2014 Kia Rio: owner complaints and recalls

Analysis of 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.

51
Complaints
1
Recalls
7
Crash reports
7
Fire reports
4
Injuries
200.0
Severity index

Severity index 200.0 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.

Among the 139 2014 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2014 Kia Rio ranks 7 of 139 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 95% of its model-year peers. See the full 2014 ranking.

What actually fails

ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE2447.1%
SERVICE BRAKES1019.6%
HYDRAULIC713.7%
AIR BAGS713.7%
POWER TRAIN611.8%
STRUCTURE611.8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER59.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM59.8%

The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 24 of 51 complaints (47.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.

Complaints filed per year

2014: 52015: 82016: 72017: 32019: 32020: 22021: 32022: 32023: 102024: 42025: 22026: 1141516171920212223242526
YearComplaints
20145
20158
20167
20173
20193
20202
20213
20223
202310
20244
20252
2026 (year to date)1
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.0x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
23V65200025/09/2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULEKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Con
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.