2002 Kia Rio RX-V review from North America

The day I bought my brand new Kia Rio RXV, I drove it off the parking lot and it stalled in the intersection in front of the dealership. I turned around and made an appointment to have it fixed for that week. It has been stalling ever since that day in October 2002. I have brought it in 13 times in the 19 months that I have owned the vehicle (including regular servicing) and have had 6 demo cars while the dealership has had my vehicle sometimes weeks on end.

On April 24th of this year my car stalled while I was driving it as I was turning a corner (it's an automatic transmission) and my power brakes and steering went out and I came very close to hitting a truck. I was able to slip it in neutral and start it again immediately, but was quite shook up about it. Kia took my car and said they couldn't find anything wrong with it except some brake problems. As I was leaving, my brakes failed and I had to wait an hour and a half while they serviced it and eventually sent me home with another demo.

The manufacturer spoke with the service manager and they both said that because they couldn't re-create the problem, there was nothing they could do about it. The owner told me not to let the previous stalling problems "cloud" my impression of this isolated problem.

Since then the car has stalled at least six times, four times when my boyfriend has been driving the vehicle. The car is in the shop again.

I cannot begin to describe my frustration coupled with my fear in driving this vehicle. People I know have nicknamed it "the deathtrap". I have told the dealership over and over again that I am backing out onto a highway with my two small children in the car everyday when my car will stall or hesitate for up to five seconds at a time.

I have been told by the owner and/or service manager that it was the way I drove it, that I shouldn't "slam it into gear" as soon as I get into the car, that I should hesitate when turning the key, that it was the type of gas used in the Maritimes. On another occasion when I found rust on the front of my car in January 2003, three months after I bought the car, the owner explained to me what rust the definition of "rust". I told him I knew what rust was, but didn't know what it was doing on my brand new car. I also told him that I found him completely condescending.