The 2020 Kia Rio has 27 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 5 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Rio years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Brake master cylinder.
27
5
1
7
The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (5 of 27), then Engine (5) and Powertrain (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, 1 that reports an injury, and 1 that reports a death.
The 2019 Rio has 21 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2021 has 15 complaints, 4 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.
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 2020 Kia Rio. How we count. Data as of .
3
5
1
1
"My 2020 Kia Rio S caught fire spontaneously while parked and unattended for 5 hours at my work parking lot. The vehicle was turned off and had not been involved in a collision. I was notified of the fire after it had…"
"The contact owns a 2020 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while coming to a stoplight, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle did not need to be restarted. The vehicle was…"
"Upon stopping at a red light and or stop sign, when applying brakes, the car continues to move forward, even after pumping the brakes. Vehicle has been diagnosed by a certified auto mechanic. The findings and…"
"I was driving up a hill and it would not go past 20-30 mph, and the rpm will sometimes go up when not accelerating. The transmission does not shift when driving and will sometimes make the car stop and go stop and go…"
"I went into a rural King store to shop when I came back out my car was completely filled with smoke. I opened the front passengerdoor and the smoke hit me in the face it was so thick and green it was just it took my…"
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Kia Rio 4 DR FWD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2020 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.
| Trim | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio | 1.6L, 4-cyl | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | Front-wheel drive | 33 | 41 | 36 MPG | $1800 |
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.
The 2020 Kia Rio has 27 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 5 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Rio years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Brake master cylinder.
The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (5 of 27), then Engine (5) and Powertrain (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, 1 that reports an injury, and 1 that reports a death.
The 2019 Rio has 21 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2021 has 15 complaints, 4 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.
The 2020 Kia Rio has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.
Owners have filed 27 complaints about the 2020 Kia Rio with NHTSA.
EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Kia Rio is 36 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.
YB (2012-2017) 1.6L Gamma: 5W-20 or 5W-30. YB2 (2018-2023) 1.6L Smartstream: 0W-20. Confirm the manual.
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.
Model year 2018 (through 2023 on this site).
