2002 Kia Rio Cinco problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Kia Rio Cinco, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 38% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% |
| Power Train | 3 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 10% |
| Wheels | 2 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 kia rio cinco. While driving approximately 60 mph, the steering wheel began to vibrate excessively and pulsation occurred when the accelerator pedal was engaged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on three separate occasions where the front passenger and driver side wheel hub…”
Suspension · filed Mar 19, 2012
“Electrical line from rear of brake switch is short in length and unsecured resulting in wire damage that shorts electrical fuse to switch. Results in brake light failure and possible rear end collision due to no brake lights. New switch from factory was installed by kia dealership- but problem persists. The vehicle is…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 31, 2007
“Refer to nhtsa campaign number: 04v179000 in january 2007, I took my vehicle (2002 kia rio) to ray carter kia dealership at 6373 blanding blvd, jacksonville, fl 32244, because the engine would not idle and would sometimes cut off during acceleration. The service tech told me I needed the 60,000 mile maintenance…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jul 21, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Kia Rio Cinco.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
TSB_BOD055_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2021
Kia: all models. Article provides information relating to the improved durability of bulb life for rear combination bulb; rear stop lamp/tail lamp bulb utilized on multiple kia models. *pe
KT-2008082201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2008
REAR BRAKE NOISE. *JB
01011901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 2005
Pending recall relating to the fuel distributor and fuel connector assemblies. Kia has expanded the range of affected vehicles. *tt
04132004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Kia Rio Cinco has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Kia Rio Cinco?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.