The Lemon Index

All cars · Kia Rio · 2019

2019 Kia Rio. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index43100 = average car
Complaints11NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold24,961U.S. model year
Per 100K sold44complaints
Year rank#8 of 17#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 2

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
1.6L 4-cylAuto (S6)FWD28 / 37 / 32Regular$1,950
1.6L 4-cylManual 6-spdFWD29 / 37 / 32Regular$1,950

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 100 and 15,000 miles. Median 4,400, from 6 complaints with a mileage.

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Steering18%
Airbags18%
Suspension9%
Brakes9%
Speed control9%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
2241404

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 1

  • 21V622000 Aug 2021 Latches/Locks/Linkages / Trunk Lid / Latch

    Defect. 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."

    Risk. A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

    Remedy. Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.

Manufacturer communications 60

Kia filed 60 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Technical service bulletin: partial repair of c-mdps motor, ecu, worm gear and/or steering…
  • Technical service bulletin tsb084_r3: partial repair of c-mdps motor, ecu and/or steering…
  • Technical service bulletin: partial repair of c-mdps motor, ecu and/or steering column housing…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Kia Rio 5 HB FWDnot ratednot ratednot ratednot rated
Kia Rio 4 DR FWDnot ratednot ratednot ratednot rated

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardOptionalNo

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2016381128,700Engine
201826622,975Doors, locks & latches
2019431124,961Steering
2020892023,927Engine
2021431331,362Brakes
202227926,996Body structure

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data