generation Pride and the Avella, a subcompact marketed as a Ford in some markets. A second generation was launched in 2006 in North America, sharing its platform with the Hyundai Accent, a subcompact produced by its sibling Hyundai Motor Company in South Korea.

The Kia Rio is available either as a sedan or a hatchback. The sedan is available in two trim levels, LX and S, while the hatchback is only sold in S trim. The base model is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (120 horsepower, 112 lb-ft of torque) and paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

Kia Rio known problems

Some of the common problems or complaints owners have about the Kia Rio are:

• Engine issues related to the four-cylinder, including powertrains that are difficult to start or stall intermittently, faulty timing belts, and rough idling.
• Electrical issues including faulty wiring have been known to lead to brake lights that fail to illuminate, as well as headlights that stay on even when the car has been turned off.
• In 2005, Kia recalled 24,000 vehicles to substitute wheels that had been improperly produced and were subject to cracking after being driven long distances.
• In 2006, another recall was intended to deal with a problem involving seat belt assemblies that could fail to secure a child seat in the event of a crash. This recall included more than 32,000 vehicles.

Kia Rio PDF owner manual

Posted by, John Mana

A passionate guy about car models, makes, and manuals.