2021 Kia Rio problems and complaints
Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Rio. The most-reported areas: Unknown Or Other (6), Steering (4), Service Brakes (3).
Key takeaways
- 15 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 2 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 0 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 6 | 40% |
| Steering | 4 | 27% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 20% |
| Power Train | 2 | 13% |
| Engine | 2 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 7% |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 7% |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 7% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | 7% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Kia Rio 4 DR FWD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2025-12-28
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.
Steering - filed 2025-05-14
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.
Power Train,unknown Or Other - filed 2023-11-14
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.
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More for the 2021 Kia Rio
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.