The 2015 Kia Rio is associated with 52 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 17 reports (33% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 3 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.6l 4-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 30 to 31 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 52 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (17 / 33%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 4 crash / 10 fire / 8 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 30–31 MPG (3 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
30–31MPG
3 EPA certified variants (1.6l 4-cyl powertrain configurations)
Reported Complaints
52
52 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
4 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2015 Kia Rio?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Rio Eco 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 27 MPG 36 MPG 31 MPG — $2,000 / yr
Rio 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 27 MPG 36 MPG 30 MPG — $2,050 / yr
Rio 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 6-spd 27 MPG 36 MPG 30 MPG — $2,050 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2015 Kia Rio?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
4 DR FWD 11.600000000000001%
5 HB FWD 11.600000000000001%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2015 Kia Rio models.
View complete 2015 Kia Rio crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2015 Kia Rio?

Summary of 52 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
52
Crash Reports
4
Fire Reports
10
Complaints w/ Injury
8
Total Injuries
11

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 17 complaints
Service Brakes 7 complaints
Air Bags 3 complaints (2 crashes)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 3 complaints
Engine & Cooling 3 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2015 Kia Rio problems & component breakdown (21 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2015 Kia Rio?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #23V652000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

Defect Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
View all 2015 Kia Rio recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.