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2020 Kia Rio

Gas

Compact Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns1

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA27

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

Fuel economybest combined, EPA36 mpg

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2020 Kia Rio is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car. The most efficient version, the Rio, is EPA-rated at 36 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 27 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Rio	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl	33	41	36	$1,750

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41553.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SC223

87 vehicles

ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.RiskReduced braking performance can cause longer brake pedal travel or extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223.

NHTSA campaign 21V936000reported Dec 1, 2021Kia Motors America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

27complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 5 a fire · 1 injuries · 3 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2020: 2 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Unspecified8

Engine5

Power Train5

Electrical System5

Steering4

Service Brakes3

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while coming to a stoplight, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle did not need to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed by t…”Mar 17, 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

“Upon stopping at a red light and or stop sign, when applying brakes, the car continues to move forward, even after pumping the brakes. Vehicle has been diagnosed by a certified auto mechanic. The findings and recommendation for the Brake Master Cylinder to be the reason the vehicle continues to creep forward, when brak…”Sep 30, 2025 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report

“I was driving up a hill and it would not go past 20-30 mph, and the rpm will sometimes go up when not accelerating. The transmission does not shift when driving and will sometimes make the car stop and go stop and go continuously. Tried accelerating but the rpm would go up while the mph would not.”Jun 9, 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Rio model years

2023 Kia Rio

0 recalls · 12 complaints

2022 Kia Rio

1 recalls · 11 complaints

2021 Kia Rio

2 recalls · 15 complaints

2019 Kia Rio

1 recalls · 21 complaints

2018 Kia Rio

1 recalls · 28 complaints

2017 Kia Rio

2 recalls · 31 complaints

2016 Kia Rio

2 recalls · 77 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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