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2016 Kia Rio Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

110 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.90 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical23V652000 Park outside

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module

engine compartment fire while parked or driving can raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious23V594000

Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Latch

person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Complaint volume

110 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

9Crashes
15Fires
9Injuries
0Deaths

Across 110 complaints. Severity Index 0.90.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine38 · 35%Unknown Or Other15 · 14%Service Brakes, Hydraulic12 · 11%Electrical System7 · 6%Power Train5 · 5%Service Brakes5 · 5%Air Bags4 · 4%Fuel/Propulsion System4 · 4%
  1. Engine — 38 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 15 reports
  3. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 12 reports
  4. Electrical System — 7 reports
  5. Power Train — 5 reports
  6. Service Brakes — 5 reports
  7. Air Bags — 4 reports
  8. Fuel/Propulsion System — 4 reports
  9. Exterior Lighting — 4 reports
  10. Steering — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2000 · 2001 (3) · 2002 (1) · 2003 (3) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (1) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (1) · 2008 (1) · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 (1) · 2013 (1) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (1) · 2016 · 2017 (2) · 2018 (1) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (1) · 2021 (2) · 2022 (1) · 2023

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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