Vehicle report
2012 KIA RIO
This model year
What the record shows
The 2012 Kia Rio is a compact car, and the 13th model year of a nameplate NHTSA records from 2000 to 2023.
The EPA rated two configurations: a single 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive only, two transmissions and running on regular gasoline.
Combined fuel economy ranges from 31 to 32 mpg depending on which one you have.
NHTSA's best overall crash rating for this model year is 4 out of five stars.
The federal record holds 54 owner complaints, 1 safety recall and 119 service bulletins for it.
Counts are reports, not rates. A complaint is something an owner chose to file; it is unverified and unadjusted for how many of these cars were sold, so the useful comparison is against other model years of the same car. Recalls and investigations carry more weight because a manufacturer or regulator acted on them.
Reading this report
Complaint counts are reports filed with NHTSA, not failure rates. A common model collects more of them than a rare one that breaks more often.