AI Damage2014 KIA RIO: common problems
Owners of the 2014 KIA RIO filed 52 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 52
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 46% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 19% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 12% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 4% of all complaints
- Engine: 24 complaints (46% of all).
- Service brakes: 10 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 7 complaints (13% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 6 complaints (12% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 52 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 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 6 | 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.
Was side swiped on driver side the curtain airbags never deployed and the aluminum wheels shattered.
I am a food delivery driver. I was making a delivery to a regular customer. I was outside his side door, talking. I was out of my 2014 kia rio for approximately 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes, talking with the customer. Suddenly, I am on the ground. I look to see a tires run over my foot.
The head lights were smashed, and the front sides of the body were cracked out of place. There was a crack in the box attached to the steering wheel as if it was going to open to release the air bags but nothing happened.
In addition, the seat belt would not come unhooked as she was pinned tight in the car. A truck driver who stopped before he hit us by running down the road had to cut the seat belt as passenger in shock. Horrible crappy handling and skid was unacceptable as it did not slow down. ..updated 11/25/14 updated 12/03/14 ..
The vehicle exhibits classic symptoms of the Gamma 1.6L GDI defect: excessive oil consumption (bone-dry after ~1,200 miles post-January 2026 shop oil change), flashing CEL, and loud rod knock after oil starvation.
The engine started to lose power, and the check engine light illuminated. The power drop was most noticable when accelerating from a stop. At times, randomly, the engine RPMs would dip down to 200-300 at idle and would almost stall. Upon further investigation, the engine has been excessively consuming oil.
Approximately 2 weeks later while the daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle began to decelerate and emit smoke from underneath the hood. The driver was able to coast to the side of the road and safely exit the vehicle as it caught on fire.
The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of 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 5,242 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RIO has 52 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 52, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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 200746 sources
- RIO 200846 sources
- RIO 200939 sources
- RIO 201026 sources
- RIO 201124 sources
- RIO 201254 sources
- RIO 2013153 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 2014 KIA RIO?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, air bags. Total complaints: 52. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (23%), warning lights, check engine (23%), knocking, grinding or other noise (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 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 2014 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 2014 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.