2021 Kia Rio Consumer Reviews

Engine seized up and now it'll cost over 7k to get it fixed nad i owe 7k still! Kia says its nothing they can do about it.

Purchased a used 2018 Kia Rio with a manual transmission in 2023 that had just over 53,000 miles on it. 7 months and 8,000 miles later the engine seized. The vehicle is not listed as having any open recalls on the engine and the manufacturer’s warranty for a used Kia expires after 60,000 miles so we were told there was nothing to be done. There was no explanation for why the engine seized and the cost of replacing it was more than the car’s estimated value if it were running. Not a reliable vehicle in our experience.

In 1993 if you bought a subcompact you bought a Ford Festiva or a Geo Metro and you were miserable. 30 years ago a "sub-comp" meant you enjoyed being punished on your drive into work every day. Fast forward to 2023 and while the Mazda 2 is gone (lord those were fun cars) the Kia Rio is the best small car on the market today. 120 hp in a 2700lb sedan is ALOT more fun than you think it would be, and when you are returning 40+ mpg while cruising down the interstate w/ the A/C on, it all just goes to show how fantastic this little car is. I generally hate CVT transmissions from being plopped in nissan rental cars, but the Rios transmission is a pure joy. The only downside is no manual offering here. Fit and finish is way nicer than youd expect from a $17k new vehicle. The same goes for the infotainment system, and overall driving characteristics of the car. The 2018-23 Rio's have also not been plagued by Kia's general awfulness and you dont have to worry about your motor locking up in these bad boys. If you can find one at the Kia dealer, and you are looking for a cheap new car, these are the one to get..

Worse resale value vehicles. These cars are completely junk. They have many issues with them. Engine, transmission, resale value. It's not reliable, and the cost for repairs are to high for what it is. Trust yourself, walk away!!!

I like everything about this little car. I would've given it a 5 star but it didn't come wirh a cruise control.

Transmission had to be replaced 6 months after buying it brand new. Throwing transmission errors and stalls between gears.

I don't know what kind of 2019 Kia Rio others have driven, but, I drove hwy miles from KY to NC and I have a photo of the mpg I was getting...I couldn't believe it so I snapped a shot! 69mpg! That's not normal I guess, but this car is great with gas mileage. It's easy to drive, and is dependable and just an all around great car!

Drove 12000 miles, already noises from the back of the car. The rear brakes knock when braking at a low speed. The rear left shoe has been adjusted once by the original dealership and then it started knocking again. Because I moved to another city, I had to find another official dealership. Never seen mechanics so reluctant to check it out and of course they found nothing. Infotainment system is prone to overheating. Never buying a brand-new car ever again, especially Kia.