Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Our granddaughter bought this car from a private seller. My son is a mechanic and when he inspected the undercarriage he found a small leak in the seam of the gas tank. The local KIA dealer said it is not covered. This, to me, is a safety and emissions issue. Please assist. The car is available at any time for inspection. Thank you
2012 KIA RIO, NOT CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO ANY RECALL, AND HAVING BEEN MAINTAINED CORRECTLY, IS EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS LEVELS OF OIL CONSUMPTION. CURRENT MILAGE 108,000. TWO WEEKS AGO I SENT THE ATTACHED LETTER VIA CASE TO KIA CONSUMER CUSTOMER AFFAIRS SEEKING SAFETY ADVICE FROM THE COMPANY RELATING TO THE ISSUE. KIA NEVER RESPONDED, OPTING TO CLOSE THE CASE WITHOUT A WORD REGARDING THE ISSUE. OIL CONSUMPTION IS VERY HIGH, AND EFFECTING ENGINE PERFORMANCE. I ASSUME THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO HAVE THE ENGINE TAKEN APART AND EXAMINED, A COSTLY REVIEW, HOWEVER DUE TO LACK OF RESPONSE FROM KIA I HAVEN'T YET; I WAS HOPING THEY COULD COORDINATE THROUGH EITHER A DEALER OR 3RD PARTY INVESTIGATOR. CURRENTLY THE CAR IS NOT BEING USED, AS THIS ANOMALOUS ISSUE IS A CONCERN FOR SAFETY WHEN DRIVING. CONSIDERING THE RECENT RECALL, AS WELL AS HOW THE SYMPTOMS ALIGN WITH PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ISSUES TO SIMILAR ENGINES, I WISHED TO CREATE THIS REPORT, IF ONLY TO ADD MY CASE TO NHTSA'S ACCOUNTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME JOSEPH ELLIOTT
BRIEF LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL ALONG WITH ENGINE OVERSPEED POSSIBLY DUE TO DIRTY ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN CONNECTOR AT ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY -- RESTORED PROPER OPERATION VIA FLUSHING OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN CONNECTOR WITH 100% ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL AEROSOL SPRAY -- VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN INTO A CROWDED PARKING LOT AT THE TIME -- BRAKES WERE EFFECTIVE IN KEEPING THE SPEED UNDER CONTROL -- HAD TO SHUT ENGINE OFF WHILE IN DRIVE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM OVERSPEEDING -- ENGINE HAD BEEN RUNNING AND CAR HAD BEEN IN MOTION FOR PREVIOUS 45 MINS WITHOUT PROBLEMS
CAR PAUSES AND THEN EXHILARATES WHEN DRIVING OR BACKING UP FOR EXPLANATION AND ALSO WANTS TO STALL WHEN PUSHING ON THE GAS WHEN TRYING TO GET ON HIGHWAY..
REPLACED CADALYTIC CONVERTER AND OXYGEN SENSOR DEC 2017, AND ENGINE LIGHT IS ON NOW WITH DIAGNOSTICS SAYING SAME THINGS AGAIN. OIL NEEDS TO BE PUT IN CAR EVERY WEEK OR TWO. FED UP WITH THIS CAR
THIS IS MY SECOND POST. MY FUEL SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACTING UP THE LAST 1-2WKS. I NOTICED WHILE DRIVING ONE DAY THAT THE FUEL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE NEEDLE MOVED TO EMPTY ON MY DASHBOARD. I HAD PUT A FULL TANK OF GAS IN MY CAR LESS THAN 24HR EARLIER AND ONLY DRIVEN 20MI. SO I WAS QUITE ALARMED. I STOPPED TO CHECK MY FUEL CAP. CHECKED FOR LEAKS. BUT THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS ISSUE. THE LIGHT EVENTUALLY WENT OFF AND THE NEEDLE ROSE BACK UP TO THE FULL READING. WEIRD OF COURSE. I FIGURED IT WAS A GLITCH SO I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. HOWEVER THE SAME ISSUE CONT'D TO OCCUR OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT EVENTUALLY CAME ON. TOOK VEHICLE TO AUTOZONE AND WAS TOLD THERE IS AN ISSUE W/ MY FUEL SENSOR SYSTEM. GREATNESS NEWS EVER B/C I AM STILL DEALING W/ MY AIRBAG LIGHT ISSUE FROM CLOSE TO TWO MONTHS AGO!!!!!!! I HAVE HAD SOME HELP FROM THE DEALER REGARDING THE AIRBAG MATTER, WHICH I AM THANKFUL FOR. HOWEVER I AM BECOMING VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY VEHICLE NOW THAT I HAVE A NEW ISSUE IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. I UNDERSTAND CARS REQUIRE MAINTENANCE. BUT THE COST AND NEED FOR MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE A MORE REASONABLE BURDEN FOR THE OWNER. BECAUSE THIS IS BECOMING UNBEARABLE. NOT SURE WHAT I WILL DO WITH MY CAR LONG TERM. MY HUSBAND AND I DO PLAN TO FIX BOTH ISSUES AS TIME AND MONEY PERMITS. BUT I WILL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO SELLING MY CAR SOON AND SERIOUSLY CONSIDER ANOTHER DEALER FOR FUTURE CAR PURCHASES.
THIS CAR HAS A TENDENCY TO REV UP TO THE RED LINE ON THE TACH - SOMETIMES WHEN YOU START IT, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAFFIC, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. I HAVE WITNESSES TO THIS FACT AND IT IS MAKING ME FEEL VERY UNSAFE WHEN I AM DRIVING IT. I ALMOST GOT IN TWO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION. IT MAY APPEAR IF I AM DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY A COUPLE TIMES THIS OCCURRED AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS IS REMEDIED IS TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED IT, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO THIS 2 OR 3 TIMES. OTHER TIMES IT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU START THE ENGINE IT WILL GO RIGHT TO THE TOP OF THE TACH IF YOU DO NOT TURN OFF IGNITION. IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT STOP I FELT THE CAR INCREASING IN REVS WHILE I WAS STOPPED, THANK GOD I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION BEFORE IT CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE IDEA WHEN IT WILL OCCUR. I LOOKED ON THE WEB AND FOUND OTHER INSTANCES OF KIA OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, TWICE, NEW AND THEY TELL ME THEY CANNOT CHANGE ANY PARTS UNLESS THE PROBLEM CAN BE DUPLICATED. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH KIA ON LINE AND NO RESPONSE EXCEPT TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER! I WANT THE PROBLEM REPAIRED I DO NOT CARE WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT SAFE AS IT STANDS NOW IT IS A HAZARD TO DRIVE AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! IT SOMETIMES ALSO FEELS LIKE YOU HAVE SPEED CONTROL AS YOU ARE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IT WILL SPEED UP. I JUST WANT IT REPAIRED! *TR
THE FUEL HOSE VENT LINE LEAKED FUEL INTO BACK SEAT OF VEHICLE WHILE FUELING, TAKEN TO DEALER ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT KIA SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE AND I SPILT GAS ON THE SEAT. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .