The 2006 Kia Rio has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 72,568 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS12V2440002012-05-3172,568 affected
Defect
KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2008 RIO VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 20, 2005, THROUGH DECEMBER 9, 2007. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR MAT CAN EXPERIENCE FATIGUE CRACKING. IF SUFFICIENT CRACKING OCCURS, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION SUCH THAT THE SYSTEM…
Consequence
AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITH A CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO THAT CHILD.
Remedy
KIA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OCS SEAT SENSOR MAT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
38
9crashes10injuries
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
7
1crashes2injuries
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4
1crashes
STEERING
4
1crashes1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
4
1crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
1crashes
STRUCTURE:BODY
3
2crashes1injuries
ENGINE
2
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
1
1crashes1injuries
Total complaints89
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“This man purposely rammed my car. He saw me in the lane but came over anyway and hit my car.”
“This man purposely rammed my car. He saw me in the lane but came over anyway and hit my car.”
“Srs light turned on and is illuminated when starting and driving the vehicle.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 kia rio. The contact stated that while in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered the front cradle and lower control arm had sustained severe rusting and corrosion. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer taylor…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 kia rio. The contact stated that while in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered the front cradle and lower control arm had sustained severe rusting and corrosion. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer taylor…”
“Ignition wont turn when key is in to start the car.at a stopped position. Happens when you try to start the car.”
“I was in an auto accident where I reneded two cars. My air bag sid not deploy. The vehicle was hydroplane on wet roads going about 55 when I hit the brakes.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 kia rio. While driving 50 mph, the contact had a seizure and crashed head on into a tree. The contact was injured and hospitalized. A police report was filed. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2006 Kia Rio as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.