2001 Kia Rio LS from North America - Comments

Just about everything went wrong with this car.

When I first bought my Kia Rio LS I thought it was a good buy. I was a college student looking for a cheap, reliable vehicle. I was wrong about this car! I went out after class one night and my car wouldn't start and this was about 2.5 months after purchasing it. The starter was replaced and later on the brakes were grinding and a fair amount of work was done then. It was my first vehicle and I really wish I found a site like this before I signed on the dotted line. I took my car to my local Honda dealership and traded my car in. The resale went down a lot, but I didn't care. I didn't feel safe in my car, I was embarrassed to have owned one. I feel as though Kia didn't stand behind their vehicles and I would never give them the time of day for my business. Please re-consider if you are thinking of buying a Kia, there are far better cars out there and Kia's really aren't attractive cars. I can't stand the look of them. You get what you pay for.

Your review was pretty accurate. I thought buying a Kia would be a wise idea and boy was I ever wrong. I can't stand the look of them now. I have to drive by the Kia dealership on my way to work and whenever I see someone test driving a Kia, I feel like stopping and warning them. That's pretty bad really. Anyway sorry you had the luck I did... they are definitely lemons and I pity anyone who owns one.

Oh how I can relate with your decision to buy a Kia due to a limited budget and being a full time student. I too am a full time student and wanted a newer car that was reliable, yet affordable in traveling back and forth to school. How wrong I was, not only has it NOT been reliable, it has cost me extra money in gas to drive the two hour drive one way to the dealership when I have had to get the same problem fixed over and over.. Then spend gas money again to go back up and pick up my car from the dealership. Not to mention trying to work towing and getting to the dealer around my tight school schedule. Big waste of my precious time and waste of my limited money. I can't wait to get rid of the car, and will, as soon as I get it back from the dealership for once again another repair.

I have a KIA RIO that I am very unhappy with and it's a lemon. For 2 1/2 years I have been trying to keep brakes and tires on it and turn out that this wasn't wrong with it, but KIA of Columbus, MS said it was. Turn out that the rims was crack and to tell you the truth I let people look at it and they said it's a flaw with the manufacturing. I had to pay to fix it and have spent nealy 5,000 in 2 1/2 years on it and still trying to get it fix. I have try to sell or trade it even KIA want buy it because of the fact nearly broke I had go back to school so get better job so feed my girls since this car had took all my money. I have always had ford and never had this much trouble with a car. Yes, I think KIA should be shutdown and not selling these cars since I was told that its same thing as a Daewood and Yugo which don't make anymore. These vehicles are not for single mom and people who goes to school and works at night. I don't like being broke down on side of road and has been for theirs 2 years 4 times and I think they should fix it or trade with me.

All you college students would be better off looking for a used Geo Metro or Suzuki Swift (they're the same car with different logos). I drove one all over the North American Continent in college and the US Army. No major problems. Most other people have given similarly good reviews on Geo Metros. See Mine under "Ultimate Economic Value" 1994 Geo Metro XFI. Tell your college friends before they buy a car to check out this website.

I have replaced two very serious cracked wheels. after trying to find the problem. I went to 4 different mechanics and after replacing brakes, every 5-10 miles, and wheel bearings, someone finally discovered the hair line crack, that ran almost entirely around the wheel, I was within and inch of the wheel falling off, and causing a serious accident. I would never recommend a kia vehicle again. the dealership provided terrible service, and after a year, they moved/ or went out of business, don't no. why does america let these little foreign dealers in the country, and not inspect the quality of product???buyer beware.

Hey it is America, they sell any kind of Junk here these days. The law needs to be tightened, most of these Imported products are woefully under engineered, but when you are in a Country that is sinking fast through the huge negative Trade Defecit the Consumer is one cheap commodity.

What a bizarre comment!

I could ask why America lets its own auto industry turn out such crap without ensuring quality standards.

It's called free enterprise and with most Korean and all American manufacturers it's buyer beware.

That is something that I have favored for a long time. I think there should be some sort of engineering review for all manufactured goods, regardless of the country of origin. This applies to cheap-o electronics and appliances, as well as automobiles. These materials need to be mine out of the ground at a significant social cost, and there should be some government oversight to ensure that metal mined in Papua New Guinea this year won't simply end up in a landfill or junkyard next year due to a fly-by-night company churning out poorly made products. This would not only prolong the life of finite natural resources, but ensure a better quality product for the consumer.

Car metals are made from 90% recycled materials.

Anyway, didn't we get a little off the track here?

Isn't it about cars and the models, not politics.

Interesting comments though (probably true as well)

It sounds overly optimistic that all metal going into a car represents 90% recycled material. Even if that were the case, which I doubt, the metal is only the beginning. There is the plastic and fabric, made from petroleum or chemicals that require petroleum and other metals in the manufacturing process. And besides the cars, don't forget about the millions of computers, radios, TV's, microwaves, etc. that are simply thrown away or left to sit in a corner. Although some countries do require these machines to be broken back down into component parts, that is the novelty more than the rule. It is still a throw-away society. This comment line is only off track in a small way, but it is directly applicable to the wastefulness of a poorly made car, or an owner that doesn't maintain it so it wears out prematurely and needs to be replaced before offering an adequate service life.

If you are looking for an economy car at least look at a real car. The Scion xA (Toyota brand), The Honda Fit, or the Scion xB are all great economy cars that are not complete crap like Kia, GM, or Ford economy cars.

I've had similar problems...

I bought my car with 58,000 miles on it and it ran very well for a while. I haven't had a problem with it and I've been driving all over the country with it. However, at 90,000 miles I had a clinking noise in the transmission and had to replace it. Upon closer inspection, I found that several of the gears in the transmission and ground down and chipped. This is by far the worst case of junk metal I've ever seen in a transmission.

Even worse, I've found out they use the same model transmission in all of the Rios, no matter what year, as well as several other models. Beware!

Oh, and I cracked a rim too... weirdest thing I've ever seen!!

I bought a 2001 Kia Rio and up until 60k miles I was very pleased with the car. Then it hit 60k and all kinds of stuff happened. The heating core went out twice, I had several electrical problems, back wheels went out. However, I'm thinking that it's the DEALERS that are the real culprit because don't make the parts widely available so it's an inexpensive car, but the dealers make the money back by charging rip off prices for repairs (because you have to get the parts from them). The Ford/Kia dealer in San Francisco and the Kia dealer in Fairfield SUCKS. That being said, I have re-kindled my affection for my little car because 1) it is almost paid off and it is getting me around okay since my other car Chevy Cavalier is in the shop. Would I buy another Kia? Probably not. But if the price were right and I have a closer job, I just might.

BUYERS BEWARE KIA RIO.

Is there an option in this forum for "All of the above". I am a Kia Rio owner (in Australia) and likewise have had nothing, but problems with the car.

I purchased the car brand spanking new from a smiling white teeth car salesman, boy he saw me coming, and within two months the clutch was stuffed, kia refused to repair as they said the clutch was outside warranty and the cause of it may have been my driving, after five months the two back rear retractable seatbelts were frayed - to which kia replaced and another two years on they frayed again, to which I had to replace as it was out of warranty, other problems include the front wheel bearings been replaced, the rubber seals on the roof and around door trims, the interia stitching is poor qualtity - fraying as well.

In short, my attitude was that I had a new car, and as time went on I knew all the problems that it had over the five years, but if I knew five years ago what I know now, I WOULD NEVER HAD BROUGHT THIS CAR.