2001 Kia Rio from North America

Summary:

The KIA RIO is a death trap on wheels

Faults:

My Head gasket blew at 65,000 miles.

My wheel bearings went twice on the drivers side and three times on the passenger side.

My spindles went twice on the driver side in less that 3 months.

The seats are ruined, they fell apart.

The timing chain went and messed the car up worse than it was prior.

My seat belts in the back won't even come out on either side.

I can't go anywhere to get an oil change because they can't do it.

General Comments:

The car is not a reliable piece of transportation, to think I was going to put my two young children in that death trap.

Two weeks after I got the car it was already in the garage because my passenger side tire was leaning in.

In this car, you seriously feel like you are riding in a Flyer wagon on a rocky path, it is unbelievably uncomfortable.

The car didn't even come with a radio, I had to put one in myself.

I couldn't drive the car for more than 25 miles without letting it rest, if I didn't it would hesitate and not shift well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th February, 2007

8th Feb 2007, 10:09

"I can't go anywhere to get an oil change because they can't do it."

--Where the heck in North America do you live and why is there an extreme shortage of auto technicians there?

"The car is not a reliable piece of transportation..."

--82,000 miles in two years of ownership sounds reliable to me.

"The car didn't even come with a radio, I had to put one in myself."

--You didn't notice that before you bought it?

"I couldn't drive the car for more than 25 miles without letting it rest..."

--Considering that you've averaged more than 100 miles per day since you've owned it, you must have more time on your hands than the rest of us.

"Dealer Service marks 2/10"

--You said that you couldn't find anyone who knows how to change the oil, yet you've been to the dealer.

Seriously, this review is highly suspect, if not just plain hilarious.

9th Feb 2007, 19:21

Lol. This review is absurd! OK, Kia's are junk, but this person contradicts themself at every turn. If they are trying to lower people's opinion of the car- there is no need to! Opinions on the Rio are usually negative anyway.

2001 Kia Rio BX 1.5 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Cheap and Nasty - Unrefined.

Faults:

Accelerator is very sticky for no apparent reason.

Clutch is not smooth yet no problem is clear.

Spark Plugs and Leads at approx. 80k's.

General Comments:

After driving a very sluggish and heavy volvo, there is little improvement in this car. It is quite bluntly, gutless.

In city conditions there is excessive roadnoise, and when country driving it is terrible. The cabin is very poorly insulated from road noise.

The car produces a lot of rattles and squeaks on relatively smooth roads.

It is one of the most uncomfortable cars I have ever ridden in. There is practically no interior room and the seats are like sitting on stacks of bricks.

The clutch is long and sloppy and the accelerator is tight and sticky. This mated with the rubbery gear-box which gives little feedback makes the car quite hard to drive unless you are very used to it.

Handling is extremely poor, and I do not feel safe cornering at any reasonable speed in this car and find myself slowing traffic.

Having said all this, the car can be fun to have a bit of a thrash around in.

Visibility is good, making the car easy to park.

It is very cheap to run and is a car that you really have to drive.

As a first car, while perhaps not the safest, will give a great base level of actual driving experience, uninsulated, making them safer in the long run.

BUt I would never buy another Kia.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 30th January, 2007

19th Mar 2007, 00:42

I think this review is a little bit on the side. Agreed that the Rio is "cheap'n nasty" but why did you buy this car in the first place? Uncomfy seats, sluggish, no sound insulation? Agreed, but any of this should be apparent after a five min test drive. This car is for the people that need the most basic transportation and I thought that this was apparent? I mean, nobody buys these clatter boxes because they are luxury cars.

In reply to 19th Mar 2007, 00:42

25th Sep 2011, 07:18

Agreed. I have a 2007 Kia Rio, and I have never had any issues with it. In fact, someone hit the front of my car and it held up well. I have over 120,000 miles on it, simply because it was bought to drive all over creation. For crappy and nasty, I do see a lot of people with these cars, so they must be doing something right. I have no issues with the Rio!