Reliable Auto DB

2018 Kia Rio reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Rio over 9 years — 1 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 12 Rio years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Latch.

2012 Kia Rio
Photo by Makizox, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

28

Per year

1

Recalls

1

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (15 of 28), then Air bags (5) and Electrical system (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Rio has 31 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 21 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Kia Rio. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, trunk lid, latch 2021-08-09 · NHTSA campaign 21V622000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Remedy Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.

Complaints by component (28 total)

Engine
15
Air bags
5
Electrical system
5
Exterior lighting
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Powertrain
1
Seats
1
Service brakes
1
Steering
1
Structure
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201922020320214202232023420246202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The Components that have malfunctioned are the airbags, exaust system, electrical systems, sensors, gaskets, and a few other things. We had 5 failed clockspring repairs. The first (3?) under warranty, we paid for…"
    Electrical system, Air bags, Engine · filed 2026-08-05
  • "Vehicle has excessive oil consumption defect acknowledged in Kia TSB ENG222. Repeated catalytic converter failures indicate potential overheating risk similar to 2019 Gamma engine recall for fire hazard. Engine burning…"
    Engine · filed 2026-05-23
  • "Took my car in as the airbag light on the dashboard kept turning on and off— with or without a passenger in the seat. The dealership ran a diagnostic inspection and turns out that the passenger side OCS Mat and ECU are…"
    Electrical system, Air bags · filed 2026-03-26
  • "The first problem part is the airbag. The clockspring was fixed twice under warranty. Then the dealership said they wont keep doing it and blamed me wrongly. I had a private mechanic repair the same part twice due to…"
    Electrical system, Air bags, Engine · filed 2026-03-26
  • "My car is a 2018 Kia Rio that has a clean history and has never been in an accident. Recently my airbag light came on and I had a diagnostic run that showed a B1448 code indicating an OCS mat defect in the passenger…"
    Air bags, Seats · filed 2026-01-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Kia Rio 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Kia Rio 5 HB FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Rio 1.6L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 37 32 MPG $2050
Rio 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 28 37 32 MPG $2050

Specs and fitment

4th generation (YB refresh / YB2), 2018–2023
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (1.6L Smartstream) , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 185/65R15 to 195/55R16 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V936000. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance. Reduced braking performance can cause longer brake pedal travel or extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Kia Rio Next year 2019 Kia Rio See every Kia Rio model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Kia Rio reliable?

Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Rio over 9 years — 1 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 12 Rio years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Latch.

What are common problems with a 2018 Kia Rio?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (15 of 28), then Air bags (5) and Electrical system (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2018 Kia Rio more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Rio has 31 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 21 complaints, 2 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Kia Rio been recalled?

The 2018 Kia Rio has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Kia Rio?

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2018 Kia Rio with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Kia Rio get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Kia Rio is 32 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Rio take?

YB (2012-2017) 1.6L Gamma: 5W-20 or 5W-30. YB2 (2018-2023) 1.6L Smartstream: 0W-20. Confirm the manual.

What does NHTSA campaign 21V936000 cover on later Rio?

Certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles: the brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.

When did the YB2 Rio generation start?

Model year 2018 (through 2023 on this site).