KIA RIO · model year

2012 KIA RIO

70 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012KIARIO carries 70 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 12 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 RIO is engine with 23 filings, followed by air bags (10) and fuel/propulsion system (7). 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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2012 RIO, 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.

70
Complaints
5
Crashes
12
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths
2012 KIA RIO — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2012 KIA RIO. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

70 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE23
AIR BAGS10
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
SEAT BELTS3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
WHEELS2
SERVICE BRAKES2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
SUSPENSION1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recalls (1)

23V65200025/09/2023

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may

Recent Complaints

20260205FireENGINE

Waiting to get air in my tire. Car was turned off and the car started fire under the hood.

20251126ENGINE

I brought my Kia in for a recall, and they determined the part was discontinued thus making my vehicle inoperable. When I brought my vehicle in, it was driveable-now I have been without my vehicle for over a month.

20250730UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I went to the Kia dealership in Laredo Texas and was told that they cannot fix the fault, that my vehicle has had an aftermarket parts, that they are not going to fix the HECU. That they don't fix vehicle with aftermarket parts.

20250313ENGINE

The GDI 1.6L engines are manufactured with a flaw that affects piston rings and makes oil consumption go up which in turn can make the engine run dry and damage the engine, which if you're in a bad location could be dangerous. My car has been dealing with the issue and I searched yet found no recalls for the engine. 2. It can put me and others at risk, if my car breaks and I'm driving in a snowy or hot area, or breaks when driving up hill or down hill. 3. Look all over the internet GDI 1.6 Oil consumption issue. 4. Yes, repair shop. 5. Plenty of times barely drove 200 miles and I get the red lamp for no oil/low oil level.

20240718FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Our granddaughter bought this car from a private seller. My son is a mechanic and when he inspected the undercarriage he found a small leak in the seam of the gas tank. The local KIA dealer said it is not covered. This, to me, is a safety and emissions issue. Please assist. The car is available at any time for inspection. Thank you

20240417SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Rio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20240229SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact's sister owns a 2012 Kia Rio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that when her sister started the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20240119SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Rio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20230429FireENGINE

Car started running oddly pulled over went to restart and Fire came up an engine compartment

20220623FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Rio. The contact stated that after the niece had park and exited the vehicle smoke and flames were present coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The fire department was called to scene to extinguish the flames. During the incident the vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that prior to the incident the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption but no assistance was offered from local dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.

Mileage: 180,000

20220204ENGINE

Check engine light comes on. I pull the code of p050a. I looked that up and there is a Techincal Service Bulletin, from Kia on this problem of Cold start idle air control system performance. Kia only put out a recall on the Kia Soul and not the Kia Rio. They have the exact same engine and computer with the 1.6L. The bulletin list both vehicle but the recall is only for the 1 vehicle. I was told by Kia dealer sorry to fix this I would have to pay to reprogram the computer. Kia originally was replacing the throttle body on the engine than decided because of cost, to reprogram the computer.

20220106VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the RPMs was rising to the red line immediately. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was transmission maintenance needed on the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure continued. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer and the towing technician noticed that the accelerator pedal was stuck. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.

Mileage: 64,000

20211107ENGINE

Will not start early morning, use about 3 quart oil a week, before warranty ran out Kia dealer check out and said to drive it another 900 miles, which made no sense, and bring back in Then they said it was out of warranty, what a scam Kia dealership is.they had overfill oil level 3 times before this problem

20201220ENGINE

2012 KIA RIO, NOT CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO ANY RECALL, AND HAVING BEEN MAINTAINED CORRECTLY, IS EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS LEVELS OF OIL CONSUMPTION. CURRENT MILAGE 108,000. TWO WEEKS AGO I SENT THE ATTACHED LETTER VIA CASE TO KIA CONSUMER CUSTOMER AFFAIRS SEEKING SAFETY ADVICE FROM THE COMPANY RELATING TO THE ISSUE. KIA NEVER RESPONDED, OPTING TO CLOSE THE CASE WITHOUT A WORD REGARDING THE ISSUE. OIL CONSUMPTION IS VERY HIGH, AND EFFECTING ENGINE PERFORMANCE. I ASSUME THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO HAVE THE ENGINE TAKEN APART AND EXAMINED, A COSTLY REVIEW, HOWEVER DUE TO LACK OF RESPONSE FROM KIA I HAVEN'T YET; I WAS HOPING THEY COULD COORDINATE THROUGH EITHER A DEALER OR 3RD PARTY INVESTIGATOR. CURRENTLY THE CAR IS NOT BEING USED, AS THIS ANOMALOUS ISSUE IS A CONCERN FOR SAFETY WHEN DRIVING. CONSIDERING THE RECENT RECALL, AS WELL AS HOW THE SYMPTOMS ALIGN WITH PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ISSUES TO SIMILAR ENGINES, I WISHED TO CREATE THIS REPORT, IF ONLY TO ADD MY CASE TO NHTSA'S ACCOUNTS.

20201220FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

2012 KIA RIO, NOT CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO ANY RECALL, AND HAVING BEEN MAINTAINED CORRECTLY, IS EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS LEVELS OF OIL CONSUMPTION. CURRENT MILAGE 108,000. TWO WEEKS AGO I SENT THE ATTACHED LETTER VIA CASE TO KIA CONSUMER CUSTOMER AFFAIRS SEEKING SAFETY ADVICE FROM THE COMPANY RELATING TO THE ISSUE. KIA NEVER RESPONDED, OPTING TO CLOSE THE CASE WITHOUT A WORD REGARDING THE ISSUE. OIL CONSUMPTION IS VERY HIGH, AND EFFECTING ENGINE PERFORMANCE. I ASSUME THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO HAVE THE ENGINE TAKEN APART AND EXAMINED, A COSTLY REVIEW, HOWEVER DUE TO LACK OF RESPONSE FROM KIA I HAVEN'T YET; I WAS HOPING THEY COULD COORDINATE THROUGH EITHER A DEALER OR 3RD PARTY INVESTIGATOR. CURRENTLY THE CAR IS NOT BEING USED, AS THIS ANOMALOUS ISSUE IS A CONCERN FOR SAFETY WHEN DRIVING. CONSIDERING THE RECENT RECALL, AS WELL AS HOW THE SYMPTOMS ALIGN WITH PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ISSUES TO SIMILAR ENGINES, I WISHED TO CREATE THIS REPORT, IF ONLY TO ADD MY CASE TO NHTSA'S ACCOUNTS.

20201213AIR BAGS

I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED WHAT SEEMS TO BE OIL COMING FROM THE ENGINE, POOLING ON TOP OF THE BLOCK BUT ALSO LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND AFTER BEING PARKED FOR AN HOUR OR SO. THE WALLS AROUND THE ENGINE, MAINLY ON THE LEFT SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE WERE SATURATED WITH PRESUMABLY THE SAME FLUID. UNDER THE CAR IS ALSO SATURATED FROM WHAT I AM GUESSING TO BE A LEAK, PERHAPS THE SAME LEAK FROM ATOP THE ENGINE BLOCK. I'VE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AND PAID FOR A SYSTEM FAULT DIAGNOSTIC, AND IN BOTH CASES HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY HELPFUL INFO AS TO WHAT IT IS, THE CAUSE OR WHERE THE LEAK IS COMING FROM, OR HOW TO TREAT IT. I VERY RECENTLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND THE INVOICE SHOWED A COMMENT STATING THAT MY CAR APPEARS TO BE LEAKING OIL. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMENTARY. I FEAR THAT MY KIA RIO MAY BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE FOR REASONS SUCH AS A FIRE HAZARD OR BREAKDOWN FROM OVERHEATING POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LEAVING ME ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY, STRANDED. ALSO THE A/C AND HEATER DO NOT

20201213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED WHAT SEEMS TO BE OIL COMING FROM THE ENGINE, POOLING ON TOP OF THE BLOCK BUT ALSO LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND AFTER BEING PARKED FOR AN HOUR OR SO. THE WALLS AROUND THE ENGINE, MAINLY ON THE LEFT SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE WERE SATURATED WITH PRESUMABLY THE SAME FLUID. UNDER THE CAR IS ALSO SATURATED FROM WHAT I AM GUESSING TO BE A LEAK, PERHAPS THE SAME LEAK FROM ATOP THE ENGINE BLOCK. I'VE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AND PAID FOR A SYSTEM FAULT DIAGNOSTIC, AND IN BOTH CASES HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY HELPFUL INFO AS TO WHAT IT IS, THE CAUSE OR WHERE THE LEAK IS COMING FROM, OR HOW TO TREAT IT. I VERY RECENTLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND THE INVOICE SHOWED A COMMENT STATING THAT MY CAR APPEARS TO BE LEAKING OIL. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMENTARY. I FEAR THAT MY KIA RIO MAY BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE FOR REASONS SUCH AS A FIRE HAZARD OR BREAKDOWN FROM OVERHEATING POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LEAVING ME ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY, STRANDED. ALSO THE A/C AND HEATER DO NOT

20201213ENGINE

I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED WHAT SEEMS TO BE OIL COMING FROM THE ENGINE, POOLING ON TOP OF THE BLOCK BUT ALSO LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND AFTER BEING PARKED FOR AN HOUR OR SO. THE WALLS AROUND THE ENGINE, MAINLY ON THE LEFT SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE WERE SATURATED WITH PRESUMABLY THE SAME FLUID. UNDER THE CAR IS ALSO SATURATED FROM WHAT I AM GUESSING TO BE A LEAK, PERHAPS THE SAME LEAK FROM ATOP THE ENGINE BLOCK. I'VE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AND PAID FOR A SYSTEM FAULT DIAGNOSTIC, AND IN BOTH CASES HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY HELPFUL INFO AS TO WHAT IT IS, THE CAUSE OR WHERE THE LEAK IS COMING FROM, OR HOW TO TREAT IT. I VERY RECENTLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND THE INVOICE SHOWED A COMMENT STATING THAT MY CAR APPEARS TO BE LEAKING OIL. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMENTARY. I FEAR THAT MY KIA RIO MAY BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE FOR REASONS SUCH AS A FIRE HAZARD OR BREAKDOWN FROM OVERHEATING POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LEAVING ME ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY, STRANDED. ALSO THE A/C AND HEATER DO NOT

20200827ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

I WAS DRIVING AND CHECH ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON . I HAD IT TESTED AND IT WAS THE KNOCK SENOR. I LOOKED IT UP AND THEIR WAS A RECALL I PURCHASED THE CAR 9/02/2019

Mileage: 103,887

20200511AIR BAGS

I CAN NOT BELIEVE I TOOK THIS MUCH TIME TO ACTUAL FILE A COMPLAINT ON THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS ON MY KIA. MY 2012 KIA RIO SX HATCHBACK HAS BEEN BURNING OIL SINCE IT REACHED THE 70,000 MILE MARK. I HAVE ALL RECEIPTS AND RECORDS FOR EVERY OIL CHANGE SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW BACK IN LATE 2011. OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3,000/4,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. NO LEAKS HAVE BEEN FOUND BY MY LOCAL VALVOLINE SHOP AND IT CONTINUES TO BURN OIL NOW AT ITS CURRENT ODOMETER READING OF 113,000 MILES. THE OIL LEVEL NOW REACHES THE LAST DOTTED LINE ON THE OIL METAL READER STICK (LOW MARK) EVERY 300 TO 400 MILES. I HAVE TO ADD OIL 8 TO 10 TIMES BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. NO OIL LIGHT HAS EVER TURNED ON. MY DRIVER AIRBAG LIGHT HAS TURNED ON AND HAVE NO IDEA WHY. IT FIRST TURNED ON JUNE OF 2018 AND IT HAS NOT TURN OFF SINCE THEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS AT ALL SINCE I BOUGHT NEW. *TR

Compare 2012KIARIO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 KIA RIO have?
The 2012 KIA RIO has 70 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 12 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 KIA RIO?
The 2012 KIA RIO received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 KIA RIO?
Yes, the 2012 KIA RIO has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 KIA RIO?
The most-complained component for the 2012 KIA RIO is ENGINE with 23 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2012 KIA RIO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2012 KIA RIO has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. 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.