2003 Kia Rio review from North America

At 15,000 miles the brakes were worn to less than 18%.

At 18,000 miles the front right bearing locked up.

Car makes loud noises at higher speeds during windy days.

At 22,000 miles the right front bearing locked up again.

At 30,000 miles the right front bearing went out yet again.

Right front spacer was not placed on car during assembly.

Tires required replacement at 22,000 miles.

Gas mileage not as high as factory claims.

Radio cuts in and out when hitting a bump.

Car failed inspection in 2004 with less than 20,000 miles on it.

Windshield Wiper motor burned up at 31,000 miles.

At 15,000 miles the brakes were worn to less than 18%. When taken to the dealer, I was told that this part is not warranted in the 10 year warranty. I pulled out the book and found that the brakes are warranted during the 3 year 36,000 warranty period. I took the car back and showed the dealer. He proceeded to give me an estimate of over $500 and again stated that he would not replace the brakes under warranty.

At 18,000 miles the front end locked up on the highway and required the car to be towed to another dealer. After the service manager read the notes put on my VIN by the previous dealership, he refused to even look at my car. I had it towed to my regular mechanic. He informed me that the right bearing was bad & replaced. At 22,000 miles, the right front bearing went out again. My mechanic states that KIA has a technical service bulletin published regarding the front bearings. He replaced the bearing again using a KIA part. At 30,000 miles the bearing went out again, this time causing me to hydroplane and hit a ditch. My mechanic kept the car for a week to see what was causing the bearings to go bad. The service manager at KIA explained that he does about 5 new bearing jobs a week on these cars and advised that it could be a spacer between the bearing and the axle. It seems that most of these cars left the factory without that part. It took KIA a week to get the part to my mechanic due to the demand.

It is important to note that even though KIA states they warranty their cars for 10 years, none of the things that have gone wrong with the car was "covered by warranty" according to the three dealers I have been to. I have filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation, the Better Business Bureau, and the National Transportation Safety Board. I have every avenue at KIA including the arbitration process.