There are 1 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2009 Kia Rioin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA RIO5. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AFTER THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED AND RELEASED, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.
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