The 2005 Kia Rio has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 90,865 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
CHILD SEAT05V5570002005-12-1290,865 affected
Defect
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, 'CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS.' CERTAIN CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORS WILL NOT FULLY LATCH ONTO THE LOWER LATCH ANCHORS LOCATED BETWEEN THE REAR SEAT BACK AND REAR SEAT CUSHION BECAUSE OF INTERFERENCE…
Consequence
IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, IF THE CHILD SEAT IS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED, PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER ANCHORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10
1fires
ENGINE
5
1fires1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
2fires
AIR BAGS
3
1crashes3injuries
SEAT BELTS
3
1crashes1injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
3
POWER TRAIN
2
1crashes1injuries
STEERING
2
1crashes1injuries
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1
1crashes
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1
Total complaints46
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I was driving on public street loss control due to a pot hole in the street the car lost control flipping sliding then flip up right till it came to a stop on apt wall then when it was all over and done the airbag deployed go off on my arm right arm giving me second to third degree burns the…”
“I was driving on public street loss control due to a pot hole in the street the car lost control flipping sliding then flip up right till it came to a stop on apt wall then when it was all over and done the airbag deployed go off on my arm right arm giving me second to third degree burns the…”
“I was driving on public street loss control due to a pot hole in the street the car lost control flipping sliding then flip up right till it came to a stop on apt wall then when it was all over and done the airbag deployed go off on my arm right arm giving me second to third degree burns the…”
“When the car is exposed to moisture, either from underneath by driving through a small puddle or from above in a rainstorm, the engine compartment gets wet and causes the serpentine belt to slip. This results in sudden loss of power steering and alternator failure, which can lead to the car's…”
“When the car is exposed to moisture, either from underneath by driving through a small puddle or from above in a rainstorm, the engine compartment gets wet and causes the serpentine belt to slip. This results in sudden loss of power steering and alternator failure, which can lead to the car's…”
“When the car is exposed to moisture, either from underneath by driving through a small puddle or from above in a rainstorm, the engine compartment gets wet and causes the serpentine belt to slip. This results in sudden loss of power steering and alternator failure, which can lead to the car's…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 kia rio. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact had to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road to a complete stop. The vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing…”
“The blower stopped blowing air. For a short while it would come on, rare occasions and eventually stopped working. Changed the blower motor and resistor, still didn't work. Pulled the dash apart to change the blower switch and found that it had melted the plastic connector. Not sure what caused…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2005 Kia Rio as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.