2018 Kia Rio: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
27
Complaints
1
Recalls
3
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
1
Injuries
118.5
Severity index
Severity index 118.5 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 14 | 51.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 18.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 | 14.8% |
| AIR BAGS | 4 | 14.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 7.4% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 7.4% |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 7.4% |
| SEATS | 1 | 3.7% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 14 of 27 complaints (51.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 4 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V622000 | 09/08/2021 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of F |
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.