The Lemon Index2002 Kia Rio.
The 2002 Kia Rio is worse than average by owner complaints: 108 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 187, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about engine, it has 1 recall, and it gets 24 to 26 mpg combined. The best Kia Rio year is 2018.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 149 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Kia Rio year. 2002 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 14K to 87K miles on the car (77 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- engine complaints mostly came at 23K–101K miles
Recalls 1
- fuel system, gasoline 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE OF THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR IS SUBJECT TO FRACTURE OR CRACKING DURING REMOVAL OF THE QUICK CONNECT COUPLING SECURING THE MAIN FUEL TUBE ASSEMBLY TO THE FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE…
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Kia told dealers about
Kia sent dealers 16 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Rio (bc) engine hard to start, runs rough and stalls -- what to check -- crank position sensor…
- Improved timing belts for the kia rio and optima
- PITSTOP - ENGINE COMPONENT RE-USE GUIDELINES - In general, parts and components removed during…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedAir bag non deploy2002–2003
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★☆☆ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2450–2700 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 1.5L 4-cyl.
In owners' words
While driving the vehicle shut off intermittently. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer for this problem three times.
2002 Kia Rio owner · NHTSA complaint 10020505
More owner reports
Vehicle stalled at highway speed. Dealer was contacted, and dealer replaced a module. Three months later, the same problem occurred.
NHTSA complaint 10061287
Front seat belts do not retract properly. The dealer had to replace both seat belt systems.
NHTSA complaint 10042442
Quick answers
Is the 2002 Kia Rio reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.9× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 187; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Kia Rio year by this measure is 2018.
What are the most common 2002 Kia Rio problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are engine (29%), airbags (19%) and brakes (19%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2002 Kia Rio have?
1 safety recall (latest: fuel system, gasoline). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2002 Kia Rio get?
24 to 26 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2002 Kia Rio problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 14,400 and 87,100 miles. The middle report was at 40,000 miles, from 77 complaints.
Does the 2002 Kia Rio have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2002 Kia Rio cost in fuel a year?
About $2450 to $2700 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2002 Kia Rio have?
1.5L 4-cyl.
What Kia Rio year is better than the 2002?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2018, 2022 and 2012.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works