RoadVitals

2009 Kia Rio Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jul 16, 2022
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
21%
of 39 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Kia Rio submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Jul 16, 2022

Engine went out 8 months after there always been electrical issue has caused problems where it wnt accelerate causing a wreck the break light had shorts they didnt even have the radio n i went to a car lot dealership . this car left me in bad situations im just surprised its not recall I barely drive it it paid off after so many years n really only reason I have it cuz I put too much in n it n now it aint worth nuthin because of the issues that gave me

NHTSA ID
11474311
Incident
Jul 16, 2022
EngineFuel system
Filed Jan 2, 2021

MY COILS KEEP GOING OUT AFTER REPLACING ALL 4. I'VE REPLACED THE COMPLETE FUEL PUMP BUT EVERYTIME I FUEL UP MY CAR IT HESITATES TO START WHICH IS WHY I REPLACED THE PUMP TO BEGIN WITH.

NHTSA ID
11386161
Incident
Jun 1, 2020
Mileage
75,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 15, 2020

SPARK PLUG CYLINDER HOLES FILLING WITH OIL DUE TO VALVE COVER ORING FAILURE A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE ON THIS ISSUE COULD CAUSE A ENGINE FIRE IN THE PICTURE THE WHOLE SPARED PLUG WAS COMPLETELY COVERED OVER WITH OIL IN THE ENGINE

NHTSA ID
11318131
Incident
Mar 15, 2020
Mileage
197,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 8, 2019

REPLACED IGNITION COILS 1 AND 3 AT THE END OF 2018. COIL 1 HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN IN JANUARY 2019. COILS 2 AND 4 WERE BOTH REPLACED ALONG WITH ALL SPARK PLUGS FEBRUARY 2018. IN JULY 2019 COIL 2 STARTED TO FAIL AGAIN AND NOW IN AUGUST 2019 COIL 4 IS MISFIRING AS WELL. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT I SEE MANY REGULAR POSTS REGARDING THE SHORT LIFE SPAN OF THE IGNITION COILS FOR THIS CAR. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AND ELECTRICAL ISSUE IF NOT SOMETHING ELSE IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG. WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION AT LEAST AT THIS POINT AS TO WHY THE COILS FAIL SO QUICKLY IN THIS TYPE OF CAR. MULTIPLE ISSUES OF THE CAR NOT WANTING TO START, SHUTTING OFF WHILE IDLING AND I HAVE EVEN HAD AN INCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT COMPLETELY FAILED AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY .

NHTSA ID
11253935
Incident
Sep 8, 2019
Mileage
85,099 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 2, 2017

AT 39,000 MILES MY CAR STARTED LURCHING AND HAD NO POWER. GOT IT TO A MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY, AND SPARK PLUGS AND COIL #1 HAD TO BE REPLACED. I JUST GOT TO 67,000 MILES, EMISSIONS CONTROL LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON, CAR HAD LOSS OF POWER AND SHAKING. AGAIN GOT TO MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY, AGAIN #1 COIL AND #2 COILS HAD TO BE REPLACED. SEEMS TO BE AN UNDERLYING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT ADDRESSED. CAN THIS PROBLEM BE PERMANENTLY FIXED? WILL A KIA DEALERSHIP BE ABLE TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RECALL.

NHTSA ID
11002707
Incident
Jun 28, 2017
Mileage
67,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 21, 2016

IGNITION COIL RECALL. THEY KEEP GOING BAD EVERY TWO MONTHS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON I LOSE POWER TO THE CAR. GET THE IGNITION COIL AND VALVE COVER FIXED. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. WHILE I AM DRIVING IN MOTION AND STATIONARY THIS HAPPENS.

NHTSA ID
10908474
Incident
Sep 1, 2016
Mileage
35,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Feb 11, 2014

WHEN CAR SITS OVER NIGHT, THE NEXT MORNING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE IS HARD TO PRESS AND DISENGAGE AS TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN EVER THE CAR SIT FOR SOMETIME AFTER RUNNING. THIS PART WAS CHANGED UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW AT 20,000 MILES IS ACTING THE SAME WAY AND THE DEALER IN SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO DOESNOT WANT TO CHANGE IT AS A CONTINUING DEFECTIVE PART. THIS PART CONSIST OF PLASTIC AND METAL. MAYBE DUE TO HEAT AND COLD TEMP., THE CONTRACTION AND EXPLANATION CAUSES IT TO MAL FUNCTION. I BELIEVE THIS PART SHOW BE REENGINEERED TO BETTER PERFORMANCE STANDARDSAS TO NOT FAIL. FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD CAUSE AN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WHICH COULD CAUSE AN FATAL ACCIDENT OR BLOW UP OF ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10563853
Incident
Jan 27, 2012
Mileage
20,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 30, 2011

2009 KIA RIO WITH BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 32,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10403717
Incident
May 27, 2011
Mileage
32,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Airbags17

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .