I have a friend that buys and sells cars. He just purchased a used 2001 Kia Rio 5spd. 1.5L for $900. The car didnt run. The reason was that the timing belt had broken and left 8 valves in the incorret position so that they were hit and broken off by the pistons, which severely dented the pistons. He is putting a new engine in the car so hopefully it will run after this and I'll be able to have the car. Just a heads up/warning on this critical issue.

my daughter has a 2001 kia and the motor locked up on it at 70,000 miles Kia put new motor in it under the warrenty thats about all i can say is good about the car

my ex-girlfriends mom and dad had a 2001 rio and the timing belt broke on it and it actually put a hole in one of hte pistons so they had ot get a new motor for it too, but it only took like 2 hours for us to put the little ass thing in

i lost the timing belt and engine at 53000 miles

this is only an issue with models that are abused or neglected. i work at a kia dealership as a technician and have only seen a few timing belt issues. most of which are the owners had installed the tbelt somewhere else and tehy couldn't figure out the timing or how to set the engine to tdc before disassembling.

timing belt change is recomended at 60k...you really should do it at that point in time.

this is only an issue with models that are abused or neglected.
timing belt change is recomended at 60k...you really should do it at that point in time.

I disagree-- I had all required services done on my car. My timing belt destroyed my engine at 73,000 miles, and I am fighting with the dealer to honor the warranty. I brought my Rio to the dealership for its 60000 mile service, and requested that they do whatever was necessary to keep my warranty current. They said they couldn't do that-- I had to tell them exactly what I wanted. I said-- I want you to do all the recommended services. Because the car had been stalling, they adjusted the timing belt. I never knew that if I didn't say "replace the timing belt" that I was liable for the damage. :confused: Any advice?? I have already filed a case with Kia Motors America and the Better Business Bureau.

I am also a kia tech and we don't really get any rios with broken t-belts. I'm sure they recommended the belt when u did ur 60k since that's a good sale for the service advisor and a gravy job for the techs. I also agree with kyle95g20 on the fact that most t-belts brake due to over worked engines and user error

This is very sad. First a car is out on the market aimed at the financially challenged; then it has a non-forgiving maintenance item. This is just prime for disaster! As far as no one in a dealer having seen this problem, that has to political spin; or perhaps those who go to the dealer are financially better prepared. Kia ought to be sanctioned for this one.

my daughter has a 2001 kia and the motor locked up on it at 70,000 miles Kia put new motor in it under the warrenty thats about all i can say is good about the car



Let's repair the lemon over and over and over again!

blau, Blau Blau.
Broken timing belts and bent valves are not new or uncommon in automobiles. Every manufacturer has engines that operate the same way. Kia specifically says to change the belt at 60000 miles, they dont care if you change it, your mechanic down the street changes it or the dealer changes it. If you dont know how and you have to take it to the dealer to change, thats your fault, not Kias. Its also your decision whether or not to do it at all. If you make the wrong decision, its also your fault.

The warranty on the 2004 Kia Rio says the timing belt is not part of the warranty and must be replaced at 60,000 miles. Timing belt has been replaced once by the dealership at $300 coupon special.

So I understand how to replace a timing belt. What I would like to know is how long and difficult is it to replace on an 01 Rio? My daughter has a Rio now with about 60K miles.

Here is what disturbs me about KIA RIO timing belts....

I just bought a used 2003 RIO with the 1.6 L engine with 90,000 miles on it.

I found out from KIA (by giving them the Vin Number) that this RIO was serviced
at that KIA dealership at 78,000 miles and the Timing Belt had been replaced with
a KIA belt.

Now...if the belt was replaced at KIA and is a KIA belt...why won't they warrantee
the engine if the belt fails before 60,000 miles.

They will not......!

They admonish one to use a KIA Belt...but won't warrantee the engine should
it fail (on a used car).

Had I done the replacement - I'd have gone with Goodyear or Dayco (a US Made belt).

DoctorBill

Interesting to see two kia techs saying the same thing...

Recommended change for belt on the rio WAS 100000 kms, since been changed to 60k due to so many breakages. And all you need to do is search google to find that it is an issue. The timing belt on my 02 went at 87000 kms and destroyed the engine - holes in two piston heads and all the valves were smashed. Course it was done under warranty - covered to 100k. I personally won't take the timing belt beyond 50k anymore - $30 is nothing in comparison...

The problem as i see it, the belts Kia sells are cheap - yep cheap but they sell them for top $$$. Yes, the dealers are carrying better belts like dayco but selling them for $170 as compared to $30 at the local parts place. I told a friend who has an 02 cinco to get hers replaced - she was at 102000 but she doesn't need to take it to a dealer - buy the dayco and find a mech to do it, it's easy.

Well she did take it to the dealer and $700 later its done and they still installed the cheap peice of crap belt.

I have 163,000 miles on my 2003 Kia Rio Cinco. Guess it's about time I changed the Timing belt.

my KIA is 6 years old - goes 20km,s a day- has 130,000 km,s on it. now they say i need a belt and then they say to change the water pump to. do you have to do that and is there anything else that should be changed at the same time. i came here because if you knew what i went thru with the dealership:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: you would never buy a car again.-:mad: - what does the factory say about it all:confused: . Thanks -- owning a KIA disturbes your mind--:rofl:

I believe all of you when you speak about problems with the timing belt and engines. However, I believe the problem to be KIA not "abuse" which the tecs are so quickly to use as a label. I am currently trying to help my DAD navigate huge problems with his KIA which stalled while he was driving 4 days ago. Hi car has 42,000 miles on it..... The timing belts teeth were completely disintegrated in some places on the belt. Now we are told that the valves are gone. Most of you will think this isn't a problem because he can claim it on his powertrain warranty which we see all over the internet as a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. However, according to KIA Corporate our car is not covered under this warranty because my dad purchased the car when it was 6 months old from their dealer in Yonkers. Although he was told that the car would continue with the original terms of the warranty, and they repeated that to me when I spoke with the sales person for confirmation, Kia Corporate now states that apparently we were lied to. And they can't be responsible if a car salesman doesn't tell the truth!! DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? Unfortunately, the Kia dealer who sold the car is no longer there, what a surprise ......? We have the sticker which the sales person gave him to keep for his records which states 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain & 5 years/60,000 miles. The manuals given him were all of the manuals which come with the car when it is purchased new. And no one will back the warranty. They haven't heard the end to this story................ Buyers BEWARE!!!!

Doesn't sound like a problem with KIA at all, sounds like a crappy salesman looking to make a buck over telling someone the truth.

Timing belts break and on a interference motor that means pistons eat valves not good. On the rio it is almost always the 5 speeds that strip the belts. Rapid rpm changes when changing gears,downshifting cause the belt to strip at the crank,there are updated cam sprockets on early rios that help.If you dont replaced you t-belt on interference motor when you are told to in owners manual then it breaks whos fault is it kia I think not. t-belt replacement goes by time or milage which ever comes first. If it breaks under warranty we repair them. I am a tech at a kia dealer. If you are over on time or milage for timing belt replacement its your problem

The only comment I have to this is that when buying a used KIA, or any other car for that matter, many times there is not a manual.

However, that does not excuse the new owner from knowing just what maintence to take care of/do. In todays world with the internet it not to diffcult to find the answers. Spending a fairly large amount of money and then not knowing what the maintence schudule's are just showes a lack of responsibility. And to those that do not think a KIA, even a used one, costs a fair amount of money, well then just why are they shopping in the low end isle.