There are 3 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2001 Kia Rioin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT 40,000 MILES. LOW BEAMS DO NOT WORK,HIGH BEAMS WILL WORK IF HOLD BACK LEVER. FUSUES ARE FINE,LAMPS ARE FINE.*AK
MY BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BLOWN OUT 4 TIMES...THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO AN ADVANCED AUTO PARTS STORE AND GOT THE FUSE REPLACED...2 HOURS LATER THEY WERE OUT AGAIN...THEN THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALER TO GET A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED...TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY IGNORED MY SUGGESTION OF A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AND REPLACED THE FUSE ON MARCH 14...2 HOURS LATER THE LIGHTS WERE OUT AGAIN....TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALER MARCH 15.....FIXED PROBLEM AGAIN THIS TIME REPLACED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH....RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO ME MARCH 19, BY NIGHTFALL THE LIGHTS WERE OUT AGAIN. DEALER WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM PROMPTLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I PAID CASH FOR THE CAR AND I DONT HAVE A MONTHLY PAYMENT......ANYONE CONSIDERING PURCHASING A KIA, PLEASE DON'T. *AK
CONSUMER STATED BOTH SIDES OF THE HEADLIGHTS ARE POINTED IN A UPWARD POSITION. MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT.*AK *YH
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.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026