2013 Kia Rio: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
153 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 153 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 11.77
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Was sleeping and heard a pop looked and there was a fire under the hood tried to extinguish it got it outside on the road, and it burned to the ground basically
Vehicle showed all defect warnings as described in recall #23v652 .To include loss of all hydraulic components. Your reference Claim # [XXX]. I would like to know the status of this claim as the dealer still has my vehicle and now claims needs chassis repair , even though they earlier did an undercoat of vehicle in July per another recall. The dealer now estimates the repairs at over $5800 . Since they have had vehi…
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Rio. The contact stated that after receiving a notice of a recall, the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the recall repair; however, several days later, the contact experienced intermittent difficulty starting the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally stalled while coming to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it…
Recalls: 1 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V652000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a city car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 31 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine53 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags34 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Service Brakes30 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System27 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Hydraulic21 complaints · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,520
- Unknown Or Other19 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Kia Rio years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Kia Rio?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (53 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Kia Rio a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 48/100, computed from 153 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Kia Rio's most common problem?
53 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Kia Rio sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Kia Rio cost to run per year?
About $4,673 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,368 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Kia Rio have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Kia Rio, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 25/09/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Kia Rio really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 153 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 153 NHTSA complaints on record (11.8/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (3.7/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems