2009 Kia Rio
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
- Fuel economy
- 30 mpgcombined; city 26–27, highway 33–35; every version of this model year
- Five years of fuel
- $10,830U.S. average; Ohio $9,680 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
- NHTSA overall safety rating
- Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
- Recall campaigns
- 0none on file
- Owner complaints
- 39filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Problems owners report
Owners have filed 39 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Rio. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
| Part | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown or other | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
5 more parts
| Engine and engine cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system, other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2009 Rio. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.
Service bulletins and investigations
Carmakers sent NHTSA 37 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Rio, the latest on Apr 17, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (17), engine and engine cooling (8), air bags (7), power train (5), structure (5).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Rio.
Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5
Specs
EPA class: compact cars. Each version EPA tested:
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Fuel | City / hwy / comb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Front-Wheel Drive | 1.6 L, 4 cyl | Manual 5-spd | Regular Gasoline | 27 / 33 / 30 |
| Rio Front-Wheel Drive | 1.6 L, 4 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Regular Gasoline | 26 / 35 / 30 |
Sources and dates
- U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
- NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data