2002 Kia Rio review from North America

It would shut off on occasion

Uneven brake wear

Defective Caliber

Defroster malfunctioning

I have had my 2002 Rio two months over a year and find myself disappointed in my car. When I first bought my car, it would shut off unexpectedly. The battery would still be on, but the engine would be off. As a result, the dealership changed my fuel pump.

Next my rear defroster started acting funny. It would only work every now and then. It's like it had a mind of its own.

Know I am having issues with my brakes. I learned that I have uneven brake ware. As a result I had my brakes replaced and my rotors machined. To my surprise I am experiencing uneven ware again. I have had the new brakes for only a month. I have learned the uneven ware is a result of my calibers sticking to the rotor. I took my Rio to the dealership and they had the nerve to tell me that the uneven ware is because my rotor is warped (I guess they didn't realize I had my rotors machined already). Then they said the uneven ware came from my brakes being dirty and that I needed to rinse them off with a water hose. Then the guy told me the brake pads should only last 20,000 miles so it is not unexpected that they are worn. The guy also told me that the new brakes are experiencing uneven ware because they are cheap and crumbling. Keep in mind that all of these different excuses were given in one conversation along with a lot of stuttering. I don't know if they tried to tell me these things because I am a female or what, but I know it's not true. The reason why my brakes are grinding, squeaking, and wearing down fast on only on tire is because the caliber on that specific tire is sticking. Oh yeah, did I mention that the brakes (that originally came with the car) on all of the other tires are totally fine. They probably have another year on them.

The car is also very loud and takes a while to pick up.

All I can say is that I hate Kia. I know that some of the issues I have experienced with people at the dealerships are because I am a female. I have had Kia try to charge me $3,000 just to drain my oil. The customer service sucks just as bad as the car.