There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2023 Kia Rioin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
When I started my car, during the warm-up process, it dropped revs and turned off. After several tries, it turned on. While driving, when the vehicle was stopped, it began to jerk slightly. The safety risk is that the car, while I am driving, could turn off and cause an accident, in which people could be at risk, including me. I wouldn't want this to escalate because the dealer doesn't take action on the matter. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to evaluate the condition, they say that the technicians did not find anything, that the car did not emit any codes. And therefore they couldn't do anything. Note that I bought that car completely new, 0 miles, in March of last year. And in January the problem started. It is also worth noting that the car had to have a rack&pinion change in less than a year, due to a noise it made when the guide turned. All maintenance has been done with the official Auto Grupo Kia dealership on Kennedy, in Puerto Rico. I fear my safety and that of others behind the wheel, if the major fault in my car is not fixed.
I was driving around 10mph when I noticed that the transmission would not shift at all. The RPM would only increase but the car does not accelerate. Kia dealership confirmed that the transmission is dead.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026