27th Mar 2007, 03:57

The problem with these extended warranties are that peoples perception of them are wrong. The old school bumper-to-bumper warranty of maybe 3 years can't and shouldn't be compared to the 5, 7 or 10 years "extended" warranties.

These are limited warranties with a lot of restrictions on the use. But the problem is how they are marketed. People read the 5year/60,000miles part and think that every possible repair will be covered besides oil changes. But things like light bulbs, brake pads/shoes, rotors, battery, all kinds of filters, spark plugs, clutches on manuals, AC refills and services are not covered. And these are the things that usually breaks and the customers all get dissatisfied.

In the end you should really read the fine print and decide if this extended warranty means anything to you. But don't expect a no-cost car ownership for 5year/60,000miles because I can guarantee you that you will be disappointed.

29th Mar 2007, 02:30

You are right on there. It's not just the fine print, it's the warranty terms manual that is almost thicker than the owners manual, and there are also a lot of things that are difficult to figure out.

Service interval is 10,000 miles on this car, and that means at least two visits to the dealer a year, costing $300-600, depending on what is needed. And you must follow the KIA service schedule, and you must use an authorized KIA dealer for the tune up.

I needed to change my brakes, and this was done my my tire/brake/exhaust supplier at a fraction of the cost of what the KIA dealer wanted. Big mistake on my part. The KIA dealer is still arguing about me using a non KIA repairer, and he says any warranty claim will be void if I continue to do so. But what's the logic in replacing the brakes, and by doing this, voiding the warranty on the rest of the car. I understand that KIA dealer can't take responsibility for something another repairer does, and I don't expect him to do so, but where's the logic? I mean brakes are not related to the engine and the rest of the car. So the lesson I've learned, is absolutely nobody other than the KIA dealer can touch this car. Of course you are not allowed to do anything yourself. This means big KIA invoices for me, both for tune ups and for all the other stuff that needs to be changed. Not the low running costs that I hoped for at all, and I'd been better off purchasing something with a longer service interval.

Also I've considered jumping off the KIA service program, since I don't know if it's worth it, since I can get my car tuned for half the price somewhere else. Dealer coverage is not very good either, and tune ups means that I lose half a day's work, or I can pay a lot for rental cars, but either way, I spend a lot of time in the dealer's lounge. I really regret buying this car.

- Michael H, FL, just another unhappy KIA owner -

30th Mar 2007, 16:04

I have a 2001 KIA Rio. I bought it brand new. It is 6 years old with 70 000 Km. It has been a very reliable car. I have to replace the clutch now, but that is the first mechanical failure I have faced. Ya, it is a cheap car, but it did not cost much to buy and next to nothing to run.

Keith

Dawson Creek Canada.

14th May 2007, 07:55

A long thread for this review, but I guess that these cars irritates a lot of people like myself. I guess that this car is only suited for use as a second car doing grocery shopping and putting on little mileage. They are not very durable and not suited for putting on a lot of mileage as a commuters car. As a commuter car this may be worn out within a few years.

9th Jul 2007, 21:11

I bought a 2002 Kia Rio (that was previously a rental car in Vermont) in December 2002 with around 20,000 miles on it. Currently, the car has 95,000 miles on it and the alternator just went out on it yesterday. This is the only thing that has gone wrong so far and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I really do feel for everyone who has had problems with their Rio. Maybe I've been lucky? I never got a chance to use any kind of warranty on the vehicle (it wouldn't have been with Kia anyway). I bought a warranty from another company since the original warranty was void because of its previous rental history. I have been thinking about buying another vehicle pretty soon because I'm getting worried about stuff going wrong now. Since the alternator just went out, I am afraid something else will also. My Rio is my only form of transportation and if something major goes wrong I will be screwed. Overall, I can't complain with the quality of service my Rio has given me. I'm just glad I haven't had the problems everyone on this forum has had.

Nick

Northwest Alabama

4th Dec 2007, 09:03

I have had my 2002 Rio for 5 1/2 yrs now and have had next to no problems with it. We have done SEVERAL cross country (Canada) trips with it and it has been very reliable. We are up to about 120 000 kms now and just replaced the timing belt just to be cautious, but the mechanic said it was still fine. The only other major repair we've done is replaced the brakes a few weeks ago. The reason I was reading this thread is because our engine light has been on for a week and was looking for a reason for this. As mentioned, I will check the gas cap. Thanks.

18th Feb 2008, 11:51

We own a 2001 KIA Rio 4 door sedan with 5 speed transmission. It was used and we bought it in 2002. At the time it had 20,000 miles on it. It has been the best and most reliable car we have had for a long time. It is even very comfortable for a compact car. We have driven it all over the country (our kids live in several different states) and my husband continues to drive it for his work commute of 60 miles each way, 2-3 times per week.

We have changed the oil as necessary, and have done the timing belt (at the normal interval) twice so far. Of course we have put on new brake pads and rear shoes as needed.

At about 125,000 miles, the catalytic converter went and we replaced that. About 10,000 miles ago, we had a problem with the alternator and replaced that.

We feel that the only problems we have had with the car have been regular wear and tear, so we are fully satisfied with the vehicle.

Other than these expected wear and tear maintenance issues, the car has functioned completely reliably since day one for us. It has been so good, that in 2004 we also purchased new a 2004 KIA Sorento that has performed in a similar excellent manner.

We will probably replace the 2001 with another KIA when it finally dies.

The Rio currently has over 160,000 miles on it.