NHTSA Complaint #10155956 — 2001 KIA RIO

PURCHASED CAR, 2001 KIA RIO, IN OCTOBER OF 2000. WITHIN A FEW DAYS AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A ONE YEAR PERIOD AND HAD TO BE TAKEN BACK TO DEALER FOR REPAIR AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. RECALL WAS RECEIVED FOR FUEL SYSTEM. THIS WAS REPLACED WITHOUT PROBLEM. NEXT PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH WHEELS, WHICH WAS ALSO A RECALL. I HAD TO ORDER THE WHEELS WHICH TOOK AT LEAST A MONTH TO COME IN LEAVING ME TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK, 65 MILES EACH WAY, ON VIOLENTLY VIBRATING WHEELS. WHEELS WERE FINALLY REPLACED. PROBLEM OCCURRED IN WINTER 2005 WITH DOOR LATCH. DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD LOCK AND STAY LOCKED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ORIGINAL DEALER FOR REPAIR ONLY TO HAVE OLD PART REPAIRED WHILE BEING CHARGED FOR NEW PART AND LABOR. WITHIN A FEW DAYS, DOOR LATCH FAILED AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO ORDERED NEW PART. IN THE MEANTIME I WAITED FOR PART TO ARRIVE, AND DROVE AROUND IN A CAR WHOSE DOOR DIDN'T LOCK, LEAVING MY CAR PREY TO THIEVES, WHO STOLE THINGS CONSTANTLY FROM ME. FINALLY THIS WAS FIXED BUT, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK DID THE SAME THING. I LOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT SINCE MY WARRANTY WAS UP AND TO FIX IT WOULD COST ME $700 OR MORE. I'VE ALSO NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR STALLING IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS A NEW PROBLEM. EXAMPLE: I STOP TO GET GAS, START THE CAR AND TURN OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND THE CAR SHUTS DOWN. DURING THE WINTER OF 2005 WHILE WAITING FOR DOOR LOCKS TO COME IN, MY DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING WENT OUT. THIS WAS REPAIRED BUT SUBSEQUENTLY THE NEXT DAY AFTER REPAIR WHILE DRIVING INTO WORK, WHEEL BEARING LITERALLY CRUMBLED. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT AN OLD PART WAS MISTAKENLY PUT BACK ON THE CAR. THIS WAS REPAIRED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW PART. THESE ARE ALL SAFETY AND QUALITY CONTROL ISSUES. *JB