Problems · by component
2001 Kia Rio power train problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Kia Rio cite power train, 12% of all 224 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
12% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE LIKE WHEELS WERE OUT OF BALANCE. TURNED INTO DRIVEWAY DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL FELL OFF WITH BRAKE DRUM STILL ATTACHED TO WHEEL . VEHICLE CAME TO STOP. KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE CONTACTED, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACTIVE SERVICE BULLETIN OFFERED NO HELP. VEHICLE REPAIRED AT LOCAL FIRESTONE TIRE STORE. WHEEL SPINDLE AND INNER AND OUTER BEARINGS REPLACED. *TR”
“DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MADE RIGHT TURN INTO DRIVEWAY AT 30 MPH AND THE ENGINE DIED, STEERING WAS NOW UNASSISTED. I ROLLED THE CAR INTO A PARKING SPOT. THE CAR STARTED UPON MY RETURN TO THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 6 OTHER TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60, 000 MILES AND HAS AMASSED NUMEROUS REPAIR ISSUES: FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; REAR WHEEL BEARING REPLACEMENT; DEFECTIVE SIDE MIRROR THAT SCREAMS AT HIGH SPEEDS/FREEWAY DRIVING W/WINDY CONDITIONS; SUN VISORS WHICH DO NOT ADHERE TO PLACEMENT; AND WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP FAILURE. UPON ACQUIRING THE VEHICLE THIS WAS THE FIRST PROBLEM I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR. AND ON SUBSEQUENT VISITS, IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *NM”
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS LOST. IT CRASHED INTO A CURB AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE ENGINE STALLED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CLUTCH PLATE WAS REPLACED AND TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS DETACHED FROM THE FIRE WALL. THERE WERE REPAIRS MADE TO REATTACH THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED.”
“DT: THE CALLER SAID THE DEALER MADE NEW HOLES IN THE FRAME TO PUT THE BOLTS IN. THE DEALER CUT THE FRAME TO PUT SMALLER BOLTS AND NUTS IN. ANOTHER DEALER SAID DOING THAT RUINED THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME. ALSO, THERE WAS AN EXHAUST LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION BRACKET WAS BENT AND IT WOULD NOT HOLD THE TRANSMISSION IN PLACE. WHEN THE DEALER FIXED IT THE BOLTS FELL OUT. THE CALLER HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON CONSTANTLY. VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION WITH THE LIGHT ON. DEALER SAID IT WILL PASS INSPECTION WITH THE LIGHT ON. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP THE CALLER BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CALLER SAID FUSES BLEW OUT. HE REPLACED THE FUSES OVER 200 TIMES. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS,HEADLIGHTS AND OTHER EXTERIOR LIGHTS WENT OUT. *AK”
“PUT CAR IN PARK - GOT OUT OF CAR AND IT ROLLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET- GOT BACK IN CAR TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE STREET AND THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL-CAR WAS TOWED TO JOHNSONS KIA IN LEESBURG FLORIDA-REPLACED SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY-DEALER CLAIMED PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY RUST ON CABLE-I HAVE THE OLD SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY”
“WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED . VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT SIX TIMES. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK”
Showing 6 of 26 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.