MODELYEARINDEX

Kia RIO

320 complaints across 11 scored model years and 5 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Kia RIO Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2015 vs model median 2.2×
Model median3× median
Engine 10
Airbags & Restraints 7
Electrical 5
Avoid

2013 · 2015

Best

2011 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.15× 17 B
2011
0.65× 15 B
2012
1.00× 25 C
2013
2.14× 52 F
2014
2.01× 35 F
2015
2.15× 35 F
2016
0.89× 20 C
2018
0.50× 11 A
2019
0.89× 20 B
2020
1.30× 30 C
2021
0.71× 22 B
2022 P
0.50× 12 A
2023 P
0.43× 20 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

Combined MPG36
City / Highway32 / 41
Engine1.6L, 4 cyl
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost$1,700

Recalls

5 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V652000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2012–2016 1,730,192
23V594000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH 2016 319,436
21V622000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH 2018, 2019 253,074
21V936000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER 2020, 2021 87
22V304000 STEERING:COLUMN 2021, 2022 30

Others in Subcompact Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Chevrolet Aveo
none flagged
B
Chevrolet Sonic
20122013
C
Chevrolet Spark
20132014
B
Fiat 500
20122014
C
Fiat 500L
2014
C
Ford Fiesta
20112013
C
Honda FIT
20132015
C
Hyundai Accent
20122013
C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 RIO
Complaints in window
35
Severity-weighted
99
Model median (weighted)
46
vs model median
2.15×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
1
Score 35.4 F