2003 Kia Rio

The 2003 Kia Rio has 4 recalls, all centered on the same serious concern: child seats may not stay properly secured in a crash, raising the risk of serious injury or death to young passengers.

Two related issues affect how child seats attach and lock in the rear outboard seating positions. The automatic locking retractor in the rear seatbelts can disengage when used with certain child seats, leaving the seat held only by the emergency locking retractor, which is not designed to anchor a child seat firmly. In that condition, the child seat can shift or come free in a collision. Separately, the lower anchor hardware used to clip child seats directly into the vehicle can be blocked by contact with the rear seat back frame, preventing the anchor from seating deeply enough to create a secure connection. Both problems mean a child seat that appears installed correctly may not actually hold in a crash.