AI Damage2007 KIA RIO: common problems
Owners of the 2007 KIA RIO filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 46
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 46% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 21 complaints (46% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (17% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (7% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 46 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 21 | 10 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
All the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The contact's daughter sustained a neck and back injury that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not contacted.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 kia rio. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph and depressing the brakes, the brakes abnormally traveled to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test but could not determine the cause of the failure.
Had seat belt on and hit head on steering wheel; cut head; concussion; dislocated part of hand. The airbag did not deploy. Unconscious for over an hour. The highway patrol was concerned that the airbag did not deploy but the guy rebuilding the car (3 hours from us; $7000 worth of damage) says it didn't necessarily…
However, my airbags never deployed in my vehicle. My car will not be repairable it will be a total loss vehicle. It was a 2007 kia rio, and nothing has been done to fix this problem.
the engine has very bad Loss of oil pressure it consumption of a lot oil the engine knock very bad that engine has decreased its power the engine oil light always on so I stop driving the car and car blows white smoke from the engine my mechanic told he did not want to work on the car because of the engine but I can…
Tl* the contact owns 2007 kia rio equipped with bf goodrich tires, tire line: g-force sport, tire size: 195/55/r15, dot number: beln3p1107-15. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger's side front tires sounded like they were flat while driving.
Electrical issues, constantly broken air conditioner, engine problems, spark plug issues, coil issues, 3 batteries in 2 years, loss of power in the middle of the freeway.
The contact stated that the brake pedal was hard when applied and hesitated to respond. The contact also noticed that the vehicle had a drastic reduction in speed. The vehicle was not included in a manufacturers recall related to the failure.
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 5,571 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RIO has 52 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 46, about average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
- RIO 20003 sources
- RIO 2001223 sources
- RIO 2002128 sources
- RIO 200374 sources
- RIO 200438 sources
- RIO 200537 sources
- RIO 200674 sources
- RIO 200846 sources
- RIO 200939 sources
- RIO 201026 sources
- RIO 201124 sources
- RIO 201254 sources
- RIO 2013153 sources
- RIO 201452 sources
- RIO 201552 sources
- RIO 2016160 sources
- RIO 201788 sources
- RIO 201885 sources
- RIO 201976 sources
- RIO 202093 sources
- RIO 202174 sources
- RIO 202232 sources
- RIO 202331 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 KIA RIO?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 46. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (20%), warning lights, check engine (17%), airbags did not deploy (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 KIA RIO?
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 2007 KIA RIO 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 2007 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.