There are 4 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2004 Kia Rioin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I bought this car used a little less than a week ago. There was a thumping noise under the hood so I took the car to the dealer twice for this issue. I looked under the hood tonight and found a bunch of pieces that are not bolted down and the battery is completely unsecured and can move around freely. It’s horribly unsafe because the battery being loose can affect the entire car and the parts that aren’t bolted in place are causing major issues with the AC and other systems.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED AND THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD RESTART AFTER WAITING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000.
FAN CONTROL KNOB FOR HEAT INTERMITTENTLY WOULD ONLY WORK ON SOME SPEEDS AND GRADUALLY WOULD NOT WORK AT TIMES. IT WOULD "CATCH" EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE ONLY ON HIGH, I COULD SMELL SOMETHING HOT, NOW IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. AFTER LOOKING BEHIND THE COVER, THE CLIPS THAT HOLD THE RELAY SWITCH TO THE KNOB ARE MELTED, THE RELAY SWITCH IS BURNED AND THE WIRE HARNESS IS MELTED. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE JERKED AND CUT OUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME , ON AND THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVEN TIMES, AND THEY STATED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL THROTTLE MODULE EVERY TIME, AND STATED THERE WAS A POOR CONNECTION AT THE ENGINE BULK. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED AT THIS TIME. *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 26, 2026