There are 14 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2002 Kia Rioin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN REFUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL WOULD SPEW BACK OUT FROM THE FILLER NECK. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT A STRONG GASOLINE FUEL ODOR WAS CONSTANTLY PRESENT WITHIN THE VEHICLE AFTER REFUELING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V179000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000. UPDATED 03/16/12 *BF UPDATED 03/30/12
2002 KIA RIO, PURCHASED NEW AND MAINTAINED IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE. HAD 61,000 MILES AND WHILE DRIVING, MY DAUGHTER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AT THE SAME TIME, SMOKE WAS COMING IN THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, STOPPED THE CAR AND REMOVED HER KEYS. THE IGNITION STARTED ON ITS OWN AND THE CAR ENGINE ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. THE CAR IS TOTALLY DESTROYED. FIRE AND HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS WERE TAKEN AT THE SCENE AND CAR WAS TOWED TO KIA DEALERSHIP IN CLOVIS CA. SERVICE MANAGER STATED HE HAD TAKEN PICTURES AND BECAME INVESTIGATION. WHEN I WENT IN TO SEE THE CAR AND TAKE PICTURES, THE SERVICE TEAM WAS COMPLETELY APATHETIC AND RUDE. I MADE A CALL TO KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND FOUND THAT THE REPORT HAD NOT BEEN SUBMITTED. THE INDIVIDUAL AT KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL. HER CALLS WERE NOT RETURNED. MY DAUGHTER WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY AND ONLY SUFFERED FIRST DEGREE BURNS TO THE FACE, AND SMOKE INHALATION THAT EXACERBATED HER ASTHMA. ACCORDING TO THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR, THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN OVER-FILLING OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BY 1 QUART. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE SAW THE VEHICLE THE DAY AFTER, THERE WAS NO FLUID ANYWHERE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE POSSIBLY RELATED TO A RECALL, WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF AT THE DEALERSHIP. *JB UPDATED 06/21/07. *JB
AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WAS DISCOVERED BY OTHER EMPLOYEES APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES AFTER I HAD PARKED THE VEHICLE AT WORK AND HAD ENTERED MY OFFICE. THE WORKERS EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH 8 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THE DAMAGE WAS MOST SEVERE NEAR THE FIREWALL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALL HOSES HAD BURNED AWAY AND PLASTICS WERE MELTED OR BURNED. A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR A DEFECTIVE GASOLINE DISTRIBUTOR PART THAT COULD RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED IN JULY, 2005 ACCORDING TO KIA OF CLARKSVILLE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. KIA OF CLARKSVILLE IS LOCATED IN CLARKSVILLE, IN. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LESS THAN ONE MINUTE LATER THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THIS TIME. THIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V179000 IN OCTOBER OF 2004 FOR THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR AND FUEL TUBE ASSEMMBLIES. *AK
2002 KIA RIO STALLING DURING DRIVING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY. THREE TIME COMPLIANT TO EL CAJON MAZDA KIA, FIRST TIME THEY SAID(NOTHING WRONG) 2ND (THE COMPUTER NEED REPROGRAM) TODAY AGAIN BACK TO DEALER, I AM AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY
OVER THE LAST MONTH MY CAR HAS STALLED OUT OVER TEN TIMES, USUALLY DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR FIX THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THEM THE ENGINE LIGHT NEEDS TO BE ON; ONCE IT STALLED AND THE LIGHT CAME ON, I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALER BUT THE TECHNICIANS SAID IT WAS NOT ON WHEN THEY RESTARTED THE CAR. THE CAR ALSO RUNS ROUGH AND FEELS LIKE IT LOSES POWER INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AND WORRY ABOUT WHERE AND WHEN IT MAY STALL OUT. THE SERVICE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND RESPECTFUL BUT THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME SO BAD I MAY NEED TO FILE LEMON LAW PAPERS. *JB
AFTER THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED FUEL DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY RECALL 04V179000 REPAIRS VEHICLE IS CONSUMING EXCESSIVE GAS.*AK
INTERMITTENTLY, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FUEL TANK OVERFLOWED EVERY TIME IT WAS FILL UP . PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V179000 CONCERNING FUEL DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY. DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THIS RECALL NOTICE BECAUSE CONSUMER DID NOT PURCHASE VEHICLE FROM THEM. *AK
THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER, MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER, TOOK VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION AND FUEL ASSEMBLY. THE CONSUMER LEFT THE VEHICLE AND AFTER SEVERAL HOURS THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THEIR HANDS WERE TIED. CONSUMER IS AWAITING CONTACT FROM THE DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL DEFECTS CORRECTED. *JB AS OF 7/14/04 THE CONSUMER STILL HASN'T RECEIVED ANY CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE DEALER ABOUT PARTS AVAILABILITY. *NM
THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL AND WAS TOLD THAT NO PARTS WERE IN. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT THE PART WAS NOT IN AFTER THEY SET UP THE INITIAL APPOINTMENT. THE MANUFACTUER WAS INFORMED AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THEIR HANDS WERE TIED. *JB
DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO GIVE CONSUMER AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY RECALL 04V179000 REPAIRS PERFORMED WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO LEAVE VEHICLE AT REPAIR SHOP FOR A MINIMUM OF 3 DAYS.*AK *LA
RECALL NO.#04V179000, FUEL SYSTEM/GASOLINE DELIVERY: WHILE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN, ANOTHER MOTORIST INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE BACK OF HER VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. AFTER CROSSING THE INTERSECTION THE CONSUMER LEFT THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE FUEL TANK AREA WAS ACTUALLY ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER ISN'T GOING TO ISSUE THE RECALL NOTICE UNTIL JUNE OF 2004. *JB
MY CAR TURNS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING IT.*AK
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