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What 51 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Rio

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (51)Crash / fire / injury (15)Engine (24)Brakes (10)Airbags (7)Body & structure (6)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Electrical system (5)Fuel system (4)Wheels (2)Equipment Adaptive/mobility (1)Lights (1)

6 of 51 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 25, 2019AirbagsBody & structureCrash

SIDE COLLISON WHILE DRIVING WITH NO DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG

NHTSA ODI 11222578

Feb 8, 2017AirbagsBrakesCrash

UNRESPONSIVE BRAKING AND AIRBAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED IN TWO SEPARATE COLLISIONS WHERE I RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS STOPPED ON CITY STREETS WHERE I WAS DRIVING 25 MPH IN THE FIRST COLLISION AND 35 MPH IN THE SECOND.

NHTSA ODI 10950245

Apr 12, 2016AirbagsWheelsCrash

WAS SIDE SWIPED ON DRIVER SIDE THE CURTAIN AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND THE ALUMINUM WHEELS SHATTERED.

NHTSA ODI 10855178

Sep 18, 2015AirbagsBody & structureCrash

I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT TO REAR CAR ACCIDENT. MY KIA DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME (A HONDA) STOPPED SUDDENLY. DURING THE INCIDENT MY KIA HIT THE HONDA'S REAR TWICE (TWO IMPACT MOMENTS) - AFTER THE FIRST IMPACT IN A MOMENT OF PANIC I HIT THE GAS PEDAL INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE AND HIT THE HONDA ONCE MORE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF (MY SAFETY CONCERN/COMPLAINT). I WAS GLAD THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF BECAUSE THE GASES THEY RELEASE AFFECT MY ASTHMA. HOWEVER, IF THERE WAS A PASSENGER WITH ME THEY MAY HAVE BEEN INJURED ON THE DASHBOARD AND I ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED BY THE STEERING WHEEL SINCE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. THE ENTIRE FRONT OF MY KIA WAS RUINED: THE HOOD WAS CRUMPLED, THE FRONT BUMPER CAME OFF. THE HEAD LIGHTS WERE SMASHED, AND THE FRONT SIDES OF THE BODY WERE CRACKED OUT OF PLACE. THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE BOX ATTACHED TO THE STEERING WHEEL AS IF IT WAS GOING TO OPEN TO RELEASE THE AIR BAGS BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH STRONGER THE IMPACT NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO TRIGGER THE SENSOR FOR THE AIRBAGS - THE IMPACT WAS PRETTY INTENSE. I DO HAVE IMAGES OF THE IMPACT TO MY VEHICLE IF IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT RELEASE.

NHTSA ODI 10765219

Nov 20, 2014SteeringAirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

RIO SLID TERRIBLE AFTER TRYING TO GO AROUND A STOPPED VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WAS LOOSE AND WHEN WE HIT THE TRAILER ON THE SIDE. THE AIR BAG ON DRIVERS SIDE DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE PASSENGER BAG BUSTED THE PASSENGER'S STERNUM AND A SHARP METAL PIECE APPEARS TO BE IN HER LEG AS SOME WERE REMOVED. IN ADDITION, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT COME UNHOOKED AS SHE WAS PINNED TIGHT IN THE CAR. A TRUCK DRIVER WHO STOPPED BEFORE HE HIT US BY RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT AS PASSENGER IN SHOCK. HORRIBLE CRAPPY HANDLING AND SKID WAS UNACCEPTABLE AS IT DID NOT SLOW DOWN. ..UPDATED 11/25/14*BF UPDATED 12/03/14 *BF.. UPDATED 12/29/14 *BF UPDATED 9/25/15 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10659918

Aug 18, 2014AirbagsBody & structureCrash1 injury

A 2014 KIA RIO INVOLVED IN A HORRIFIC CRASH. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY? WHY? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10626031

Working with the data? Download all 51 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Kia Rio verdict →