NHTSA Complaint #10086579 — 2001 KIA RIO

THE FIRST TIME I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR AND THOUGHT IT WAS EITHER MY BRAKES OR A PVC BOOT GOING OUT ON MY CAR. DECEMBER 4, 2003. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND MY WHEEL-RIM WAS SERIOUSLY CRACKED. IT WAS CRACKED ALMOST THE ENTIRE WAY AROUND JUST ABUT AN INCH FROM THE HOLES FOR THE LUGS. IF IT WOULD HAVE BROKE COMPLETELY WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM ARIZONA TO FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, MY PASSENGER AND I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I DO TAKE AROUND 6-8 LONG DISTANCE TRIPS PER YEAR. WE WERE LUCKY. THE WHEEL-RIM WAS REPLACED WITH ONE PURCHASED FROM A USED AUTO PARTS GARAGE. THE SECOND TIME THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WAS JULY 1, 2004 ON THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. AGAIN I HEARD THE NOISE AND THOUGHT OF OTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS, BUT WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED WHEN THE TIRE REPAIRMAN CHECKED AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD A CRACK IN MY RIM. I CALLED SEVERAL KIA DEALERS, ONE NEVER RETURNED MY CALL AND THE OTHER SAID THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL BEING DONE FOR THAT PROBLEM. I THEN WENT TO A USED AUTO PARTS STORE AN PURCHASED ANOTHER RIM AND HAD IT REPLACED AT THE TIRE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I DO BUSINESS. AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT I WENT BACK AND BOUGHT A SPARE RIM JUST IN CASE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD ARISE AGAIN. THIS TIME I KEPT THE BROKEN RIM. ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK AS IT HAS COME APART INSIDE THE DOOR. THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN OFF TO GET TO THE INSIDE IT TO REPAIR IT. THESE ARE PROBLEMS WHICH I FEEL SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE DEALERS BUT OF COURSE ARE NOT BEING DONE.