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2006 Kia Rio

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2006 Kia Rio do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

55 reports with mileage · 19 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports0 fire reports11 injury reports

Fuel System, Gasoline complaints

2 reports
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42,000 miles · May 8, 2009
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL UPON DECELERATING AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. TYPICALLY, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE ABNORMALLY WHEN IN FIFTH GEAR WHILE DRIV…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA RIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL UPON DECELERATING AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. TYPICALLY, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE ABNORMALLY WHEN IN FIFTH GEAR WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40-60 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE FUEL PUMP, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SHORTLY AFTER THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY REMEDIED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR A RESPONSE REGARDING THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,997.

NHTSA ODI #10268196

18,800 miles · Jan 14, 2008
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

THE 2006 KIA RIO WHICH I BOUGHT AT KIA MOTORSPORT IN TALLAHASSEE, FL LAST YEAR IS BEING RETURNED FOR WARRANTY SERVICE FOR 3RD TIME IN 18000 MI. ALL 3 TIMES HAD TO DO WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND PRECEDING A BREAKDOWN. THE 1ST TIME WAS DUE TO AN UNKNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM. THE LIGHT WAS RESET, AND 100 MILES LATER …

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THE 2006 KIA RIO WHICH I BOUGHT AT KIA MOTORSPORT IN TALLAHASSEE, FL LAST YEAR IS BEING RETURNED FOR WARRANTY SERVICE FOR 3RD TIME IN 18000 MI. ALL 3 TIMES HAD TO DO WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND PRECEDING A BREAKDOWN. THE 1ST TIME WAS DUE TO AN UNKNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM. THE LIGHT WAS RESET, AND 100 MILES LATER IT OCCURRED AGAIN AND THE KIA SAID THERE WAS A BULLETIN MANDATING REPLACEMENT OF INJECTORS AND INTAKE MANIFOLD. 3D TIME TODAY, CE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I WAS 23 MI FORM HOME. DECIDED TO DRIVE IT HOME AS IT WAS STILL RUNNING OK. AT ABOUT 20 MI, IT LOST POWER OVERHEATED AND DIED. WHEN THE CE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH I KEW THE PROBLEM WAS SEVERE BUT IT ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY DIED. THE ROW DRIVE TOLD ME THERE WAS A LOSS OF COMPRESSION, POSSIBLY A BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED HEAD, OR BLOCK. CAR IS BEING TOWED TO DEALER ON 1/14/08. D*TR

NHTSA ODI #10214690

Official recalls

1

12V244000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

May 31, 2012

KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2008 RIO VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 20, 2005, THROUGH DECEMBER 9, 2007. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR MAT CAN EXPERIENCE FATIGUE CRACKING. IF SUFFICIENT CRACKING OCCURS, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION SUCH THAT THE SYSTEM WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DETECT WHETHER A CHILD PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT AND THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY DURING A CRASH NECESSITATING DEPLOYMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITH A CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO THAT CHILD.

Remedy: KIA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OCS SEAT SENSOR MAT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.