Your vehicle report
2005 Kia RIO
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 37
- Received Jul 2005 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine stalls and loses power while driving4 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring4 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract3 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V557000Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' certain child restraint anchors will not fully latch onto the lower latch anchors located between the rear seat back and rear seat cushion because of interference between the child seat anchors and a metal wire located in the frame of the rear seat back. Until the recall repair is completed, follow the instructions provided by your child seats manufacturer on how to properly install the child seat with your vehicle's rear safety belts rather than using the latch system.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 4 crashes, 4 fires, 8 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 37 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 11% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 11% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 8.1% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 8.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 8.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 8.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 8.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V557000December 12, 200590,865 vehicles affected
child seat
Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' certain child restraint anchors will not fully latch onto the lower latch anchors located between the rear seat back and rear seat cushion because of interference between the child seat anchors and a metal wire located in the frame of the rear seat back. Until the recall repair is completed, follow the instructions provided by your child seats manufacturer on how to properly install the child seat with your vehicle's rear safety belts rather than using the latch system.
In the event of a vehicle crash, if the child seat is not properly installed, personal injury or death could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the lower anchors free of charge. The recall began on january 30, 2006. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2005 Kia RIO.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN