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Kia RIOModel year report

2002 Kia RIO Problems

Complaints
128filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
36,750miles, 64 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
26 mpgcombined, 1.5L 4-cyl FWD · 23 city / 29 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Kia RIO (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2002 KIA Rio most often describe engine and cooling-system problems: stalls, check-engine lights, timing-belt failures that leave the engine unable to run, and occasional under-hood smoke or fire. Many also report airbags that did not deploy in frontal impacts and seat belts that would not buckle, lock or retract. Brake complaints tend to be filed at very low mileage, while timing-belt and seat-belt complaints appear mostly at higher mileage.

  1. Air bags

    Airbags did not deploy in a frontal crash

    • 21 complaints (16%)
    • median 32,250 mi at 2.6 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 21 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2016

    Complaints describe frontal and offset collisions in which the front airbags did not deploy, while in one case both airbags deployed in a comparatively light impact. Occupants report injuries when belts and airbags did not restrain them as expected. Several owners say they raised the deployment question with the dealer and were told the impact did not meet deployment conditions. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 12,000 to 114,000 miles, typically after a collision rather than as a standalone symptom.

    What to check: Check that the airbag warning lamp lights and then goes out at start-up, and ask whether the vehicle has any recorded airbag or crash-sensor repairs or prior collision damage.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving my 2002 Kia RIO on my lunch break going to my home. A young lady pulled out in front of me I was going around 45 when she pulled out. My car hit hers in the side neither my air bags or seat belt functioned like they should have. My air bags didn't even deploy my seat belt allowed me to go into the windshield. As my body was thrown forward the underside of the steering wheel broke my femur in 3 places. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10144595, filed 2005-12, 65,000 miles

    “Our Kia RIO was involved in a front end collision where the air bags failed to deploy at over 40 miles an hour. It's by the grace of god we didn't find this out in a faster collision costing someone their life.”

    NHTSA complaint #10208669, filed 2007-11, 114,080 miles
  2. Engine cooling

    Timing belt failure and resulting engine damage

    • 13 complaints (10%)
    • median 91,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2014

    Owners describe the timing belt breaking or stripping, after which the engine quits suddenly, sometimes at highway speed or in traffic, and will not restart. Several say a mechanic or dealer traced the failure to the belt and told them the engine itself was damaged and needed replacement. A service bulletin for this model mentions improved timing belts for the Rio, and owners report disputes with the dealer over whether belt replacement had been done at the recommended interval. Mostly reported between roughly 50,000 and 115,000 miles, with some failures shortly after a belt replacement.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for the timing-belt replacement receipt and the odometer reading at that service, and confirm whether the belt has been changed within the interval listed in the owner's manual.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have taken my 2002 Kia RIO to a certified reputable mechanic. His determination of the faulty engine was due to the fact of a inferior timing belt. His statement was that the timing belt gave out and the engine is designed so that basically when this happens the crankshaft and valves ruin itself due to the broken timing belt. This happening leaves me with basically a $2,000 dollar loss all because of maybe a $100 part.”

    NHTSA complaint #10210004, filed 2007-11, 102,500 miles

    “While my daughter was driving her 2002 Kia RIO, all of a sudden the car just stopped running and would not start up. There was no prior indication that anything was wrong - no light or indicators on. Had it towed to our mechanic - engine was locked up. He didn't know for sure why - oil and coolant were fine. We didn't want to pay to have the reason diagnosed, as it doesn't really matter what caused it - the motor is shot. This car has been regularly maintained - oil change every 3000 miles, regular service as recommended in the book. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10277906, filed 2009-07, 96,500 miles
  3. Engine cooling

    Engine stalling and check-engine light

    • 29 complaints (23%)
    • median 31,702 mi at 2.3 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2009

    Owners report the engine cutting out at low speed, at highway speed, or after refueling, sometimes restarting right away and sometimes not. Several say the dealer could not duplicate the problem or reset the check-engine light without a lasting fix, and some describe rough running or intermittent power loss beforehand. In one complaint a mechanic traced the stalling to the fuel-injection system. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 114,000 miles, often in normal driving and traffic conditions.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Have a mechanic read stored and pending fault codes rather than a cleared light, and ask whether stalling or check-engine repairs have been attempted before.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Kia RIO 2002 the check engine light will not go out I took it to get check out.everything is fine.there is nothing wrong.they reset the check engine light and it came back on.I was told buy a Kia dealer ship it is a manufacturer defect. And nothing can be done.this is been going on for four years now. I have to get the check every time the inspection is do and have the light reset. So I can pass the inspection.”

    NHTSA complaint #10268470, filed 2009-05, 87,253 miles

    “I just got my car fixed on mon. 8/25/14. I took it in because it was idling rough. The shop put in new spark plugs and wires. It cost me $180. I drove it home. It was smooth. Then I drove to downtown akron, about 15 miles, to a hike. When I was almost there, my car just went dead while I was driving. I pulled over and parked off the busy road onto a parking lot (part of/by akron university). The car was dead. It made a clicking noise when I tried to start it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10628921, filed 2014-08, 100,000 miles
  4. Seat belts

    Seat belts that jam, fray or fail to retract

    • 13 complaints (10%)
    • median 93,458 mi at 9.1 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2001–2013

    Owners describe belts that would not buckle, locked up while someone was trying to buckle a child in, stopped retracting, or had webbing that frayed or separated. Some report belts that did not restrain occupants in a collision. Complaints say the dealer either replaced the belt without solving the problem or told owners the repair was their responsibility. Reported from delivery and a few thousand miles up to about 180,000 miles, with several reports between 90,000 and 105,000 miles.

    What to check: Pull each belt fully out and let it retract, check the webbing for fraying or cuts, and confirm every buckle latches and releases cleanly, including the rear center belt.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My daughter was driving south on hwy 360 in grand prairie texas going about 50 MPH and an other vehicle was crossing the lanes toward her and hit her vehicle at the front right side (passenger side). She was wearing a seat belt and so was the passenger.the seatbelt on the passenger side did not work and airbags on neither side deployed. The passenger went forward striking the front windshield suffering head and body injuries.”

    NHTSA complaint #10130095, filed 2005-07, 81,000 miles

    “Owner took the vehicle to the dealer for the seat belts which were very long and will not adjust. The dealer told the owner that the middle seat belts were designed that way and that there was nothing they can do. Provide further details. .......”

    NHTSA complaint #10096581, filed 2004-10, 12 miles
  5. Brakes

    Brakes grabbing, locking or pedal going low

    • 18 complaints (14%)
    • median 8,100 mi at 2.2 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2014

    Owners describe brakes that grab or lock on wet or humid days, a pedal that sinks toward the floor, and vibration or shaking while braking at higher speeds. Some say dealers replaced rotors, calipers, brake lines or the master cylinder, in a few cases repeatedly without resolving the problem. Others report uneven pad wear on one side and a leaking proportioning valve. Many complaints are filed at very low mileage, often under 20,000 miles, with others reported later in life up to about 87,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Brake firmly from speed on a quiet road and check for pedal firmness and pulling, then look at brake fluid level and any records of caliper, line or master-cylinder work.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “T proportioning valve is leaking on my 2002 Kia, loosing all brake fluid. Kia dealer said this is a common problem they can repair for $230.00. The proportioning valve should not fail on any car. Has this been reported before? I feel this should be a warranty item and possibly a dealer recall, what can you tell me?”

    NHTSA complaint #10289413, filed 2009-10, 87,000 miles

    “I have a Kia RIO with 15,000 miles on it, and the passenger side front brakes are shot. The other brakes are not shot. They are like brand new. If this would be wear and tear it would be all around. This is poor make of this vehicle and Kia does not care. The front brake broke and dug into the rotor causing much damage. And the caliber is also shot. Not a wear and tear problem and Kia does not want to fix this. I bought a new car so I would not have any problems. Boy was I wrong.”

    NHTSA complaint #10052326, filed 2004-01, 15,000 miles

Buying note. Ask for timing-belt service records first, since a broken belt on this engine can mean engine replacement, and budget for that possibility. Check the airbags, seat belts and brakes carefully on a test drive, and have a mechanic scan for fault codes before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 128 consumer complaints for the 2002 Kia RIO. 64 of the complaints include a mileage, and 52% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 36,750 miles. Of all complaints, 25 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 27 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 12 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Latches, locks and linkages (3), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Equipment (2), Other or unknown (2), Wheels (2), Engine (1), Seats (1), Steering (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Engine cooling: “The car began to run hot when I would be briefly stopped for instance in a drive through restaurant or a longer traffic light. Once the car began to move the car cooled down. I had a mechanic friend do a tune up on my car. He said the fan has no blades they have disintegrated. This was of concern due to the fact there has been no injury to my car such as an animal in the engine.”

NHTSA complaint #10238342, filed 2008-08, 114,000 miles

Air bags: “Vehicle was in a head on collision with another vehicle. Upon impact, front airbags did not deploy, also, motor mounts failed, resulting in dashboard pushing into driver and passenger. Both driver and passenger sustained injuries.”

NHTSA complaint #10006322, filed 2003-02, 14,000 miles

Brakes: “Slowing to turn into gas station, rear axle broke do to excessive rust rot. The body on this car had stated to rust at 8000 miles, rear frame has excessive rust rot also. Numerous other Kia RIO owners are reporting this issue this is alarming I could have slammed into the gas pumps as the brakes locked do to severing a brake line.”

NHTSA complaint #10597220, filed 2014-06, 61,000 miles

Seat belts: “Hit deer at 55 MPH airbags did not deploy and seat belt did not lock causing head to hit steering wheel and bounce back and hit seat whole front of car was tore up.”

NHTSA complaint #10143771, filed 2005-11, 53,755 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

52% of the 64 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 14,000 and 90,000 miles.

20%0–1016%10–2516%25–5016%50–7516%75–10016%100–1502%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (64 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 36,750 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’0231’04’06’08’10’12’14’19
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 Kia RIO. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
RIO · sedan not rated4 / 4———
RIO · sedan not rated4 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Kia RIO version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Rio FWD1.5L 4-cyl5-speed manual232926$2,600
Rio FWD1.5L 4-cyl4-speed automatic222724$2,800

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2002 Kia RIO → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 12 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 12 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia RIO

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202312100,9000—36—Too new
20221270,5001—36—Not enough data
202115—2—36—Stable
2020272,7801—3673 · MoreStable
2019224,4501—32—Stable
20182835,7851—3212 · FewerRising
20173136,500243135 · FewerRising
20167950,500243165 · MoreRising
20155260,000143045 · TypicalRising
20145233,000143071 · MoreRising
201315364,626143289 · MoreRising
20125464,000143250 · TypicalFalling
20112461,0000—30—Rising
20102663,0000—3133 · FewerFalling
20093948,2000—3044 · TypicalFalling
20084646,0001—2958 · TypicalFalling
20074657,0181—29Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20067463,4951—29Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20053751,0001—25Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20043868,5202—25Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20037430,0003—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200212836,7501—26Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200122348,0003—26Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Kia RIO model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Kia RIO?

Owners of the 2002 KIA Rio most often describe engine and cooling-system problems: stalls, check-engine lights, timing-belt failures that leave the engine unable to run, and occasional under-hood smoke or fire. The issues reported most often: Airbags did not deploy in a frontal crash; Timing belt failure and resulting engine damage; Engine stalling and check-engine light.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Kia RIO have?

NHTSA recorded 128 consumer complaints for the 2002 Kia RIO as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Kia RIO is reported most often?

Engine cooling is named most often, in 39 complaints (30% of the total), followed by air bags with 21.

Has the 2002 Kia RIO been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Kia RIO get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Kia RIO (Rio, 1.5L 4-cyl) at 26 mpg combined, 23 city and 29 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Kia RIO reported?

Among the 64 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 36,750 miles and the middle half falls between 14,000 and 90,000 miles; 52% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.