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#BS-2002-KIARIO-540A

2002 Kia Rio

Based on reports from 171 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints
171
Crashes
34
Fires
7
Recalls
1
TSBs
16
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 171 complaints, 34 crashes, 7 fires, and 1 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

car dies while driving

4 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
2

engine failure

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX
3

serious rust issue

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineHIGH

17 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine issues — failures commonly reported around 38K miles.

!Inspect the Air Bags:frontalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

33
0–30K
16
30–60K
14
60–90K
17
90–120K
120–150K
2
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (33 reports) • Median: 38K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine (17 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine17 (10%)
Air Bags:frontal14 (8%)
Engine14 (8%)
Seat Belts10 (6%)
Brakes10 (6%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery8 (5%)
Airbags7 (4%)
Suspension6 (4%)

2002 Kia Rio: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Rio, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 37,500 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 38K-mile mark.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Rio, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Rio, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Seat Belts Issues

Seat Belts complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Kia Rio, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to seat belts-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
01
29
02
38
03
37
04
26
05
6
06
8
07
4
08
3
09
6
10
4
11
2
12
1
13
4
14
1
16
1
19

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Kia Rio. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (1 recall)

04V179000Jun 2004

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE OF THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR IS SUBJECT TO FRACTURE OR CRACKING DURING REMOVAL OF THE QUICK CONNECT COUPLING SECURING THE MAIN FUEL TUBE ASSEMBLY TO THE FUEL INTAKE NIPPLE, OR WHEN FORCE IS ACCIDENTALLY APPLIED TO THE INTAKE NIPPLE DURING THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY PROCESS OR DURING ENGINE COMPARTMENT REPAIRS.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Kia Rio is the 2004 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2002 Kia Rio vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

171

Class avg

176

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2002.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 171 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Kia Rio Model Years

202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000
View all Kia Rio years →

2002 Kia Rio: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Kia Rio?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Kia Rio is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine, with 17 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Kia Rio reliable?
The 2002 Kia Rio has 171 complaints, 34 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Kia Rio problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Kia Rio have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Kia Rio has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Kia Rio problems start?
Based on 82 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 37,500 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 171 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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