Columbian recalls Kia Rio

Columbian Autocar Corp. (CAC) is recalling all Kia Rio units sold in the country from January 2000 to March 2004 in order to replace a defective fuel distributor assembly.

CAC informed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that the recall is part of a worldwide recall program being made by Korea’s Kia Motors Corp. (KMC).

A KMC analysis showed the identified fuel assembly part might manifest fatigue after a long period of usage which could lead to cracking and possible fuel leakage.

But CAC has assured that there have been no reported cases yet of this nature from any of its authorized dealers nationwide. As such, CAC is standing behind Kia’s reliability and safety.

Informed by CAC of the recall, DTI Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. lauded the company’s "quick and systematic effort to implement the recall campaign."

Cristobal agreed that "matters that concern the safety of our consumers, in this case, owners of Kia Rio units, must be readily conveyed at the soonest possible time to avoid panic and undue confusion."

A total of 328 Kia Rio units were sold in the country during the reference period. These units are completely built-up (CBU) units imported from Korea.

The units have two variants: the 1.3-liter sedan which retails for P459,000 and the 1.5-liter hatchback which carries a higher price tag of P534,000.