Total Complaints
3 filings
KIA KIA · model year
2002 KIA KIA
3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002KIAKIA carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 KIA is visibility:windshield with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 18 investigation files overlapping the 2002 KIA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050506ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
ST: 8TH OF 2004 THE BATTERY STARTED TO DIE,\. DEALER TOLD CALLER TO SHUT THE ALARM SYSTEM OFF WHEN NOT DRIVING. VEHICLE BATTERY WAS CHECKED BY KIA, AND REPORTED NO PROBLEMS WITH BATTERY. HOWEVER, BATTERY HAD TO BE CHARGED NUMEROUS TIMES IN DRIVEWAY. ON MAY 2005 THE LOCKS BEGAN TO GO ON AND OFF, AND ALL LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER, WHO CHECKED THE BATTERY, BUT DEALER REPORTED THE CAR NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. 05/05/05 AS CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD AND ALL SENSOR LIGHTS CAME ON, AND LOCKS CAME ON AND OFF, AND CAR SHUT OFF. AFTER RESTARTING VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AGAIN FOR REPAIR.*AK
Mileage: 16,000
20030422CrashFireUNKNOWN OR OTHER
JAN. 10TH- BRAKED TO AVOID ACCIDENT ON I-59 AT 70 MPH AND CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE-RAN OFF I-59 AND COLLIDED WITH TREE FEB. 14- BRAKED AGAIN AT HIGH SPEED TO AVOID ACCIDENT AND CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. HIT TREE AND ALMOST LOST LIFE. WOULD HAVE LOST LIFE HAD NOT SOMEONE PULLED ME FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED DOWN COMPLETELY. *NLM
Mileage: 6,500
20021210VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
NO SUMMARY. DT
Compare 2002KIAKIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 KIA KIA have?▼
The 2002 KIA KIA has 3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 KIA KIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 KIA KIA is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY.
Is the 2002 KIA KIA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.