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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 · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 11, 2022EngineFire

While driving the car caught fire. A Cause & Origin inspection was performed and there is a hole in the engine block consistent with other known KIA recalls. Georgia Farm Bureau insurance claim number PA000000314316

NHTSA ODI 11473317

Sep 13, 2020Electrical systemEngineFire

I WAS DRIVING TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO WORK AND I NOTICE MY CAR WAS SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND I STARTED TO PULL OVER AND ONCE I DID I REALIZE MY CAR WAS ON FIRE UP UNDER THE HOOD. I HAVE A 2014 KIA RIO

NHTSA ODI 11354799

Jun 18, 2020EngineFire

I WAS DRIVING MY 2014 KIA RIO TO WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 7 AM THIS MORNING WITH NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS UNTIL HALFWAY TO WORK WHICH WOULD BE APPROX. 30 MILES INTO MY 52 MILE DRIVE. AFTER I MADE A TURN FROM A STOP LIGHT, I NOTICED A WEIRD SMELL AS I DROVE AND DECIDED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND CHECK IT OUT. 1ST, I GLANCED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR, CHECKING FOR ANY OTHER CARS BEFORE I PULLED OVER, THEN EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWED SO QUICKLY: SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR, IMMEDIATELY HITTING THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE NOT WORKING NOW, SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE ENGINE, USING EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND THE FINALLY COMING TO A STOP WHERE I GOT OUT QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AS THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFING THE CAR IN FLAMES. I HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS. NOTE: THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS, SUCH AS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, COOLANT TEMP, OR ANY DASH INDICATORS, JUST WEIRD SMELL AND LOSS OF BRAKES. I AM INCLUDING SEVERAL PHOTOS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11329676

Apr 9, 2019EngineFire

MY CAR ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CAR WAS BURNT. DRIVING TO THE STORE THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CAUGHT FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11195298

May 24, 2016Transmission & drivetrainBody & structureEngineFire

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SUBURBAN STREET WHEN MY CAR ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND GET OUT OF THE CAR SAFELY. ALTHOUGH I HAD PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, IT ROLLED DOWN THE STREET UNTIL IT HIT A TELEPHONE POLE, WHICH IT SET ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS PRIMARILY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. I HAD NO REASON TO EXPECT THIS FIRE TO HAPPEN. A FIREFIGHTER TOLD ME IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, AND TO DO MY DUE DILIGENCE.

NHTSA ODI 10870663

Jul 2, 2015Equipment Adaptive/mobilityEngineFire

HI MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE!! THE CAR BEGAN SMOKING THICK WHITE SMOKE THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING AND WHEN WE PULLED OFF THE STREET AND OPENED THE HOOD THE CAR WAS IN FIRE. I REALLY DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THAT CAR. THIS WOULD BE THE 4TH TIME I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. FIRST 3 TIMES WAS FOR THE AIR CONTAINER NOT WORKING PROPERLY, EVAPORATOR AND SOME OTHER PARTS WERE REPLACED AND NOW IT WENT UP IN FLAMES. THEY SAY THE CAR IS FINE BUT I JUST DON'T FEEL SAFE ANY MORE. THIS HAPPENED 6/29/15 MY CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD I BOUGHT IT 10/27/14. I AM VERY CONCERN FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS SAME CAR IT IS NOT SAFE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10731649

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 →