2001 Kia Rio LX review from North America

On the very day we drove our Rio off the lot, we encountered problems with wind noise. It took four visits back to the dealer to get this problem fixed. After having my windshield re-sealed, my mirrors removed, re-installed and my bonnet adjusted, a Kia technician finally came with me for a drive to hear the problem for himself. Immediately, he told me that the problem was due to poorly installed rubber around the front doors. By now, three months had passed!

A few months later, my brakes started to squeak. I was told that the service would "only take a few minutes", so I decided to wait at the dealership. Two hours later, my car still hadn't been looked at, so I asked for my keys and promptly left. On a cold morning a few days later, the rubber came off my doors as I opened them. I had to wait another week for the parts to arrive, upon which time my brakes did get fixed.

A couple of months later, and the overdrive and engine lights came on. The day after I got this serviced, they came back on again. At the same time, the heat shield was causing a major rattling noise, so this had to be serviced as well.

Throughout the past winter, the car would stall on cold morning start-ups. The car was brought in to be serviced twice for this, at which time the engine warning light came on. Today marks the fifth time in the past five weeks that I will have brought this car back to the dealer for the same problem. Kia will only give me a loaner vehicle if they keep my car in the shop for four consecutive days. The fact that I have to keep bringing the car back for the same problem is irrelevant.

And to top it all off, the gas mileage sucks for a small four cylinder car!

My patience has grown extremely thin with both the car as well as the dealership. I know that first-year production vehicles are often full of little bugs, but not to the extent that mine has had. The dealership is only concerned with "policy this" and "policy that". My inconveniences mean nothing to them. They have done absolutely nothing to regain my confidence in them. I wouldn't care if they kept my car in the shop for a week if it meant getting it fixed right, as long as they provide me with a loaner vehicle. However they keep giving it back to me after each visit, telling me everything is OK. Everything is not OK!