Reliable Auto DB

2021 Kia Rio reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Rio over 6 years — 4 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 2 recalls on file, including Column and Brake master cylinder.

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

15

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (4 of 15), then Service brakes (3) and Engine (2). The most filings arrived in 2022 (6 of 15). Those filings include 2 that report a crash.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Rio has 27 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2022 has 11 complaints, 2 per year. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Kia Rio. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall steering, column 2022-05-05 · NHTSA campaign 22V304000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
Remedy Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC235.
Recall Brake master cylinder 2021-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 21V936000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (15 total)

Steering
4
Service brakes
3
Engine
2
Powertrain
2
Back-over prevention
1
Electrical system
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Lane departure
1
Seat belts
1
Show 1 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12021620226202322025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Back up camera sometimes flips sides, so that obstacles on the right side of the car are shown on the left side of the camera screen. Sometimes the camera doesn't work at all."
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-12-28
  • "Steering Gear Assembly completely broke at 81,000 miles. My daughter was backing up in a busy street at 5pm and lost 100 percent of steering control. Lucking cars dodged her and she didn’t get hurt or worse."
    Steering · filed 2025-05-14
  • "Placed car in park got out to open a gate. Car took off forward even when shifter was in Park Position and almost ran a child over."
    Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2023-11-14
  • "Center Console Display blank (screen black) upon startup unable to see cameras and backing up affected creating safety concern."
    Electrical system, Back-over prevention · filed 2023-08-24
  • "seatbelts in rear are inoperable/anti theft not working. Kia dealership told me that its not their issue about the anti theft. I have been told on 3 separate occasions that my seatbelts have been ordered but they…"
    Seat belts, Unknown or other · filed 2023-05-02

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Kia Rio 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2021 Kia Rio 5 4 DR 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 Automatic (AV-S1) Front-wheel drive 33 41 36 MPG $1800

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 2020 Kia Rio Next year 2022 Kia Rio See every Kia Rio model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Kia Rio reliable?

Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Rio over 6 years — 4 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 2 recalls on file, including Column and Brake master cylinder.

What are common problems with a 2021 Kia Rio?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (4 of 15), then Service brakes (3) and Engine (2). The most filings arrived in 2022 (6 of 15). Those filings include 2 that report a crash.

Is the 2021 Kia Rio more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Rio has 27 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2022 has 11 complaints, 2 per year. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Kia Rio been recalled?

The 2021 Kia Rio has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Kia Rio?

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2021 Kia Rio with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Kia Rio get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Kia Rio is 36 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).