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2018 Kia Rio

Gas
Compact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
A
Safety Signal
94 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA28
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA32 mpg
20232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 Kia Rio is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Rio, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 28 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
RioGasFWD1.6L 4-cyl283732$1,950
RioGasFWD1.6L 4-cyl293732$1,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39330, 39331.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Kia Rio is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
●moderate

Latches/Locks/Linkages

SC216
253,074 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, 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."RiskA person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.
NHTSA campaign 21V622000reported Aug 9, 2021Kia Motors America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
28complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Engine15
Electrical System5
Air Bags5
Unspecified5
Exterior Lighting2
Latches/Locks/Linkages2

What owners describe

“The Components that have malfunctioned are the airbags, exaust system, electrical systems, sensors, gaskets, and a few other things. We had 5 failed clockspring repairs. The first (3?) under warranty, we paid for another when they said it was our fault, then that mechanic said that it needed to go back to a dealership …”Aug 5, 2026 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report
“Vehicle has excessive oil consumption defect acknowledged in Kia TSB ENG222. Repeated catalytic converter failures indicate potential overheating risk similar to 2019 Gamma engine recall for fire hazard. Engine burning oil creates risk of critically low oil levels leading to engine failure/stalling while driving. Multi…”May 23, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“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 electrica…”Mar 26, 2026 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Rio model years

A

2023 Kia Rio

0 recalls · 12 complaints

A

2022 Kia Rio

1 recalls · 11 complaints

B

2021 Kia Rio

2 recalls · 15 complaints

A

2020 Kia Rio

1 recalls · 27 complaints

A

2019 Kia Rio

1 recalls · 21 complaints

C

2017 Kia Rio

2 recalls · 31 complaints

C

2016 Kia Rio

2 recalls · 77 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

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

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