Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | 25% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2021 | 4 | 27% | — |
| 2020 | 4 | 15% | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 9% | 1,000 miles |
| 2018 | 1 | 4% | 0 miles |
| 2017 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2016 | 3 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 2015 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 2% | 1,000 miles |
| 2013 | 10 | 7% | 25,000 miles |
| 2011 | 2 | 8% | 62,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 4% | 0 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 5% | 46,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 2% | 32,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 4% | 2,000 miles |
| 2006 | 4 | 5% | 20,000 miles |
| 2005 | 3 | 8% | 109,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 5% | 0 miles |
| 2002 | 1 | 1% | 12,000 miles |
| 2001 | 4 | 2% | 37,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Hi [redacted] My Kia Rio 2023 S vin number is [redacted] . Bought a couple months back new at Summit Place Kia Auburn Hills michigan. Once I drive off I realised the steering wheel alignment is off. The car does not drive straight when steering wheel is straight. I called my salesman and he asked me to bring it in for servicing at Summit Place. They did a wheel alignment there and found misalignment at factory condition. A few months later the same issue got worse and was noticeable again when driving. I called my salesman and he told me bringing it into service will incur a service charge as this issue is not under warranty. However, I believe this constant misalignment is from a manufacturing defect causing safety issue and you could access the servicing records that said the wheel alignment was already off at the first emergency servicing. …
Hi [redacted] I just collected my Kia Rio from service at LaFontaine. On driving in the freeway I noticed I had to make frequent adjustments to the steering when going straight and there was oversteering (minor tilt of the steering wheel result in exaggerated larger turn of the car). This does not happen when driving at lower speed outside of the freeway. I will monitor this as I am not sure if this was because I was switching between cars and/or that particular stretch of road is slippery. According to the technicians the alignment is back to spec so I will let you know if this issue persists as I drive the Rio more in the coming days. Hi Team The car veers to the left when driving with steering wheel straight. Tested in a clear non wet road. Please advise on next step. When driving on freeway there are over steering and understeering issues. Extremely dangerous. …
Having been complaining about a noise from under the front right tire, I was initially told it was a little piece of plastic and that got cut off. I was still hear the scraping and squealing and I kept check the from right tire because I thought that's where it was coming from. I mentioned this to every mechanic at kia and was told "that's just how 2021s sound". Finally after months of complaining the noise got louder and you could hear it was clearly something in steering. They schedules an appointment for Dec 7th on Mon Nov 28th. Said it was safe to drive when that night while working I was turning a corner, I heard a loud spring noise, the tire and wheel jerked. It was snowing, so the car slide, only sliding into the curb. The front right break seemed to be locked and when you turn the steering wheel makes even more noise. …
On 3/19/23, as I was driving on a dry, straight, two lane road at the posted speed of 40mph, the car began to try to steer into oncoming traffic. I had to exert moderate force to keep the car in my lane. This continued continuously for about 1/2 mile. No low tire pressure indicator lights were illuminated, however the lane assist icon was on and green, indicating normal operation. Just as I was going to turn down a side street to check the tires manually, the steering returned to normal. However, the lane assist icon was now white, and as I drove the remaining approximately 2 miles home, the icon would change from white to green every 20 seconds or so. The car now operates normally. We took the car to the dealer today to be checked and they reported they could not replicate the issue. Attached is their report.
There has not been an incident yet but i don't know who else to talk to. I am a FedEx Delivery driver and driver the largest Delivery truck made for FedEx and am fine with it ask day. However, the steering on my car is down right dangerous. My car drifts all over the road. It is ten times harder to keep my little cat on the road than my big work truck. So hard in fact that i have resorted to this. I am a good driver never even a ticket so i know how to drive. It's not my driving please listen when i tell you something is WAY wrong with the steering or suspension or both on this vehicle. Just drive one and you will see very quickly what i am saying i promise!
I believe my Kia Rio S falls victim to the recall 2020 Kia Rio models have faced. Brake performance has been severely degraded on my vehicle over the past few weeks despite doing all recommended maintenance. When I first got my 2020 Kia Rio S I could brake with 5% pressure applied to the brakes, now it takes about 25-30% pressure and it seemingly is increasing every day. I have contacted the manufacturer and they advised me it would be a $2000 service charge minimum.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia RIO LX . The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the contact could not see and it was difficult to steer the wheel causing the vehicle to slide into a ditch. The contact stated the Tire Pressure Monitoring System and Anti-lock Brake light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle out of the ditch to the residence and later to the dealer. There was no physical injuries, however the contact sustain emotional trauma. The police was not called. The dealer stated the Steering Angle Sensor had a dtc1259 code . The vehicle was repaired, replacing the subframe and the control driver front lower control arm. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue yet. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Complete engine lockup during operation at speed which caused steering and braking to be greatly hampered. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The engine failed on a 4-lane highway in traffic which could have easily caused a high-speed accident since the car extremely decelerated and lost power steering and braking in order to get out of traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes confirmed by an independent service center which told me it was either a cylinder rod or a lower engine bearing failure. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, the manufacture KIA has a recall on other models in this year range but not the RIO. …
Related recalls (1)
Steering › Column
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rio and Forte vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Rio years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (10) model years. Steering complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Kia Rio steering problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 22V-304 (column, May 5, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Rio steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 29,000 miles; 82% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the steering wheel/handle bar (2 mentions), followed by the column (2).
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.