2008 KIA RIO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
57
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
8
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2008 KIA RIO
The 2008 KIA RIO has received a total of 57 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE. 8 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (23 complaints), Air Bagsfrontal (4 complaints), and Engine (3 complaints).
Recalls for the 2008 KIA RIO
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2008 KIA RIO, potentially affecting up to 72,568 vehicles.
Recall 12V244000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
| 72,568 vehicles affected
Defect: KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2008 RIO VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 20, 2005, THROUGH DECEMBER 9, 2007. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR MAT CAN EXPERIENCE FATIGUE CRACKING. IF SUFFICIENT CRACKING OCCURS, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION SUCH THAT THE SYSTEM WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DETECT WHETHER A CHILD PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT...
Consequence: AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITH A CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO THAT CHILD.
Remedy: KIA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OCS SEAT SENSOR MAT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2008 KIA RIO
57 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 KIA RIO. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 23 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Air Bagsfrontal | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systemignition | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptivemobility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainautomatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionfrontcontrol Armlower Ball Joint | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionfrontwheel Bearing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD IS ALLWAYS ON EVER SENS THE CAR WAS PURCHASED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE AND CLUTCH CEASED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO PROVIDED A COST ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO THE MANUFACTURER TO FIND OUT WHAT TYPE OF CLUTCH WAS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE AND CLUTCH CEASED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO PROVIDED A COST ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO THE MANUFACTURER TO FIND OUT WHAT TYPE OF CLUTCH WAS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
TAKATA RECALL. THE COMPUTER THAT TELLS THE TRANSMISSION TO SWITCH GEARS IS STUCK AND DOASNT WORK. MY CAR WILL ONLY STAY IN 3RD GEAR AND REVERSE. IT HAS NO POWER AND GOES IN LIMP MODE. I HAVE 3 SMALL KIDS AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME TO DRIVE WITH IT LIKE THIS SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. PLZ HELP ME.
TAKATA RECALL. THE COMPUTER THAT TELLS THE TRANSMISSION TO SWITCH GEARS IS STUCK AND DOASNT WORK. MY CAR WILL ONLY STAY IN 3RD GEAR AND REVERSE. IT HAS NO POWER AND GOES IN LIMP MODE. I HAVE 3 SMALL KIDS AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME TO DRIVE WITH IT LIKE THIS SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. PLZ HELP ME.
Safety Rating for the 2008 KIA RIO
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2008 KIA RIO in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2008 KIA RIO
Kia America, Inc. has issued 8 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2008 KIA RIO. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_ENG066_CLSD — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TSB_ENG066_CLOSED: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CLOSED
WTY002BULLETINRI — EQUIPMENT
WARRANTY BULLETIN: WTY002 - 2008~2011MY RIO PASSENGER SEAT OCS SENSOR MAT WARRANTY EXTENSION (WTY002) - THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION RELATED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) SENSOR MAT IN 2008~2011MY RIO (JB) VEHICLES. IF THE SENSOR MAT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT...
WTY002BULLETINRI — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
WARRANTY BULLETIN: WTY002 - 2008~2011MY RIO PASSENGER SEAT OCS SENSOR MAT WARRANTY EXTENSION (WTY002) - THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION RELATED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) SENSOR MAT IN 2008~2011MY RIO (JB) VEHICLES. IF THE SENSOR MAT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT...
WTY002OWNERRIO — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
OWNER LETTER: WTY002 RIO - DEAR KIA RIO OWNER: KIA MOTORS AMERICAS HIGHEST COMMITMENT IS TO YOUR SAFETY. TO THAT END, KIA IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) SENSOR MAT TO 15 YEARS WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE, STARTING FROM THE DATE OF FIRST SERVICE....
OWNERSC122RIO — EQUIPMENT
OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER (SC122) - DEAR KIA RIO OWNER: KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. IS CONDUCTING A VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO ADD ADDITIONAL ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL TO THE UNDERBODY OF ALL 2006-2011 MY RIO VEHICLES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES WHERE HEAVY AMOUNTS OF ROAD...
TSB-065 — VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
KIA: SERVICE ACTION-REAR DOOR GLASS RUN WIND NOISE REPAIR. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE WIND NOISE FROM THE REAR GLASS AREA DUE TO EXCESSIVE GLASS TO CHANNEL RUN CLEARANCE. *PE
TSB-066 — STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
KIA: SERVICE ACTION-DOOR WEATHER STRIP INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT. VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE ABNORMAL WEAR ON THE DOOR WEATHER STRIP. CHECK DOOR WEATHER STRIP ON ALL DOORS FOR ABNORMAL WEAR, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE ONLY AFFECTED DOOR WEATHER STRIP(S) WITH A NEW PART. *PE
TSB-066 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
KIA: COMBINED TSB/SERVICE ACTION ECM UPGRADE FOR MULTIPLE DTC'S LISTED-P0300, P0128, P0140, P0451, P0461. PROVIDES THE PROCEDURE TO UPGRADE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) OF SOME VEHICLES (MAP SENSORS ONLY) WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE A ROUGH IDLE DURING INITIAL COLD START UP PERIOD AND/OR ILLUMINATE THE MIL WITH DTC'S BELOW. *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2008 KIA RIO
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA RIO
- 2003 KIA RIO — 103 complaints
- 2004 KIA RIO — 53 complaints
- 2005 KIA RIO — 46 complaints
- 2006 KIA RIO — 88 complaints
- 2007 KIA RIO — 64 complaints
- 2008 KIA RIO (current)
- 2009 KIA RIO — 54 complaints
- 2010 KIA RIO — 38 complaints
- 2011 KIA RIO — 32 complaints
- 2012 KIA RIO — 70 complaints
- 2013 KIA RIO — 216 complaints
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- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA FORTE — 3,450 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints