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Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

Kia · Compact Sedan

2017 Kia Rio

Gas

Compact Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

78 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 2

Complaints3 crash · 6 fire · 4 injured reported 31

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 31 mpg

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2017 Kia Rio is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Rio, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 31 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Kia Rio — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia Rio · Photo: EurovisionNim · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Rio	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl	27	36	31	$2,150
Rio Eco	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl	27	36	31	$2,150
Rio	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl	27	36	30	$2,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37414, 37412, 37413.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Rio, Rio Eco	6 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	1.8 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

132 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	FWD/Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Transmission speeds	6

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: EX / SX, L/LE/SE/XLE/XSE/50th Anniv. Special Edition, LX). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	159.4–171.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	67.7 in
Height	57.5 in
Wheelbase	101.2 in
Track, front	59.8 in
Track, rear	60.2 in
Curb weight	2,478–2,493 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	63/37

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door Sedan, 5-door Hatchback. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SC284

Park outside 1,730,192 vehicles 32% reported repaired

Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving. Risk An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury. Fix Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V652000 reported Sep 25, 2023 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Latches/Locks/Linkages

SC278

319,436 vehicles 48% reported repaired

Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release." Risk A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury. Fix Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC278.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V594000 reported Aug 24, 2023 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module — Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires open

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · action AQ23002 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Rio

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2017 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2017 Kia Rio, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

31complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 6 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

14 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 22,205 Rio built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Engine 11

Service Brakes 7

Unspecified 6

Air Bags 3

Electrical System 3

Latches/Locks/Linkages 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

As my car was driving my vehicle encountered sudden changes and my engine light went on. As the vehicle stopped driving on its own there was smoke coming from the hood and a fire stared shortly after underneath the car

Engine May 19, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11738683

My son and I were driving home from work on IH-35 and I noticed smoke coming from under my hood. Then within seconds, flames appeared moving quickly towards the windshield. I attempted to move to the shoulder and after doing so, I was unable to stop since the brakes were no longer working.

Service Brakes Jul 9, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11600593

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while attempting to open the trunk with the key fob, the trunk failed to unlock or open. In addition, the contact engaged the emergency gear, and the trunk would not open. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.

Latches/Locks/Linkages at 190,000 miles May 21, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11590009

No parts available to fix hydraulic electronic control unit HECU. Been told this since December 2023. Received another letter dated 4/10/3024. The remedy is now available. Being told again there are no parts. Went by another car insurance company. Being told I cannot get a quote because of repair problems with recalls

Electrical System Apr 17, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11583448

steering wheel would not lock into place, moved up and down from dash, once dash was removed to see steering column was not connected, top brackets came loose inside dash, bottom of column was never bolted in place from assembly, dealship will not cover/ help and states new column is needed and quoted 1000.00 to repair

Steering Nov 9, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11492979

The car was involved in a major accident. The car hit a fence knocked it down & hit a tree it is completely inoperable. The car was totaled. None of the airbags deployed

Air Bags at 8,063 miles Jun 18, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11221014

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Kia itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 9.0 per 100,000 built. Every Rio model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	12%
5 HB FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	12%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 65

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-09

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 62 service bulletins, 3 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Structure, Engine, Steering, Equipment.

CS2311_TSB_R4 Service bulletin
2026-06-09 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION: CYLINDER PROTECTOR & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2311) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
CS2312_TSB_R2 Service bulletin
2026-06-08 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
PS797 Other
2025-12-09 · Back Over Prevention — Warnings
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane
TSB_TRA046_R5 Service bulletin
2025-04-17 · Power Train
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is
TSB_ENG222_R8 Service bulletin
2025-04-03 · Engine
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine
TSB_ENG222_R7 Service bulletin
2025-02-28 · Engine
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages 8-9 for applicable models and engine), w
CS2307_TSB_R8 Service bulletin
2024-06-06 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2307) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) or Body Control Module (BC
TSB_TRA046_R4 Service bulletin
2024-05-16 · Power Train
This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0449 P0449 on Kia →	A fault in the evaporative vent valve or solenoid circuit.	Engine · EVAP vent valve →	2 bulletins
P0451 P0451 on Kia →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Rio by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2023 A 0 12 36 mpg 2022 B 1 12 36 mpg 2021 C 2 15 36 mpg 2020 A 1 27 36 mpg 2019 A 1 22 32 mpg 2018 A 1 28 32 mpg 2017 this page C 2 31 Park outside 2016 C 2 79 Park outside

Common questions about the 2017 Rio

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2017 Kia Rio have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2017 Kia Rio, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 23V652000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2017 Kia Rio?

NHTSA gave the 2017 Kia Rio 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (78/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2017 Kia Rio?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2017 Kia Rio, the best EPA combined figure is 31 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2017 Kia Rio?

Transport Canada measured it at 159.4–171.7 in long, 67.7 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.5 in tall, on a 101.2 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,478–2,493 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2017 Kia Rio?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Rio, most often about engine, service brakes, unspecified. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 4 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2017 Kia Rio?

The EPA smog rating for the 2017 Kia Rio is 6 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2017 Kia Rio?

The manufacturer has filed 65 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Rio, most often covering electrical system, structure, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-06-09. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	3 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	3 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	31	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	65	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	13 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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