Early Kia Rio engines?

[Safety Guy]

It seems like a lot of 2000 to 2003 Rios are being advertised with "locked up" or "bad" engines.

Does anyone know about any serious problems with the Kia 1.5s in these years that would make them of questionable longevity, or do you think some folks just don't take care of their motors?

I've heard that the early automatic transaxles are not reliable.

I'm considering buying a 2002 Rio Cinco 5 speed for $1700, but I haven't looked at it yet. The pics look nice and it only has 89K miles.

I'd drive it this winter, be able to examine the suspension and other parts for "Festiva compatability" at my leisure, and would probably get my money back as gas prices keep going up if I decided to sell it.

(In other words, Luxstiva has the good snow tires but isn't overhauled yet and I don't want to drive my 82K Twinstiva in another winter!)

Karl

[FestYboy]

the problem isn't the engine, it's the owner (lack of maintenance, and when the maint is done, it's too late and does more harm than good.)

[takeone51]

^ i agree , just rebuilt a friends 2007 chevy aveo.. his mom never changed the oil and wondered why the motor went at 40k

[JPT]

^ That's my sister. She has blown up every car she has ever owned.

[DriverOne]

*sigh* Uninformed people should not drive. They don't take care of their cars, don't know how to merge or yeild, use turn signals, stop, GO, show courtesy, or give at least 60% of their attention (READING THE NEWSPAPER?! COME ON! PUT THE PHONE DOWN, THE TEXTING MUST STOP!) to the road.

[JPT]

The problem is people don't take cars seriously. They either treat them like rolling status symbols or (like my father) see them as nothing more than appliances, like refrigerators or washing machines.

[GenevaDirt]

I'm considering buying a 2002 Rio Cinco 5 speed for $1700, but I haven't looked at it yet. The pics look nice and it only has 89K miles.

Karl

Karl....that is kind of a high price to pay for a car that old that only cost a few thousand more then that new....lol. Or maybe they got it free with the purchase of another Kia like they were doing around here.

[Flyin4stroke]

Cars are disposable and most people get a new one every few years it just makes you better deals for people who really like cars and like to work on them and make them our own... I buy a car and fix it too my liking and use it and take care of it and when i am done hopefully it is in as good if not better shape..

[m715]

What kills the Kias according to the guys at our local dealer, are the timing belts fail at 40 to 50,000 miles, and they are interference engines. Strange thing is, Gates makes the OE timing belt. Just changed the TWO in an employees Optima with 39,000 miles on it, and it was ready to unravel. It also had a smaller belt that ran the oil pump on the V6. Makes you wonder if the DOHC 4 had two also.

[TominMO]

The problem is people don't take cars seriously. They either treat them like rolling status symbols or (like my father) see them as nothing more than appliances, like refrigerators or washing machines.

So we are driving pimped-out appliances?

[JPT]

so we are driving pimped-out appliances?

lol

[Safety Guy]

Thanks for the info guys!

Interference engine, eh? Hmmm.

We'll see.

Karl