Two problems related to engine have been reported for the 2003 Kia Motor RIO. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2003 Kia Motor RIO based on all problems reported for the 2003 RIO.
The consumer took the vehicle to dealership to check for a strong odor inside of the vehicle. The fumes/odors became very heavy when driving which caused the driver to become ill. The consumer was informed by the mechanic that the odor the driver was smelling was called kosmoline and would eventually disappear. There was a nauseating smell of burning rubber or plastic from the time of purchase. The consumer was allergic to the smell after breathing the melting kosmoline and or undercarriage for over 3k miles. The smell had come from the vents as well when the vehicle was stopped. The vehicle experienced a hard start from a cold start the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem.
While driving vehicle would run hot. Dealer has replaced the engine once, and replaced automatic transmission twice. However, problem continued. Dealer had not found a solution for the problem.