2003 Kia Rio: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 103 complaints
103
Total Complaints
16,000mi
Median Mileage
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Top Issue
8
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

1,800 25th Percentile
16,000 Median Mileage
64,263 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
6
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
4
SEAT BELTS
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
3
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
3
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
2

Severity Assessment

8
Crashes
2
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE SEAT BELTS WAS DESIGNED POORLY, THEY CUT ACROSS THE NECK AND THROAT OF THE DRIVER/PASSENGER. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP FOR SEAT BELT EXTENSIONS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO INSTALL BELT EXTENSIONS. TS *JB"
"I HOPE THAT I AM WRITING THE CORRECT PEOPLE ABOUT THIS HUGE PROBLEM. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO I PURCHASED A 2003 KIA RIO IN MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER I OWNED THE CAR I RAN INTO PROBLEMS WITH IT. IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY MORNING OR ANY TIME THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING FOR MORE THEN FOUR HOURS ..."
"2003 KIA RIO. POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28