2022 KIA RIO

1 recalls, 12 complaints - 17 TSBs

STEERING:COLUMN

Defect Description

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.

Consequence

Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC235.

30 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia Motors America

Complaint Statistics

12 total complaints

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	3
ENGINE	2
STEERING	1
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST	1
SUSPENSION	1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING	1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	1
SERVICE BRAKES	1
POWER TRAIN	1

Incident date: Oct 6, 2025

In 2024, the vehicle began experiencing severe jerking and drivability issues that appear to be transmission-related. We first took the vehicle to Terry Cullen Chevrolet in Southlake. The vehicle remained in the shop for months while still under warranty, yet the issue was never properly resolved. A... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2025

The contact owned a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 45 MPH, and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and was self-corrected after ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2024

Misfire, excessive oil consumption, engine knocking, loss of power/acceleration, gas smell, excessive gas consumption

Incident date: Feb 25, 2025

While driving down highway, the ABS light and traction lights came on and cruise control was disabled and brakes was catching as if applying the brakes. After stopping, tried to place the truck in 4WD to no avail. Reset the light by disconnecting the battery, but the warning light for traction came ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 7, 2024

The vapor canister (charcoal canister) and related parts have failed on 3 different occasions over the past 1.5-2 years. This caused the car to stall while operating without any warning from the vehicle. The cars has to be put into park and the engine restarted before it can be operational again. ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2021

Pre-collision assist not working, despite multiple trips to dealership for this problem. Starting about 6 months ago, the Mach-E would periodically alert that the "pre-collision assist" was not working as a result of a front-camera fault. This was indicate by a visual indication on the dash of the ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2024

Hi, NHTSA we found our 2017 Audi Q7 the rear suspension coil springs are broken, the vehicle is only 55K miles so far. Everyday normally driving, bring kids to school or go to work. I checked this online, many Audi owner complains about this issues, not just only Q7 models. Please investigate t... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2023

Driver information interface (a-type) functions erratically and in a highly distracting manner. Vehicle has very low mileage-275.

Incident date: Jan 15, 2023

When car is off and locked, alarm will go off unexpectedly. There is a repeated clicking noise and the lights on the dash will flicker and it sounds and appears like the car is trying to start itself. Very disconcerting to have an electrical issue, particularly where the car seems to want to start i... Read more

Incident date: Feb 4, 2023

While driving my family on a major Interstate, a myriad of warning ⚠️ lights appeared on my dash panel and my vehicle’s steering literally locked! I have had no previous warning lights or issues with this vehicle since it was purchased. This near fatal incident happened as a 18-wheeler was see... Read more

Incident date: Feb 4, 2023

Incident date: Jan 23, 2023

Everything comes on and the battery is good, but my vehicle will not start. With my feet on the brakes and I press start it goes to run, but it's not running, and it did not start. My husband and I were 52miles away from home and I had to have it tow to the Chrysler Dodge service center in Stone Mou... Read more

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2022 KIA RIO

2022 Kia Rio 5 HB FWD

Category	Rating
Rollover Risk	0.0%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	No
Lane Departure Warning	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

EPA Fuel Economy, 2022 KIA RIO

Trim / Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG	Combined MPG	Fuel Type	Annual Fuel Cost
1.6L 4-cyl, Automatic (AV-S1) (Front-Wheel Drive)	33.0	41.0	36.0	Regular	$1,750

CO2 Emissions: 250.0 g/mile (Compact Cars)

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Actual fuel economy may vary based on driving conditions.

Technical Service Bulletins, 2022 KIA RIO

17 manufacturer communications from 11 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	5
060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	3
220000 SEATS	2
160000 STRUCTURE	2
010000 STEERING	1
100000 POWER TRAIN	1
330000 INTERIOR LIGHTING	1
163400 STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:SUN VISOR	1

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: DISPLAY AUDIO 2.0/AVN5W SOFTWARE UPDATE (SA569) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on Display Audio 2.0 (D2V) and 5th Generation AVN Wide (AVN5W) head units on certain 202

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. Th

220000 SEATS

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL SEAT TRACK REPLACEMENT FOR INOPERATIVE FRONT SEAT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.

160000 STRUCTURE

171200 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OVERHEAD CONSOLE SUNGLASS DOOR-LATCH REPAIR - This bulletin provides information to repair the overhead console lamp assembly and sunglass door latch on some 2012-2023MY model vehicles listed in the table below,

163400 STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:SUN VISOR

330000 INTERIOR LIGHTING

160000 STRUCTURE

100000 POWER TRAIN

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmis

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.This bulletin provides inform

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE REMINDER SETTING RESET PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides the procedure to turn OFF the service reminder lamp, at the first service interval reminder alert that will display on the instrument cluster. The

220000 SEATS

PITSTOP: REAR OCCUPANT ALERT (ROA) W/REAR DOOR LOGIC - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This Pitstop provides informatio

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC22) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the mar

010000 STEERING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC22) - This bulletin provides information related to extracting "in use performance tracking" emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of cer

NHTSA Safety Investigations, KIA RIO

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2001

STEEL WHEEL FRACTURE

ON MARCH 24, 2004, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE04-030) TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STEEL WHEEL FRACTURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 KIA RIO VEHICLES.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH WHEELS MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 12 THROUGH OCTOBER 17, 2000.WHEELS... Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2001

STEEL WHEEL FRACTURE

ON MARCH 24, 2004, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STEEL WHEEL FRACTURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 KIA RIO VEHICLES.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH WHEELS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MAY 12 AND OCTOBER 18, 2000.WHEELS WERE MANUFA... Read more

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2001

FUEL RAIL LEAKAGE

ON APRIL 15, 2003, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE03-016) TO INVESTIGATE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES DUE TO ALLEGED FUEL SYSTEM LEAKS IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 KIA RIO VEHICLES.THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS ON AUGUST 28, 2003.ON SE... PTEMBER 22, 2003, THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (03V-352) TO INSPECT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES FOR FUEL LEAKS.AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER WAS SUBMITTED TO THE MANUFACTURER ON NOVEMBER 17, 2003 TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SO THAT THE OFFICE COULD EVALUATE THE DEFECT AS REPORTED BY KIA.THE IR LETTER ALSO ADDRESSED OTHER KIA VEHICLES NOT SUBJECT TO THIS INVESTIGATION THAT USE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM COMPONENTS IDENTICAL TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 03V-352.KIA?S SEPTEMBER 22, 2003 DEFECT NOTIFICATION LETTER IDENTIFIED QUALITY DEVIATIONS IN THE SUBJECT COMPONENTS THAT COULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE.DURING MY 2001 PRODUCTION, THE SUPPLIER OF THE FUEL RAIL (FUEL DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY) IDENTIFIED QUALITY ISSUES THAT AFFECTED THE INTEGRITY OF PLASTIC WELDS AT THE SERVICE PORT AND/OR FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE.FUEL LEAKAGE COULD ALSO OCCUR IF THE BRASS SERVICE PORT (SCHRADER) VALVE WAS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED INTO THE VALVE RECEPTACLE.THE SUPPLIER ADOPTED CHANGES TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM AND INSTITUTED A 100% INSPECTION PROCEDURE.SUBSEQUENT TO THIS INVESTIGATION, KIA ALSO CONDUCTED PERFORMANCE TESTING AND ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT DATA.KIA DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL RAIL IS SUBJECT TO FRACTURE AT THE INTAKE NIPPLE DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS OR VEHICLE SERVICING.DAMAGE MAY OCCUR WHEN THE FLEXIBLE FUEL LINE (MAIN FUEL TUBE ASSEMBLY) QUICK CONNECT COUPLING IS IMPROPERLY ATTACHED OR REMOVED FROM THE FUEL RAIL, OR WHEN EXCESSIVE FORCE IS OTHERWISE APPLIED.ODI IS AWARE OF 9 NON-DUPLICATE, NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES CAUSED BY FUEL SYSTEM LEAKS AND AN ADDITIONAL 14 FIRES OF UNKNOWN CAUSE THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI IS ALSO AWARE 6 FIRES IN MY 2002 AND 3 FIRES IN MY 2003 RIO/RIO CINCO VEHICLES THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE DEFECT.TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF FUEL RAIL DAMAGE, KIA HAS REDESIGNED THE FUEL RAIL TO INCLUDE A STEEL INTAKE NIPPLE, AND THE ATTACHING FUEL LINE QUICK CONNECT COUPLING HAS BEEN CHANGED TO FACILITATE EASIER SERVICING.ON APRIL 7, 2004, KIA NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (04V-179) TO REPLACE THESE TWO COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE FOR OWNERS OF ALL MY 2001-2004 KIA RIO AND RIO CINCO VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM MAY 4, 2000 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2004.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2001

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

KIA HAS IDENTIFIED 22 NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES OF ANY OR UNSPECIFIED CAUSE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.NINE FIRES (OF WHICH 4 WERE ALSO REPORTED TO ODI) ARE IDENTIFIED AS BEING DUE TO A FUEL SYSTEM LEAK ORIGINATING BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND THE FUEL INJECTOR RAIL (P/N 0K30E 13 150) IN THE PASSE... Read more

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2001

AIR BAG NON DEPLOY

THIS INVESTIGATION IDENTIFIED A TOTAL OF 82 REPORTS ALLEGING NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DUAL FRONT AIR BAGS.OF THE 82 REPORTS, ONLY ONE INCIDENT, THE FATAL CRASH THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR OPENING THE INVESTIGATION, HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A MODERATE TO SEVERE CRASH IN WHICH THE AUTOMOTIVE RESTRAINT CONTROLLE... Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2001

AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT FRONTAL CRASH

IN ADDITION TO THE DECEMBER 2001 FATAL CRASH REPORTED TO ODI THAT PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR OPENING PE02-022, KIA PROVIDED ODI 29 ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF ALLEGATIONS OF NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG IN A CRASH.NO ADDITIONAL FATAL CRASHES ARE REPORTED.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAS BEEN OPENED TO CONDUCT FUR... Read more

KIA RIO - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the KIA RIO across all model years (2001, 2022).

27 Total Recalls

1,809 Total Complaints

6 Investigations

229 Reported Crashes

111 Reported Fires

14 Reported Deaths

KIA RIO - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2023	0	20	View
2022 (current)	1	12
2021	2	23	View
2020	1	37	View
2019	1	29	View
2018	1	39	View
2017	2	37	View
2016	2	110	View
2015	1	69	View
2014	1	74	View
2013	1	218	View
2012	1	73	View
2011	0	32	View
2010	0	38	View
2009	0	54	View
2008	1	57	View
2007	1	64	View
2006	1	89	View
2005	1	46	View
2004	2	53	View
2003	3	103	View
2002	1	171	View
2001	3	355	View
2000	0	4	View

Other KIA Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
SORENTO	188	13,593	View
SPORTAGE	165	6,601	View
SEDONA	118	3,350	View
OPTIMA	100	10,128	View
TELLURIDE	70	2,186	View
SOUL	66	7,233	View
SORENTO HYBRID	62	159	View
SOUL EV	62	50	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2022 KIA RIO

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2022 KIA RIO

Safety Technology

EPA Fuel Economy, 2022 KIA RIO

Technical Service Bulletins, 2022 KIA RIO

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, KIA RIO

KIA RIO - All Years Overview

KIA RIO - Year by Year

Other KIA Models