What 52 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Rio

Waiting to get air in my tire. Car was turned off and the car started fire under the hood.

NHTSA ODI 11716009

Car started running oddly pulled over went to restart and Fire came up an engine compartment

NHTSA ODI 11519567

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Rio. The contact stated that after the niece had park and exited the vehicle smoke and flames were present coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The fire department was called to scene to extinguish the flames. During the incident the vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that prior to the incident the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption but no assistance was offered from local dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11470688

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HER SON WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH, WHITE SMOKE APPEARED AND FLAMES STARTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ALL OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT INJURIES. THE FLAMES QUICKLY ENGULFED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WITHIN SECONDS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE A REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE AND OFFERED A LOW BOOK VALUE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

NHTSA ODI 11318387

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 25 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE CONTINUING TO DRIVE. HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE AND SAW SMOKE EXITING THE HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OPEN THE HOOD AND SAW FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO UNKNOWN LOCATION FOR INSPECTIONS. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER DEEMED THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. *LN*JB

NHTSA ODI 11310602

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA RIO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING NOISE AND BLACK SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE TAIL PIPE. ALSO, THE OIL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER UNTIL IT STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (SOUTHSIDE KIA, 9401 ATLANTIC BOULEVARD, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32225) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11091239

CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, RPM'S REVVING WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY. COULD NOT GET CAR TO SLOW DOWN SO HAD TO STEER CAR INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER. PROBLEM EXISTED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT DOING THE SAME THING(RPM'S REVVING) IN PARK OR REVERSE OR ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN WITHOUT PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. TOOK IN FOR REPAIR AND 4 DAYS LATER WAS IN THE ACCIDENT. KIA DEALERSHIP TELLING ME THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED WHILE DRIVING IT OR PERFORMING INSPECTION. ACCORDING TO THEIR RESULTS, CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM OCCURRED RANDOMLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO GET BACK IN THE CAR AND DRIVE AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 10959673

DRIVING CAR AT ABOUT 60 MPH AND CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE. GOT OUT ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY LIFTED HOOD AND EVERYTHING WAS ON FIRE. PEOPLE ASSING BY ALONG WITH HERO AND FIRE DEPT MADE SURE FLAMES WERE PUT OUT . I NEVER MADE ANY MODIFICATION TO VEHICLE AND WE KEEP IT SERVICED. FEEL LIKE PROBLEMS ARE WITH MANUFACTURE WIRING. I HAVE DONE INSURANCE CLAIM AND CONTACTED MANUFACTURE. THE MILES ARE APROX 102K

NHTSA ODI 10903822

I WAS DRIVING IN THE RAIN, GOING ABOUT 55-60 MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON ITS BRAKES AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN (LIKE THEY ALMOST MISSED THE STREET AND TRIED TO COMPENSATE LAST MINUTE) I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS BUT COULD NOT STOP IN TIME AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE SEATBELT DIDN'T CATCH, NOR DID THE AIRBAG DEPLOY, AND MY HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, CHIN FIRST.

NHTSA ODI 10860642

MY 2012 KIA RIO CAUGHT FIRE THE OTHER DAY. I PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, WENT INTO THE HOUSE TO PUT MY LAPTOP DOWN. I HAD SHUT THE CAR OFF. CAME BACK OUT TO GRAB SOME STUFF FROM THE TRUNK AND THE CAR WAS SMOKING FROM THE HOOD. THOUGHT IT HAD OVERHEATED. PULLED HOOD RELEASE AND WENT TO OPEN THE HOOD WHEN I REALIZED FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE AREA. TRIED PUTTING THE FIRE OUT WITH A GARDEN HOSE & WAS INSTRUCTED BY 911 TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. CAR ENDED UP BURSTING INTO FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO COME AND EXTINGUISH. CALLED KIA AND THEY ARE TAKING THEIR TIME AT RESPONDING. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY BE A BIGGER PROBLEM AND EFFECT MORE PEOPLE. PUTTING LIVES AT RISK FOR INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10565984

WE RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POLL AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOOK, PASSENGER HIT THE WINDSHIELD WITH HEAD AND DRIVER HIT HIS CHEST INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND HURT CHEST. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10493304

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT ENGINE STARTUP, ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FAILED TO WORK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE HAD OCCURRED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,315 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,318.

NHTSA ODI 10472736