There are 36 stored owner reports matching the air bags & restraints leading-label group for the 2001 Kia Rio in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 36 of 36 matching reports. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)I WAS INVOLVED IN A 45MPH HEAD ON COLLISION. THE OTHER CAR WAS A CHEVY COBALT. SHE HAD RUN A STOP SIGN AND HIT US IN THE FRONT. I WAS THE PASSENGER IN THE KIA BOTH ME AND THE DRIVER OF THE KIA WERE FORCED INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND HE HIT HIS OFF THE STEERING WHEEL AS WELL. NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY CAR WENT OFF. BUT BOTH THE AIRBAGS IN THE COBALT DID. MY CAR WAS ALSO CALLED A TOTAL WITH DAMAGE DONE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND FRAMING. TWO MECHANICS THAT LOOKED AT THE CAR COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
I OWN A 2001 KIA RIO, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH ANY OF THEM. I NO LONGER HAVE USE OF MY FRONT DOORS AND HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH THE BACK DOOR TO GET INTO THE CAR. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM. NOT ONLY THAT BUT THE SEAT BELTS IN THE BACK KEEP DEFRAYING AND ARE NOT SAFE. AND THE SEAT HAS METAL IN IT THAT HAS CUT THROUGH THE FABRIC ON THE SEATS. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR SEAT BELTS NO LONGER RETRACTED. WHEN SHE TRIED TO USE THE SEAT BELTS THEY BECAME STUCK, AND WOULD NOT MOVE NOR RETRACT ENOUGH TO LOCK INTO THE BUCKLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS. THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
DT: CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS WERE NOT PROPERLY WORKING. WHEN THE CONSUMER TRIED TO USE THE SEAT BELTS THEY WILL NOT EXTRACT ENOUGH TO ATTACH TO THE BUCKLE. CONSUMER HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER ON TUESDAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. T CONSUME NEVER HAD TO USE THE REAR SEAT BELTS UNTIL RECENTLY. THEREFORE, SHE DID NOT KNOW IF THERE WERE PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR SEAT BELTS. UPON INSPECTION UNDERNEATH THE SEATS THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL LAP WEBBING CONNECTED TO THE SEAT BELT. *AK
THE WEBBING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FRAYED AND THE LATCH ON THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT CAME OFF. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, NO AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING NORTHBOUND IN THE CURB LANE WHEN THE OTHER VEHICLE TURNED LEFT INTO THE PATH OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *SC
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK
9+THIS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, IN WHICH THE IT WAS IMPACTED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT. UPON IMPACT, REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DISCONNECTED, AND STROKE THE DRIVER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. A CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS RETRAINED IN THIS SEAT BELT, BUT WASN'T OCCUPIED AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, SEAT BELT WERE CHECKED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE POLICE INSPECTOR INDICATED THE BELTS WERE FINE. *AK *NM
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL STAY ON FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND GO OFF. DEALER MADE THE REPAIRS AND IT IS STILL DEFECTIVE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTAPPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN MY ACCIDENT. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION YET NONE THE VEHICLES AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *NLM
MY DRIVERS REAR SEATBELT KEEPS COMING APART HAVE HAD IT CHANGED SIX TIMES INSIDE OSF TWO YEARS AND AM NOW FIGHTING TO GET IT WARENTED AS A SAFTEY DEFECT BECAUSE I HAVE NOW REACHED 60,000 MILES. I WANT THIS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS I AM AWARE OF THE FACT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS WITH SAME ISSUE. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN. DEALER SAYS CAR SEAT BUT I SWEAR TO ANYONE THERE IS NO CAR SEAT ON THAT SIDE OF CAR EVEN IF THERE WAS CAR SEAT BELTS ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD WITH OUT THE WEBBING FRAYING.
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. SCC
VEHICLE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IS INOPERATIVE. BELT DOES NOT STAY FASTENED AFTER BEING BUCKLED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON. TOOK TO DEALER AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMBINATION SWITCH. AIRBAG LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. CONSUMER STATES' THE FIX FOR THE AIRBAG IS NOT WORKING. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. TS
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER WAS INVOVLED IN AN ACCIDENT, MOST OF THE DAMAGE WAS FRONT SIDE PASSENGER SIDE. IN RESULT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS
WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. MR SCC
MR
WHILE DRIVING AT 30/35MPH AND INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON IMPACT.*AK
Showing 1-20 of 36 loaded complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.