Model year record

2018 Kia RIO

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 59 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V622000

Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch

Component: Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch
Manufacturer: Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected: 253,074
Reported to NHTSA: 2021-08-09
Owners notified: 2022-02-10

Defect description

Kia 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."

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Engine	22	102,316 mi
Air bags	9	54,000 mi
Electrical system	7	5 mi
Unknown or other	5	—
Engine and engine cooling	2	110,000 mi
Exterior lighting	2	5 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	2	—
Seats	2	—
Structure: body	2	—
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: immobilizer/proximity: key/sender	1	—
Latches/locks/linkages	1	—
Latches/locks/linkages: tailgate: latch	1	17,570 mi
Power train	1	—
Service brakes	1	—
Steering	1	100 mi

The 2017 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. The 2019 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.