NHTSA Complaint #10030839 — 2001 KIA RIO

I HAVE A 2001 KIA RIO - I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE ENGINE SHAKES ( CAUSING THE WHOLE CAR TO SHAKE ) INTERMITTENTLY AND IT DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR PROPERLY ( IT IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ) CAUSING THE CAR TO HESITATE WHEN I ACCELERATE ONTO HIGHWAYS. I FEEL THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AS I AM AFRAID OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER REPEATEDLY, EVEN WHILE IT WAS ACTUALLY SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND THEY HAVE THE SAME ANSWER EVERY TIME...THE COMPUTER DOES NOT TELL THEM THAT ANYTHING IS DEFECTIVE ON THE CAR - THEREFORE, THEY CAN NOT FIX IT. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER CHIP AS IT OBVIOUSLY IS DEFECTIVE IF IT CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH A CAR THAT IS RUNNING THIS POORLY ...BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO SO. IT HAS ALSO HAD OTHER PROBLEMS. THE CAR HAS STALLED SEVERAL TIMES FOR NO REASON AS I GO AROUND A CORNER ( ALSO A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM ) AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG ON THOSE OCCASSIONS EITHER. THE AIRCONDITIONING HAD TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 9 MONTHS OLD. THE ENGINE MOUNTS COLLAPSED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR. THE MOLDING INSIDE THE CAR IS CONSTANTLY COMING OFF. I KNOW OF 4 OTHER KIA RIO OWNERS WHO HAVE ALL HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS AND ALL OF THEM HAVE TRADED IN THE RIOS AT A GREAT LOSS RATHER THAN PUT UP WITH THE CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS. I ALSO WANT TO GET RID OF MY RIO BUT THE VALUE OF THE CAR IS SO MUCH LESS THAN WHAT I OWE ON IT ( AFTER 3 YEARS OF PAYING ON IT ) THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO DO SO. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE, YET KIA DENIES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE RIO. *AK