2002 Kia Rio Cinco 4 cylinder from North America
Summary:
This is basically a throw away car, and I will never own another KIA
Faults:
Brakes not calibrated at dealership, but did not find this out until 4 years later when I took it in to have the back brakes replaced. They said the front brakes had never been used and it was a good thing I never really had to use them or it could have flipped the car.
Recently the car locked up and I had it towed to repair shop, only to find out it was due to blown brake light fuses (cost $100 for tow and fuse).
Stop and start running 2 years after I got it, and even after taking it into the dealership for oil changes, they failed to mention that it was a part that was causing the problem until I got about 2 miles from dealership and it failed. Then they did something about it.
Gas gage and clock are not accurate.
Driver visor replace 3 times immediately after purchase. I am waiting for something more to go wrong.
General Comments:
My Pontiac was better on gas mileage with a bigger engine than this KIA. As long as you do not turn on air or heat, go uphill, face into the wind or turn on the radio, it gets good mpg -- especially going downhill.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 8th June, 2009
8th Jun 2009, 20:20
This review is very convoluted and confusing. First of all, there is simply NO WAY you could drive a car 4 YEARS with the front brakes not functioning. If that had been the case, every time you braked the rear wheels would have locked up and the car would have skidded violently. And if the front brakes HAD worked especially hard, it is physically IMPOSSIBLE for it to "flip the car over". The transaxle on my friend's Nissan locked up at 70mph on a freeway and even THAT wasn't enough to flip the car. It just stopped.
A blown brake light fuse DOES NOT cause the car to "lock up". It just makes the brake lights stop functioning. Someone isn't giving you the whole story.
Finally, running the HEATER AND RADIO have NOTHING to do with fuel mileage. Yes, running the A/C, especially on small engines, can drop mileage by 5-10 miles per gallon.
I have read numerous surveys and articles stating that Kia has the WORST dealer service of any make. I strongly suspect that your dealer has just been making up stuff. None of the problems you mention make ANY SENSE.