What 153 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Kia Rio

ON AUGUST 22 2017 8:45 PM WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET MY DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, FOR NO REASON CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND RUN OVER A MEDIAN IN THE ROAD. I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT TO AVOID ANY FURTHER INCIDENT AND INSPECT ANY DAMAGE TO MY CAR. WITH THE CAR STILL RUNNING, I WALKED THE PERIMETER OF THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, WITH NO BODILY DAMAGE VISIBLE I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, I WENT TO CHECK ON MY KIA RIO AND FOUND TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL OVER THE GROUND. I CALLED MY INSURANCE AND REPORTED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY SAID I SHOULD CONTACT KIA CORPORATION AND REPORT THE AIR BAG FAILURE I DID AS REQUESTED. THEN HURRICANE HARVEY HIT THE AREA AND DELAYED ANY ACTIONS TAKEN. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK KIA TOWED THE CAR TO THEIR LOT FOR INSPECTION. KIA ASKED WHAT I WANTED, I REPLIED REPAIR OR REPLACE MY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. THEY WROTE A REPAIR COST ESTIMATED AT $9200.00 AND SAID THAT THE AIR BAG WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM AND DENIED MY CLAIM AFTER ANOTHER WEEK PASSED. I HAD TO FILE THE CLAIM ON MY INSURANCE AT THAT TIME AND SEND IT TO ANOTHER SHOP FOR INSPECTION. ANOTHER WEEK PASSED BEFORE MY INSURANCE FILED IT A TOTAL LOSS. AFTER ALL THIS LOST TIME FROM WORK AND RENTAL COST EXPENSES THAT HAVE YET TO BE REIMBURSED. THEN HAVING TO GO FIND A CAR THAT I FEEL WOULD BE TRUSTWORTHY AND DEPENDABLE AFTER THESE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES HAS PROVED TO BE DIFFICULT. REFINANCING ANOTHER CAR INSURING IT. I DON'T FEEL KIA CORPORATION HELD UP THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY IN THIS SITUATION. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT KIA HAD MANY AIRBAG RECALLS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, AND AIRBAG FAILURES IN OTHER KIA AUTOMOBILES ACROSS MULTI-YEAR MODELS.

NHTSA ODI 11030684

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DCH KIA IN TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COIL IN THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 10993295

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHICH PRODUCED A FAILURE CODE AT THE AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE STEERING WHEEL AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

NHTSA ODI 10969681

I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW 13JUL2012, AND HAVE HAD NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS. ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO THE MILEAGE REACHED 60,000 WHICH ENDED THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO AT MILEAGE OF ABOUT 60,600 WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, THEN A FEW MOMENTS LATER IT WENT OFF, THEN ON AGAIN AND OFF AGAIN, AND ETC. I EMAILED MY KIA DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEY REPLIED THAT SINCE THE BTOB WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED I WOULD BE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS OF CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS VERY UNFAIR TO ME AS THE CAR JUST EXCEEDED THE 60,000 WARRANTY MILEAGE BY ABOUT 1% (600 MILES). AT A MAXIMUM CHARGING ME 1% OF THE TOTAL REPAIR COSTS SEEMS FAIR.

NHTSA ODI 10958632

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA RIO. AFTER REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CONTUSIONS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ODI 10875234

I WAS WAITING BEHIND SOMEONE AT A COMPLETE STOP FOR THEM TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND SOMEONE CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF ME AND SMASHED ME INTO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME. THE PERSON ADMIT HE DID.NOT SEE US STOPPED AND HIT ME AT ABOUT 45 TO 50 MPH AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY I WOULD THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE AT HOW HARD I WAS HIT AND HOW HARD THE CAR FORCED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME . I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DOUBLE WHIPLASH AND SEVERAL TORN. MUSCLES IN MY CHEST AND SHOULDERS A BRUISE THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL ON MY RIGHT HIP FROM THE SEAT BELT AND A BURN ON MY LEFT ELBOW FROM HOW HARD IT HIT MY DOOR BOTH THE PALMS OF MY HANDS WERE BRUISED AND I COULD BARELY WALK FOR 2 DAYS FROM SORENESS AND HAVE BEEN SEEING A CHIROPRACTOR FOR 5 MONTHS NOW MY CAR WAS TOTALLED

NHTSA ODI 10717560

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY TILL VEHICLE WAS ROLLED OVER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10680315

I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING TO THAT NATURE. WE BOUGHT OUR DAUGHTER A 2013 KIA RIO. I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT IS MUCH LOWER THAN TO DRIVERS SEAT. I REALIZED GOD FORBID IF THE AIRBAG GOES OFF, THE PERSON WILL BE HIT IN THE FACE INSTEAD OF THE CHEST. IM NOT SURE IF YOU CAN HELP ME, BUT IS THIS A DEFECT IN THE CAR. I FOUND IT ODD. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT AT AUTOWORLD KIA IN EAST MEADOW NY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP *TR

NHTSA ODI 10578486

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO PROPERLY SECURE A CHILD PASSENGER. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISING AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND SHOULDER INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

NHTSA ODI 10532377