Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Rio, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine15
- Unknown or other5
- Air bags5
- Electrical system5
- Fuel/propulsion system2
- Exterior lighting2
- Latches/locks/linkages2
- Seats1
- Service brakes1
- Engine and engine cooling1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 25 2018 Rio vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 13 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2018 Kia Rio failed the safety check 1.75% of the time — 6% more often than the average 2018 passenger car (1.65%). Median odometer at inspection: 53,587 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2018
44,443 new Kia Rio cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were France (6,013), the United Kingdom (5,888), Spain (5,337).
- Average mass
- 1,139 kg
- Average CO₂
- 139 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 67 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 89% · Diesel 8.8% · LPG 2.2%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2018 Kia Rio cars on Dutch roads are the 1.0 petrol (74 kW, 99 hp), 1.2 petrol (62 kW, 83 hp) and 1.0 petrol (88 kW, 118 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 petrol | 74 kW 99 hp | 1,972 |
| 1.2 petrol | 62 kW 83 hp | 148 |
| 1.0 petrol | 88 kW 118 hp | 135 |
| 1.4 petrol | 73 kW 98 hp | 27 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
2,300 first registered in 2018 are on Dutch roads; 13% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €18,320.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,168
- Band onvoldoende profiel525
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld335
- Band beschadigd326
- Richtingaanwijzers kleur wijkt af/niet toegestaan255
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm222
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht198
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage135
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
5,656 cars built in 2018 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 36 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 5,751 of these cars first registered in 2018 took their annual MOT test. 85% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2018 the figure was 84%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 6.6% | 3.6% |
| Tyres | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Brakes | 2.4% | 2.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.3% | 4.0% |
| Suspension | 0.5% | 1.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.3% | 1.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,089 of these cars first registered in 2018 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 84,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
947 2018 cars are on the New Zealand register; 1% arrived as used imports, 99% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Kia Rio 4 DR FWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2018 Kia Rio 5 HB FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 7.5 L/100 km (about 31 mpg US), CO₂ 175–177 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio · Compact · Regular gasoline | 8.5 | 6.4 | 7.5 |
| Rio · Compact · Regular gasoline | 8.3 | 6.4 | 7.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2018 Kia Rio.
| 2021504 10 Aug 2021 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk compartment ma… |
| 2017380 2 Aug 2017 | Label Certain vehicles may not comply with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations. The compliance label may bear a printing error within the Gross Axle Weight Rati… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Kia told its dealers about the 2018 Kia Rio: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11009080 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 15, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Softwa |
| 11004930 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IVT OIL PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACEMENT: This bulletin provides information to replace the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) Oil Pressure Sensor (OPS) on some 2018-2024MY vehicles listed on page 3 equipped with IVT. The affected vehicles may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) illuminated on the instrument cluster with DTCs P084500, P084600, and/or P0867XX present with no drivability concerns due to a failed IVT oil pressure sensor. |
| 11001598 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from May 30, 2011 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be equippe |
| 11000787 | This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced. |
| 10250838 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 15, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Softwa |
| 10247581 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia now has an additional vehicle modification available for installation to help deter or thwart attempted thefts. This modification consists of a theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and will be available to you free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. |
| 10247554 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 15, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Softw |
| 10247553 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia vehicles outlined on page 13, which may not have been equipped with an immobilizer and whose Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) / Body Control Module (BCM) are not able to receive the Anti-Theft Software Logic upgrade under CS2301/02/03/04/05/06/07/08/09 TSBs. In an effort to help prevent thefts of Kia vehicles that are not equipped with an immobilizer |
| 10245168 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL SEAT TRACK REPLACEMENT FOR INOPERATIVE FRONT SEAT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to inspect and repair an inoperative front seat mechanism on some 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced from June 18, 2018 through Present and some 2018-2023MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from January 2, 2017 through August 16, 2023. Symptoms of an inoperative front seat include the inability of the seat to move forwar |
| 10244292 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. Kia has since learned that some vehicles fall within a group of 2018-2021 MY Kia Rios that did not have the correct version of the software installed, and the software that was installed in the vehicle does not restrict operation of the vehicle as intended. We have corre |
| 10243925 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from May 30, 2011 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be equippe |
| 10242912 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from February 28, 2012 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be eq |
| 10242576 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is now making steering wheel lock devices available directly to certain Kia vehicle owners. These devices can help deter a theft attempt. We are making this device available to customers free of charge and will ship it directly to customers who place orders within eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. |
| 10242575 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from February 28, 2012 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be eq |
| 10241171 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. This software upgrade will be available to the customer free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of the original letter. When the software upgrade is complete, Kia will also provide the customer with window stickers that can be applied to the vehicle to |
| 10240563 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: KIA GENUINE REMOTE START CONTROL MODULE UPGRADE FOR ANTI-THEFT LOGIC COMPATIBILITY (CS2310) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to update the software logic in the Kia Genuine Remote Start Control Module on certain 2012-2022MY model vehicles listed on page 7. Vehicles equipped with a Kia Genuine Remote Start feature and have had the Anti-Theft software logic (CS230*) applied to the Integrated |
| 10239717 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from February 28, 2012 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be eq |
| 10239108 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: KIA GENUINE REMOTE START CONTROL MODULE UPGRADE FOR ANTI-THEFT LOGIC COMPATIBILITY (CS2310) - This bulletin provides information to update the software logic in the Kia Genuine Remote Start Control Module on certain 2012-2022MY model vehicles listed on page 6. Vehicles equipped with a Kia Genuine Remote Start feature and have had the Anti-Theft software logic (CS230*) applied to the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) may experience five (5) inadvertent honks after starting the vehicle with the remote start feature. |
| 10237139 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OVERHEAD CONSOLE SUNGLASS DOOR-LATCH REPAIR - This bulletin provides information to repair the overhead console lamp assembly and sunglass door latch on some 2012-2023MY model vehicles listed in the table below, which may encounter the sunglass case of the overhead console lamp not closing properly. |
| 10236653 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from February 28, 2012 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be eq |
| 10236111 | CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without the key. This software upgrade will be available to the customer free of charge for eighteen (18) months from the date of this letter. When the software upgrade is complete, Kia will also provide the customer with window stickers that can be applied to your vehicle to discourage a |
| 10236109 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) produced from February 28, 2012 through March 31, 2017 and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be eq |
| 10234600 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB) and 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. This logic upgrade will add a |
| 10234599 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on some 2012-2017MY Rio (UB), 2018-2021MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from June 1, 2017 through October 25, 2021, which may not be equipped with an immobilizer. This logic upgrade will add anti-theft ignition start logic to the vehicle's system operation. |
| 10232942 | PITSTOP: LOW OIL PRESSURE AT IDLE AFTER GAMMA 1.6L GDI SHORT BLOCK ENGINE REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information equipped with a Gamma 1.6L GDI regarding a 'low oil pressure' concern during engine idle on vehicles engine due to a missing dowel pin, after a short block engine replacement. An internal oil leakage will cause a decrease in oil pressure without the instal lation of the dowel pin location described in this bulletin. Confirm that the dowel pin was installed for an engine exhibiting a low oil pressure concern after a short block replacement. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)