Problems · by component
2001 Kia Rio air bags problems
33 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Kia Rio cite air bags, 15% of all 224 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
33
15% of all complaints
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
9
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I WAS INVOLVED IN A 45MPH HEAD ON COLLISION. THE OTHER CAR WAS A CHEVY COBALT. SHE HAD RUN A STOP SIGN AND HIT US IN THE FRONT. I WAS THE PASSENGER IN THE KIA BOTH ME AND THE DRIVER OF THE KIA WERE FORCED INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND HE HIT HIS OFF THE STEERING WHEEL AS WELL. NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY CAR WENT OFF. BUT BOTH THE AIRBAGS IN THE COBALT DID. MY CAR WAS ALSO CALLED A TOTAL WITH DAMAGE DONE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND FRAMING. TWO MECHANICS THAT LOOKED AT THE CAR COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR”
“MY CAR HAD A RECALL BECAUSE OF STALLING ISSUES BEFORE ALSO AGAIN WHEN I HAD THIS PROBLEM THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS UNPLUGGED NOW IT STALLS ALL THE TIME ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON HAD A AIRFLOW SENSOR LIGHT CHANGED AND IT IS STILL STALLING EVEN MORE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BUT GOES OFF BEFORE I CAN GET IT CHECKED AND SO I AM GETTING NOWHERE AND I AM SCARED TOO DEATH OFF HAVING A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE I THINK THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE IT IS A 2001 KIA RIO CAN YOU HELP ME I HAVE CONTACTED KIA ALREADY. *TR”
“PURCHASED CAR, 2001 KIA RIO, IN OCTOBER OF 2000. WITHIN A FEW DAYS AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A ONE YEAR PERIOD AND HAD TO BE TAKEN BACK TO DEALER FOR REPAIR AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. RECALL WAS RECEIVED FOR FUEL SYSTEM. THIS WAS REPLACED WITHOUT PROBLEM. NEXT PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH WHEELS, WHICH WAS ALSO A RECALL. I HAD TO ORDER THE WHEELS WHICH TOOK AT LEAST A MONTH TO COME IN LEAVING ME TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK, 65 MILES EACH WAY, ON VIOLENTLY VIBRATING WHEELS. WHEELS WERE FINALLY REPLACED. PROBLEM OCCURRED IN WINTER 2005 WITH DOOR LATCH. DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD LOCK AND STAY LOCKED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ORIGINAL DEALER FOR REPAIR ONLY TO HAVE OLD PART REPAIRED WHILE BEING CHARGED FOR NEW PART AND LABOR. WITHIN A FEW DAYS, DOOR LATCH FAILED AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO ORDERED NEW PART. IN THE MEANTIME I WAITED FOR PART TO ARRIVE, AND DROVE AROUND IN A CAR WHOSE DOOR DIDN'T LOCK, LEAVING MY CAR PREY TO THIEVES, WHO STOLE THINGS CONSTANTLY FROM ME. FINALLY THIS WAS FIXED BUT, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK DID THE SAME THING. I LOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT SINCE MY WARRANTY WAS UP AND…”
“DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 2001 KIA RIO HAD THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT IT WAS NOT CHECKED FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHT. THE CONSUMER SAID THAT THE DEALER DID A VISUAL CHECK. THE TIRES WERE PREMATURELY WORN OUT. THE CONSUMER SPECIFICALLY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE WHEEL RECALL 50V159000 THAT THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. FRONT AND REAR BRAKES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED ALSO AT 20,000 MILES. *AK UPDAED *JB”
“PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S ENGINE. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE JERKED INTO GEAR. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL VISITS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM PER DEALER. THE FRONT END MADE NOISES, AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FIVE OCCASIONS FOR THE AIR BAG. *SC *JB”
“WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, NO AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING NORTHBOUND IN THE CURB LANE WHEN THE OTHER VEHICLE TURNED LEFT INTO THE PATH OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *SC”
Showing 6 of 33 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.