Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2002 Honda Civic vs 2002 Kia Rio

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2002 Honda Civic2002 Kia Rio
NHTSA complaints702128
Recall campaigns111
Service bulletins (TSBs)31616
Investigations41
Crash reports11225
Fire reports146
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)25–3124–26
Median reported incident mileage91,452 mi50,000 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentHonda CivicKia Rio
Air Bags24121
Power Train1858
Engine and Engine Cooling3139
Seat Belts5116
Electrical System498
Exterior Lighting530
Suspension359
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1718

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling3623
Airbag warning light200
Shifting problems150
Vibration / shaking120
Check engine light115
Clunking / rattling100
Overheating100
Hesitation / surging90

Compare all Honda Civic vs Kia Rio years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.