Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 19% | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2018 | 5 | 18% | 0 miles |
| 2017 | 3 | 10% | — |
| 2016 | 9 | 12% | 49,000 miles |
| 2015 | 9 | 17% | 56,000 miles |
| 2014 | 5 | 10% | 30,000 miles |
| 2013 | 27 | 18% | 70,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 11% | 17,000 miles |
| 2011 | 5 | 21% | 62,000 miles |
| 2010 | 4 | 15% | 88,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 5% | 1,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 2% | 30,000 miles |
| 2007 | 8 | 17% | 68,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 4% | 74,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 11% | 94,000 miles |
| 2004 | 5 | 13% | 24,000 miles |
| 2003 | 15 | 20% | 5,000 miles |
| 2002 | 8 | 6% | 36,000 miles |
| 2001 | 25 | 11% | 36,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I went into a rural King store to shop when I came back out my car was completely filled with smoke. I opened the front passengerdoor and the smoke hit me in the face it was so thick and green it was just it took my breath. It took me 10 minutes to locate what had happened and down on the door frame of the passenger side of the front seat where the wiring is there was a whole melted all the way through that panel and you could see the wiring was exposed so I assume that the wiring had caught on fire. I'm not sure about this it has been looked at and it is at Jeff Wilder Toyota in Clarksville Indiana. They want me to pay $1,000 deductible for this but I feel like if it was a wiring issue key is should be responsible. I am going through a flood right now in my home and now I have to deal with that and I don't think I'm even responsible for the payment I think he is at the cover it.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Rio. The contact stated the vehicle was parked at her residence, when entering inside the cab, she noticed the gear shaft was melted. The contact stated she did not visibly see fire. The police did come to her residence and informed the cause of the fire was an electronic failure but they do not file any fire reports. The contact did not contact the fire department. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer and was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed back to her residence. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The first problem part is the airbag. The clockspring was fixed twice under warranty. Then the dealership said they wont keep doing it and blamed me wrongly. I had a private mechanic repair the same part twice due to the code it was giving but it turns out thats not what's wrong with it. The entire airbag and electrical components are bad, that is why the two repairs the dealership as well as the private mechanic made did not work. We also have some engine problems they wont continue to fix because my warranty is now surpassed. The car burns through 20 quarts of oil in between changes, it has no leaks. It has so much carbon buildup. They replaced a gasket and thats another part that has continually needed replaced but they did not fix the issue that has caused it to go bad. …
Took my car in as the airbag light on the dashboard kept turning on and off- with or without a passenger in the seat. The dealership ran a diagnostic inspection and turns out that the passenger side OCS Mat and ECU are faulty and need to be replaced (DTC codes B176700 and B17672F). I have not been in a crash and there are no obvious signs of damage to the seat that might have caused this. There's no active recall for this but it does seem that one other person has reported issues with the passenger airbag system and I know other Kia models have had recalls in the past. The car had about 90,000 miles on it when this issue started and it's up to date on all maintenance but I was quoted over $3000 to fix this which is essentially the value of my car now, totaling the vehicle even though it has no other issues. …
This vehicle has electrical issues none stop. One day it randomly stalled out while still in motion and lost all power. No power at all. It was "repaired" and I had it for 2 weeks and it again lost all power while in motion. It put my life completely at risk as I had to pull over into a parking lot after losing all power turning in the middle of a very busy main intersection. Kia dealership said it was the main wiring harness at first and replaced that but then the second time said that the new harness was out again and needed replaced a second time because of a fuse that was causing too much power therefor blowing the wiring harness again? Now I am having engine and electrical issues months later. I had what appeared to be a need for a tune up. Which was done. It has continued to throw wrong codes and lights come and go on the dash all the time. …
Bought the vehicle beginning of March. Thought it was the battery because it wouldn't hold a charge. Coded battery. Replaced. Twice. Electrical power steering started to code. That wasn't the issue.car started to stall while on the highway or in traffic and cut out. Scary when there's semis behind you and you were just going 65 mph in a 70 and I had just got on the highway from the on ramp and was trying to get to speed when it cut out. the crank shaft position sensor coded then so had it replaced and its still rough on acceleration and shifting and it's an automatic transmission.
While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly began bucking, lost power, and lost oil. The engine compartment immediately caught fire. The fire was entirely non-collision related and required immediate extinguishing. The incident was logged by the Washington State Patrol. The vehicle was towed and subsequently inspected by a certified Kia dealership. The Kia dealership technicians officially diagnosed the cause of the fire as a catastrophic internal engine failure, specifically noting in writing that they "found hole in engine block." They noted there was no other possible causation. This spontaneous engine failure and resulting fire occurred at approximately 99,000 miles. The vehicle is currently disabled and available for inspection upon request.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Rio. The contact stated that occasionally the key failed to be removed from the ignition switch, and the front driver's side door. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Rio years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (27), 2001 (25), 2003 (15), 2015 (9) and 2016 (9) model years. Electrical complaints make up 18% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Kia Rio electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for any Kia Rio model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Kia Rio electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles; 55% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (10 mentions), followed by the wiring › front underhood (5).
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.