AI Damage2002 KIA RIO Cinco: common problems
Owners of the 2002 KIA RIO Cinco filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 38% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 10% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (38% of all).
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (19% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (14% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags failed to deploy. She sustained permanent injuries to her occipital neuralgia from snapping her head forward. A spec scan showed that she received some brain damage, lower back herniation, a tear in the rotator cup, pain in her right leg, and neutral hernia in her chest where the seat belt retracted.
Faxed foia request a copy of the entire file from the nhtsa investigation into the alleged defect re the air bag system of the 2002 kia rio, atty represent driver of a 2002 kia rio injuried when her air bags did not deploy.** answer required***.
While driving, the consumer lost control of the vehicle. When the driver tried correct the vehicle and come back onto the highway , the vehicle almost crashed into the concrete barrier. To avoid crashing into the barrier the driver made a hard turn and over corrected.
While driving approximately 60 mph, the steering wheel began to vibrate excessively and pulsation occurred when the accelerator pedal was engaged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on three separate occasions where the front passenger and driver side wheel hub bearings were replaced each time.
Electrical line from rear of brake switch is short in length and unsecured resulting in wire damage that shorts electrical fuse to switch. Results in brake light failure and possible rear end collision due to no brake lights. New switch from factory was installed by kia dealership- but problem persists.
An engine compartment fire was discovered by other employees approximately 10-15 minutes after I had parked the vehicle at work and had entered my office. The workers extinguished the fire with 8 portable fire extinguishers. The damage was most severe near the firewall on the passenger side of the vehicle.
After having the brakes serviced I heard a ping noise when I would make a right turn. As I kept driving the vehicle and the noise went away for about a week. When the noise returned it was much worse and when I would come to a stop I could feel something hitting together could feel it too.
Dt: the contact stated while husband was driving the check engine light illuminated. Less than one minute later there was black smoke coming from under the hood. He got out of the vehicle and saw that the vehicle was on fire. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RIO Cinco has 11 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 21, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 KIA RIO Cinco?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, fuel system, air bags. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), smoke, burning smell, fire (14%), stalls while driving (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 KIA RIO Cinco?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 KIA RIO Cinco from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.