NHTSA vehicle safety data
2006 Kia Rio Recalls, Ratings & Complaints
The 2006 Kia Rio has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 74 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Kia dealer.
NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2006 Kia Rio, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
2006 Kia Rio owner complaints
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Kia Rio, describing incidents dated December 26, 2005 to February 22, 2026.
Most-cited components
- Air Bags 50 complaints
- Engine 8 complaints
- Steering 4 complaints
- Unknown or Other 4 complaints
- Electrical System 3 complaints
- Equipment 3 complaints
Of the 74 complaints on file, 12 report a crash; across all 74 complaints, owners report 14 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Newest complaints
ODI #11739941 · Filed
srs light turned on and is illuminated when starting and driving the vehicle.
ODI #11719703 · Filed
This man purposely rammed my car. He saw me in the lane but came over anyway and hit my car.
ODI #11348884 · Filed
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 KIA…
Owner-reported
2006 Kia Rio mileage at failure
54 of the 74 complaints on file for the 2006 Kia Rio give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.
| Component | Median | Middle half | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | Median 65,000 miles | Middle half 50,000–90,000 miles | Based on 36 complaints |
A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.
Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.
These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.
Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out
OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM MAT
NHTSA #12V244000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive · NHTSA notice
Reported May 31, 2012 · KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Potentially affected: 72,568 vehicles
Kia campaign SC097 · Owners notified July 26, 2012
Defect description
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 WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DETECT WHETHER A CHILD PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT AND THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY DURING A CRASH NECESSITATING DEPLOYMENT.
Safety consequence
AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITH A CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO THAT CHILD.
Manufacturer 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.
Notes
KIA'S SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS SC097.CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
Other Kia Rio model years
Check your 2006 Kia Rio VIN
Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Kia Rio at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Check a Kia VIN