NHTSA Complaint #10466101 — 2013 KIA RIO

DEFECTIVE ENGINE OVERHEAT WARNING SYSTEM THIS VEHICLE, 2013 KIA RIO, 1.6L GDI, 6-SPEED MANUAL, DOES NOT HAVE A COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE. IT SUPPOSEDLY RELIES ON ONE WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO INDICATE AN OVERHEATED ENGINE, A LIGHT WHOSE CORRECT OPERATION CANNOT BE VERIFIED. THIS SUPPOSED ENGINE OVERHEAT WARNING LIGHT NEVER COMES ON DURING THE LIGHT BULB CHECK PHASE, SO THAT THE OPERATION OF ITS LIGHT BULB CANNOT BE VERIFIED. NOTE THAT THE OTHER WARNING LIGHTS, OIL PRESSURE, BRAKES, ETC COME ON DURING THIS PHASE AND THEIR WARNING SYSTEMS CAN BE VERIFIED. IF THE OVERHEAT LIGHT BULB FILAMENT BURNS OUT (THIS FREQUENTLY HAPPENS WITH ANY BULB), THEN THE DRIVER IS NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE TO VERIFY THE BULBS OPERATION, AND THIS ENGINE OVERHEAT WARNING SYSTEM BECOMES USELESS AS THERE CANNOT BE ANY WARNING INDICATION EVER GIVEN TO THE DRIVER IF THE ENGINE DOES OVERHEAT. A LIKELY RESULT OF THIS DEFECTIVE ENGINE OVERHEAT WARNING SYSTEM MAY BE A VEHICLE CRASH AT HIGH SPEED, WHEREBY THE DRIVER IS NEVER GIVEN AN OVERHEATED ENGINE WARNING IF ITS WARNING SYSTEMS LIGHT BULB BURNS OUT, THE ENGINE SHATTERS FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT, THE HOOD AND ENGINE FLUIDS FLY INTO THE WINDSHIELD BLOCKING THE DRIVERS VIEW, THE DRIVER LOSES CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE KIA VEHICLE CRASHES OFF THE ROAD OR INTO OTHER VEHICLES. THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS THE 2013 KIA RIO, AND ALSO 2012 AND POSSIBLY 2011 KIA RIOS AS WELL.