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2020 Kia Rio Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

37 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 3.54 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious21V936000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder

Reduced braking performance can cause longer brake pedal travel or extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223.

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.

Complaint volume

37 this model-year 6 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

5Crashes
9Fires
1Injuries
9Deaths

Across 37 complaints. Severity Index 3.54.

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

Unknown Or Other7 · 19%Engine5 · 14%Power Train5 · 14%Steering4 · 11%Electrical System4 · 11%Service Brakes3 · 8%Wheels2 · 5%Exterior Lighting2 · 5%
  1. Unknown Or Other — 7 reports
  2. Engine — 5 reports
  3. Power Train — 5 reports
  4. Steering — 4 reports
  5. Electrical System — 4 reports
  6. Service Brakes — 3 reports
  7. Wheels — 2 reports
  8. Exterior Lighting — 2 reports
  9. Visibility/Wiper — 1 reports
  10. Seat Belts: Rear/Other:Buckle Assembly — 1 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 (2) · 2017 (2) · 2018 (1) · 2019 (1) · 2020 · 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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