Comments: 1-15, 16
Within 2 months of buying this car the check engine light came on. Was found to be faulty and was replaced. Leaving the dealership it came on yet again. Was told they needed to order the part and I never heard from them again. Light went out on its own eventually.
At 1 year the clutch pedal squeaked and taking it to a different KIA dealership, they replaced the clutch cable. Driving home from that it thunk-ed and the next day I spent another 9 hours at the dealership again while they replacde the faulty clutch.
At 16 months, another thunk started when going over speed bumps and or releasing the clutch got me a trip to my original dealership, who told me a motor mount was loose from the clutch job and I had to return to the other KIA dealership that did the clutch work to have it fixed. The second dealership told me the first was on drugs and that the motor mounts were fine, however my suspension links needed replacing. At this point I gave them a list and told them to fix it all.
Stereo speakers cut in and out.
Rear windshield wiper button turns on front windshied wipers.
The car chugs while I am in any gear and even when I am flat out at 100kms/hr on the freeway. This results in mild whiplash.
6 hours at the dealership last week got me nothing on the stereo, a temporary used replacement part for the windshield wiper button and a promise of a new one "soon" and an updated computer in it. The car still chugged going home and now I have an transmission leak too!
I returned yesterday for 6 more hours to be told a faulty spark plug was the problem with the chugging and Yes! I did have a transmission leak and they needed to confer with KIA techs before they could do any work on it. They'll call me. I am assuming they replaced the replacement part for the windshield wipers.
I have problems getting it into reverse. Not something I have mentioned to the dealership yet.
I don't even want to talk about the lousy paint job that flecks off, the undercarriage rust or the fuel consumption with the A/C running or the fact that I can barely drive up my hill in 1st gear from a stand still start. I can never get up the hill with the A/C on. It's not that steep a hill either.
The service is terrible. So are their service people whom I think are at as much loss as I am on what to do with this car. The car is terrible. The warranty is holding up and I imagine it is the only way they could sell such an unreliable vehicle.
The mechanics say KIA uses bad lube for parts and uses cheap rubber that hardens, and this is the cause of most of their problems.
I am leasing this car and cannot wait for the day I can trade it or send it back to them. I have never heard of another make of car with this many ongoing problems. I think I will go to a Ford dealership soon.
Are you sure the Ford will be any better, try the Japanese or GM brands where you live. Even if they cost more up front, you would be better off in the long run. The new small Gm's from GM-Daewoo have supposedlly gone through a remarkable increase in quality since GM took over the automotive wing of Daewoo.
My wife has a 2000 Deawoo, lanos. It's cheap, but it rides really nice. Good gas mileage. The Deawoos have had trouble with the cam sensor, so the check engine light is on sometimes, but other than that she likes it.
I consider myself a fairly mechanically inclined person, and swear by Toyota, I tend to buy high mileage vehicles and drive them until they are unbelievably high mileage vehicles and Toyota seem to fare best in the unkillable department. If a new car is what you require, for a few extra bucks-I would certainly go with a Toyota Echo, I have read many comments on this website about the Echo and 99% of the reviews are favorable. My Toyota has almost 300,000 km on it and I doubt there is a Kia made or will ever be made that could even dream about 300,000!
Kia actually did a million-mile test with the Sephia a few years back. And it made it. So, I guess you could say a Kia went 1,600,000 kms. Of course they were all logged near-simultaneously, but I'm sure it wowed some village idiots.
Hey, before visiting a Ford dealer, read the reviews on here for the contour. Not good.
I bought my 2004 Kia RXV in May, 2004.I had the engine light problem just after I bought it, turned out to be the air breather cover, it wasn't getting enough air. Shortly after that, the O2 sensor went bad, then the mud flap broke, then the tires went out of balance. The warranty did cover it. I do agree with you about the service. The dealership I go to is really bad, everything that goes wrong with the cosmetics, it's my fault and I get charged. But all in all, it is a nice car and I plan on keeping it after the 5 year term. A word of advice, don't buy a Ford, they are junk, worse than the Kia!
My mom bought a 2003 Rio off the lot... her first brand new car. Now she regrets it...
The car fogs up very badly... one winter it was so bad she had to scrape ice off the INSIDE of her car! She's had it in numerous times to replace the seals on the windows (the dealership has been great with everything) and they have even taken the doors and panels off the car to let dry for a week straight and still, the problem persists (a little less, but still...)
The car shakes terribly when it is idling. My mom has a bad nerve condition so trying to hold onto a vibrating steering wheel is not good at all. It was almost to the point where it was making her condition worse by driving it. She took it in and they told her that it was the air conditioning unit and it was too powerful for the car or something. Then they said it was the computer in it. Who knows. It still vibrates, but not as much since they took out the AC.
Her brakes are horrible. They grab when the car is cold or if the road is wet... it jerks you forward that's how bad it is. She's had them adjusted and they told her that it was the best they could do because "that's the way they are" is what they told her.
She and I were in there to pick it up after some servicing and the manager comes over and says "Well I guess you might be upgrading to a new KIA soon huh?" and she looks at him and tells him "I would never buy another KIA as long as I live..."
At least everything has been under warranty so she has yet to pay for any of the repairs.
I have a KIA RIO company car here in Australia.
Mines has been great. I have done 125,000 Kilometres (I think that's about 75,000 miles). It's done a lot of hard miles on dirt and country roads. I don't give a lot off the mark, but it's not uncommon that it will be cruising at 140 KPH (about 84MPH).
It hasn't missed a beat. Quiet, don't have an ice problem out here, too bloody hot. The car runs at a good temperature and the air conditioning is really nice and cold.
It will be time to change it in June this year, and I assume they will get new KIA's. Good value for the money. I guess your mum got a lemon, feel sorry for her and hope she does better next time.
Of course the Toyotas are better, but they are an extra $6000 over here, so they should be better.
My wife and I purchased a 2003 Rio rxv off the lot in 03. For the first year it was pretty good and only had the usual problems a new car might have. In the last year the engine light has come on repetitively... the O2 sensors have been replaced with in the last few months and now one of them is gone again. The Mass Air Flow meter has been replaced, the computer has been re-flashed. It shakes like it dropped two cylinders at idle at times, jerks and looses power during cruise conditions. The brakes have done several times now including the booster when the brakes wouldn't work first thing in the morning. My advice to solve the instant grab is to tell them to install after market pads and shoes, it will solve the problem trust me, been there done that. Paint quality sucks. I had to get the clutch bushings done as well.
My impressions of the car... it spends more time at the dealer than a Italian exotic, this car is not going to be in my driveway when the warranty runs out. Over my dead body will I ever buy another Kia.
Having bought a Kia five months ago, I find the reviews here interesting.
I bought used - a 2005 Sportage (that's the new model, based on the Hyundai Tuscon) and so far, so good. It had only 11000kms on it when I got it and actually did need a new gas tank pretty quickly, but that was the result of a factory defect and has been resolved.
That's it for bad experiences for me. I've got a good relationship with the dealership service department (they didn't even bat an eyelid when I drove away from a lube/oil/filter without paying last month) and the car performs well.
In the time I've had it, I've been to the maritimes and back (a 3500-km round trip), as well as a couple of nearer destinations, for a total of 13500 kms of driving. On the highway, she could handle 145 without a shudder (oh, my aching wallet) and on dirt roads (and some of Ottawa's worst streets, which are awful) she could handle the bounces and drops without a creak.
The long and the short of it is that Kia has learned a lot in the last couple of years, and I would recommend them to anybody buying on a budget. Of course, if I were making about 5000 more per year, I would have gone with the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, but wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which fills up first.
Cheers.
I began my leasing of a RIO RXV in 2003, I was so happy by its elgant sleek appearance, especially the body design around the front windshield going up around the side window area, its uniqueness still is the sole reason for having this vehicle. I put in a sun/moon roof only to find out it cannot go in the front, so now I got it in the rear/middle zone. the main problem with this car is its instability, no support on corners, poor brakes, sloppy clutch and pedal location is made for small people I think, service is exceptional considering thell only do what you say to do everything is fine till then, most inconvenient is the windshield defog, stabilizer links bushings, fuse for power windows, and the stereo does not play cds very well in cool to cold temperatures. altogether its safe to say that you get what you pay for, I knew this was no renowned sports car so my mistake is being a poor sucker who can't afford a real car, at least I try to make it look good.
I have had my Kia Rio LX since new in 2004. For the 1st 2yrs I had no problems apart from the 2 recalls. Unfortunately since March of this year I have spent a staggering amount of hours in my local dealership (so much that I know all the mechanics by their first names). It started with the central locking system which required a new sensor, this took weeks to arrive. in the meantime I was left with a car that either didn't lock or locked me in and for a week I had to get in/out via the passenger door!. Eventually the problem was solved, but within a couple of weeks the engine check light came on. I have since spent at least 1hr a week at the dealers since August. I've had a new O2 sensor, 4 new spark plugs and still the problem continues. During this time I have only been provided with a courtesy car once, and have had to go on holiday (driving) whilst awaiting the delivery of the new part. The mechanics have been amazing and by now I'm sure are sick of the sight of me, but the dealers solution to the problem has been to try to sell me another car (no thanks).
It's been over 2 years since I wrote the first comment on this page and until tomorrow I still have that horrible RIO.
Not a thing has been right with it. I still have clutch problems, the seat base broke and I waited 6 months to finally get them to fix it right and, but it back in.
2 weeks ago I went to the dealership I bought it from and blew my top. I took in a big florescent sign that read, "My first and last KIA is a lemon courtesy of XXXXX!" I ranted, raved and yelled about my car. Buyers were walking out, people waiting in service followed me asking questions, others were applauding. I then put my sign in my back window and drove around for a few days.
The dealership's owner got involved and we have worked things out. I don't have to pay my buyout, over $3000 and tomorrow I am getting a brand new Sportage. The dealership has bent over backwards to finally meet my needs and promises to continue to do so.
So if you are not happy about your car, not getting good service, really have a lemon on your hands, get yourself a sign, make yourself heard, write KIA at consumer@kia.ca, use Internet sites like this one or your local papers or news hounds. Companies don't like negative press. And always ask to speak to the top. I clearly told them that I was prepared to drive this car till the final day of my lease with that sign in place! Good luck.
I bought my Kia Rio RXV brand new in 2003. It is the most trouble free car I have ever owned. There have been two recalls on it, both did not affect my car; but the dealership replaced the parts.."just in case". I live in a warm, wet climate; so if you don't use your defog.. the car fogs up. I am up to 57000 KMS, and am still loving this car. I have added a Thule roof rack for my Kayak, and my Rio gets me anywhere I want to go. My advice to the people who have had problems with there cars is... if you bought this "economy" car for horse-power, fit-finish quality; then you got what you deserve. I knew I was not buying a sports car, and I knew this was not a hand-built luxury car. What I got was a quiet (even at 180 KMS/HR I can still hear the radio on a low volume) reliable, fuel effeciant (35$ lasts me 2-weeks) Car. Oh and by the way, when you are reading these negative reviews about the Rio; it is interesting to note how many of those people "leased" their cars. That is a "financing" issuie, and not the cars fault!!!
Just wanted to add my comments. I decided to lease my first car and I choose the 2003 KIA Rio RXV. It was the sporty little car I was looking for and I enjoyed buying the little extras to "soup" it up.
I've had only a few problems with it over the past 4 years, but each time they were looked after by the dealship right away and all was fully covered by Kia's great warranty.
I just turned in my lease early due to the large amount of KM's on it (102,000!!) and it was the saddest day for me. I loved that little red "hot rod". I know that whoever gets this great car will get even more happy years out of her.
I'm happy to say I now own a hot Black 2007 Spectra 5 and love it. I can't wait to "soup" this one up. I'm getting great gas mileage and still have one of the best full coverages bumper to bumper going... and they even gave me free oil changes this time... hey every penny counts when it's in your own pockets :)