Kia Rio

Price Paid:  $12900.00 from Desert Kia, Mesa, AZ

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 Kia Rio LX

Strengths:
none...

Weaknesses:
Cheap steal, everything about the car is cheap. If you can cause 1400 dollars worth of damage from hitting a curb at 15 mph then there is some serious doubt if you were ever in a real collision with another car.

Summary:
Everyone at the dealership was rude. Everyone promised us how great the warranty was. The guy said for the first year and 12000 miles everything is covered whether it is kia's fault, or the customers. He used an example if you spilled your drink on the radio and it needed to be replaced that it would be free. Well sure enough on the way home she hit a curb at about 15, which bent something. So we took it back to the dealership expecting them to fix it under their warranty. Now they have chagned their tune to say that since it's her fault that they won't repair it. This car was in our possession for less than 18 hours, we put less than 30 miles on it. They tried to sell us an extended warranty for 5 years and 75000 miles which they also said covers things that are kia's fault, or the customers. He said with the basic warranty if the AC stops working they can blame it on the phoenix climate and not repair it at their choice. So we were basically forced to buy the extra warranty. Now I don't know if that warranty will even be worth it's cost. Now they have our car at the dealership, they call us and tell us it needs 1429 worth of repairs. They say we bent the tie rod, lower control arm, spindle, and both left side wheels, and hubcaps. Luckily I am an ASE certified master tech, which they weren't aware of. So I headed over today after work for them to show me the damage, however they closed at 2. The guy up front said I could go around and look at it by myself. After looking at the car I've determined that one wheel needs to be replaced, 2 hubcaps, and an alignment. I think the front subframe may of shifted so it may also need to be moved back, or replaced. They told us to use our insurance since we only have a $500 deductible. I feel they are just trying to steal from us. While we were making the deal to purchase the car the salesman told us we have 48-72 hours to return the car if we're not happy for any reason. Now they say we can't return it since it's damaged, even if we pay for the repairs. Today I did some research and it turns out that Arizona does not have a 3 day "cool off" period. This dealership has been very dishonest, and we should of walked out when we caught him in his first lie. I asked him about gas mileage, and he told me it gets 45 MPG. When I told him it says 29/38 on the sticker he said that's not accurate, and that he sold a car to a guy who got 45 mpg on the freeway. When I told him that they test the car and the amount on the sticker is the average he got upset and felt like I was insulting him. We should of just left. However as a first time buyer without established credit history we were stuck with Kia. I took the car home today and the salesman mentioned something about me doing the repairs may void our warranty. This is ridiculous, nobody is required to have their car repaired at the dealership. However I do believe if we have a problem in the future they will refuse to fix it just because someone other than them worked on it.

Similar Products Used:
04 nissan sentra

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $12500.00 from Renton Kia

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 Kia Rio LX

Strengths:
Good warranty, good value for the money, good gas mileage.

Weaknesses:
Some glitches in electrical systems.

Summary:
I bought this car 3 years ago exactly. I wanted a new car, and this was the best i could find for the money, plus my grandpa was helping me out with the down payment and he recommended a Kia. Overall i have been happy with my purchase. It does get good gas mileage (i deliver pizza, drive 20k miles a year at least) and has had no engine problems...yet (more on that later). On the other hand, there has been one electrical problem after another. First, the lights started malfunctioning, the running lights staying on after the engine was shut off, and i would have to flip the switch a few times to get them to turn off. This happened so often, and i didn't catch it every time, that the battery was always dead in the mornings, and wouldn't hold a charge. I brought it in to Kia and they replaced the battery and fixed the lights at no charge. Only the lights still do that sometimes. Also the airbag light keeps coming on. They replaced a sensor once, and this last time they told me something under the passenger seat had disconnected the sensor. This was last week. I also had my oil changed. Two days later (Thursday) my engine light came on. I called immediately to see if i could come in the next day. They told me they couldn't check it until Monday. I had about 100 miles left on the 60,000 mile warranty, so i figured i was ok. After working all weekend, the car was at 60,080 when i brought it in. I was told that it was no longer under warranty and the diagnostic would cost $47.50. But, this is not a customer service review. I declined the diagnostic for now, and am going to try to work it out with a manager. The service person i spoke with did say it could be related to the gas cap, and to give it a few days, making sure the cap is on tight, and see if it resolves itself. Other than these few relatively minor problems, i have been pleased with the car. It runs well, and it feels like driving a luxury vehicle. In fact, i drove a Toyota Corolla for a rental for a few days, and it felt cheap and rickety compared to my Kia. There are alot of extras (power doors and windows, AC, CD stereo, keyless entry, alarm system, etc.) for an economy car. Overall i feel like it was a good deal for the money, and has held up well considering how much abuse i give it. I think it's a good car for anyone who needs a reliable, fuel-efficient car at a reasonable price.

Similar Products Used:
None.

Price Paid:  $6000.00 from Waterford Kia

Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Kia Rio

Strengths:
Great gas, low price up front.

Weaknesses:
Too many maintence issues overall, adds a load of cost to the overall operating budget.

Summary:
This car was part of the deal when we bought our Kia Sedona. Essentially overpaid on the Sedona by $6000, but they threw in the Rio for free. Thankfully we did not pay too much for this car. Problems started pretty quick. Clutch went out with just over 12,000 miles (6 months driving for us), and the warrenty did not cover it. Of course. Then the wipers stopped working and they told us that a part was "cracked" and not all the way broke, so they did not have to fix it under warrenty. The door handle stopped working and the door appears to have shifted slightly on the hinges. The gas pedal separated. We are now at 72,000 miles and we need another clutch. The heater controls broke... While it was under warrenty they fought every repair, and we paid well over a $1000 while it was still under warrenty. We purchased the Kia's for the warrenty, but it was a mistake to buy the car for that reason. The tires wore out quickly as well, needed brakes frequently, and general wear and tear items wear out rapidly. The car is great on gas and I suppose for a cheap car it is not too bad. The only reason I am not more upset with the maintenence expenses is that we did not pay a lot to begin with. (The Sedona faired much better, and my Spectra has done extremely well.) Overall, I would not recommmend to someone to buy this used. I also have been warned repeatedly to change the timing belt by 60,000 or it will likely blow the engine out. Hubby got in a VERY slow speed accident (less than 5 m.p.h. and it completely desimated the rear door. I shudder to think what would happen to the car if there was any speed in an accident.

Similar Products Used:
Kia Spectra, Kia Sedona

Price Paid:  $7000.00 from Steven Kia in Wichit

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 Kia Rio

Strengths:
Good for a few years then crap.

Weaknesses:
The engine is built poorly.

Summary:
My son and I bought a 2004 Kia Rio in May of 2006, the car was great until a few days ago when the car lost power and my son had to pull over before it died on him, he called me asking what i thought it might be, we tried everything and had no choice but to tow it in to the mechanic we have used forever. Just like everyone else that has posted on here they told us the engine was locked up and we needed a new one, the car had 62,000 miles on it. Yes you guessed it, called the dealership and they were rude and said sorry nothing we can do about it..2000 miles past warranty. My son just got married last year and getting ready to be a new dad and like with everyone else right now with the way the economy is this is not a good time at all for this. I think its horrible that a dealership is making these kind of cars and and screwing everyone after it is purchased. Now he is left with a car payment and no car..Thanks Kia we appreciate you treating your customers with so much respect.

Similar Products Used:
Chev. Cavalier

Price Paid:  $13000.00 from Russ Darrow Kia Madi

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 Kia Rio

Strengths:
Gas mileage, price

Weaknesses:
poor clutch assembly

Summary:
Car was good for the first 3 years then the clutch went out at around 68,000 miles. Spent almost a grand to replace the first clutch and now after only 9 months after that repair, it went out on me again today. Warranty does not cover clutch after first year. Car has 71,000 miles on it and already had to replace the clutch and clutch assembly twice within the last year. Otherwise the car has been ok and relatively dependable.

Similar Products Used:
94 Plymouth Colt