Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Kia Rio owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was sitting behind a S.U.V . when it started to move i doubt if we were going 5 miles I slightly moved my steering wheel not even a half a turn to move straight behind the S.U.V. My car shot to the right jumped a curb, hit a pole, thru two trees down a hill and into a fence. when it was all said and done my car wouldn't stop, my airbag never deployed and my car was totaled. i kept asking if there was a way this car could be examined.the insurance company took the car.i had started having problems prior to this incident that started around the end of May. but before that the car ran pretty good and only had 52,000 miles.1st it wouldn't start after driving it for a while. you would have to wait a few minutes and it would restart. So my husband took it to our mechanic. he couldn't find anything wrong and it even passed inspection. …
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Rio. The contact stated when he started the vehicle, he noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the air bag sensor on the driver's side needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted but a diagnostic test was not preformed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.
I received a letter from KIA corporation that they would voluntarily replace a part (the clockspring assembly) in the steering wheel shaft as the malfunction would impair the proper functioning of the air bags, in the letter they stated specifically that this would not cost me any money out pocket including the diagnostic, I took the car to one of their dealers and they refused to service my vehicle if I did not pay upfront. I called another of their dealers but they also said I would have to pay for the diagnostic. I then called corporate and also corresponded with them via email but they did not solve the problem. …
I was waiting behind someone at a complete stop for them to make a left hand turn and someone crashed into the back of me and smashed me into the person in front of me. The person admit he did.not see us stopped and hit me at about 45 to 50 MPH and my airbags did not deploy I would think they should have at how hard I was hit and how hard the car forced me into the car in front of me . I was diagnosed with double whiplash and several torn. Muscles in my chest and shoulders a bruise the size of a softball on my right hip from the seat belt and a burn on my left elbow from how hard it hit my door both the palms of my hands were bruised and I could barely walk for 2 days from soreness and have been seeing a chiropractor for 5 months now my car was totalled
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Kia Rio. After rear ending another vehicle, the seat belt failed to retract and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained contusions that required medical attention. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 58,000.
During a full side impact collision the side airbags did not deploy. I was traveling 45 MPH and the vehicle that hit the driver side center going 30 MPH. I was traveling north bound on savannah highway near caliber collision.
Air bag sensor came on and off for a while after warranty on the bag had just expired. I was told by the dealer who sold it to me new that I had to replace the entire bag, which I did. Then after replacing, they said the light was still on and had to replace some kind of pin. But they swore the bag really had to be replaced. Did I pay $800 for a bad pin....maybe. Or, is there a pattern of airbags going out for no reason? The bag was not deployed in my presence, but after that being the fourth "bad part" go out on this car, I feel I should report it. Before I got the new bag, the light would go on and off when I turned sharp corners. Car was at about 80,000 miles when the light came on. It took me about six months after the light came on before I could afford to replace....the car has had numerous faulty parts.
I bought this car new 13jul2012, and have had no serious problems. About one month ago the mileage reached 60,000 which ended the bumper to bumper warranty. About two weeks ago at mileage of about 60,600 while driving the air bag light came on, then a few moments later it went off, then on again and off again, and etc. I emailed my Kia dealer about the problem, and they replied that since the btob warranty had expired I would be completely responsible for the costs of correcting the problem. This seems very unfair to me as the car just exceeded the 60,000 warranty mileage by about 1% (600 miles). At a maximum charging me 1% of the total repair costs seems fair.
I only drive my car to work and back, it had never been in any kind of accident. The other day I drive to work, work my 8 hours then get in my car to drive home and the air bag dash light comes on, the light would come on and off for a couple days, now it just stays on. I did some research and found that many many people are having the same issue with this car, supposedly this happens once you get in the 80+ thousand mile mark. I checked under my seats for loose connection and found nothing. I also looked at how much the dealer charges and its astronomical. It being a safety issue I think this should be considered as a recall.
The airbag warning light came on my 2013 Kia Rio lx sometime shortly after the mileage hit 80,000 miles. It would go on and then turn off. It did this for a little while but now it stays on all the time. I called Kia to ask if there had been any recalls on the air bags and they told me no. Then I was told that it would be $350-$400 just to check it out. I have seen many reports of this by other Kia Rio owners on this website. This has become a common problem and there should be a recall for this problem.
Airbag complaints in other Rio years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2013 Kia Rio?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the air bags of the 2013 Kia Rio, 22% of the model year's 153 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Kia Rio airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2013 Kia Rio, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Kia Rio airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.