"How reliable is the 2009 Kia Rio?"

"Based on 54 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Kia Rio has a median complaint mileage of 34500 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Kia Rio?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Kia Rio is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 54 total complaints filed."

2009 Kia Rio: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 54 complaints

Total Complaints

34,500mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

14,250 25th Percentile

34,500 Median Mileage

75,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

ENGINE

SEATS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

STRUCTURE

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PASSENGER AIR BAG DOES NOT ACTIVATE WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER IS IN THE VEHICLE'S PASSENGER SEAT. PASSENGER AIR BAG REMAINS "OFF". MALFUNCTION OCCURS ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. *TR"

"A 2009 KIA RIO MD. POLICE REPORT BY ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY POLICE . AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 HOURS THE VEHICLE HIT BLACK ICE AT 30-40MPH AND SWERVED OUT OF CONTROL HEAD ON INTO A WOODEN POWER POLE. THE DRIVER HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE OR DRIVING ON THIS ROAD HOME FROM WORK DAILY. WITHIN A FEW M..."

"FIRST PLEASE READ OR REVIEW THE PAST EMAILS I HAVE SENT TO YOU CONCERNING MY 2009 RIO HAVING A HIGH RPM WHILE IN 4TH GEAR AND ESPECIALLY 5TH RUNNING MORE THAN 3,100 TO 3,500 RPMS TO RUN AT 60 TO 70 MPH. IN OTHER WORDS I AM GETTING LESS MPGS ON THE HIGHWAY THAN I GET IN TOWN. SEE THE ATTACHMENT. MY W..."

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