MODELYEARINDEX

Which Kia RIO years to avoid

Across 11 scored model years, the 2015, 2013 and 2014 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

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 owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 F 52 reports · median 42,500 mi

  1. Airbags & Restraints 10

    I did not have an accident or anything to that nature. We bought our daughter a 2013 kia rio. I was sitting in the passenger seat and noticed that the passenger seat is much lower than to drivers seat. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 9

    I detect a noise coming from the motor and went to service department of the dealer on january 14, they make a test drive and said that maybe the problem is with a "lifter" they gave me an appointment for service for… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Lights & Visibility 8

    The contact owns a 2013 kia rio. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact noticed that the rear window was too high and the contact was unable to see other vehicles. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

6 crash · 8 fire · 8 injuries

2015 F 35 reports · median 40,064 mi

  1. Engine 10

    The engine periodically will stall for 2-3 seconds, usually when starting a left turn from a stop. This can prove hazardous in a busy intersection. This has been going on since I bought the car 12 october 2015. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 7

    The contact owns a 2015 kia rio. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 5

    The contact owned a 2015 kia rio. While driving 35 MPH, the engine lost power. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

8 crash · 9 fire · 20 injuries

The best year for the RIO

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring RIO model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2018 0.50× 11 A
2011 0.65× 15 B
2021 0.71× 22 B

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

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 40,064 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Kia RIO years should you avoid?
2015, 2013, 2014 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Kia RIO model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Kia RIO?
2018 is the best-scoring Kia RIO model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Kia RIO have?
5 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Kia RIO model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

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