Kia 2020 Rio: Brake Master Cylinder Risk Increases Crash Risk
Kia recalls 2020-2021 Rio vehicles with brake master cylinder sharp edges causing reduced braking performance. Owners must have brake master cylinder replaced free by dealers.
Use caution until it’s fixed
Reduced braking performance can cause longer brake pedal travel or extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Contact the company
What happened, in plain English
Kia is recalling certain 2020-2021 Rio vehicles because the brake master cylinder may have sharp edges that damage the oil seal, reducing braking performance. This increases the risk of longer brake pedal travel and longer stopping distances, potentially causing crashes. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/79789-kia-2020-rio-brake-master-cylinder-risk-increases-crash-risk.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/79789-kia-2020-rio-brake-master-cylinder-risk-increases-crash-risk · Updated October 4, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #21V936000
Cite this page
“Kia 2020 Rio: Brake Master Cylinder Risk Increases Crash Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated October 4, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/79789-kia-2020-rio-brake-master-cylinder-risk-increases-crash-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #21V936000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=21V936000).
Why it’s dangerous
The brake master cylinder may have sharp edges that damage the inner oil seal. This leads to reduced braking performance, causing longer brake pedal travel and extended stopping distances. If not fixed, this increases crash risk.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2020-2021 Kia Rio vehicles are affected. Drivers using these vehicles with the recalled brake master cylinder are most at risk.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2020-2021 Kia Rio has a brake master cylinder with sharp edges. The recall covers vehicles where the brake master cylinder was manufactured with sharp edges.
- Brand
Kia- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Kia Customer Service
Call 1-800-333-4542 to schedule a brake master cylinder replacement.
Get Brake Master Cylinder Replaced
Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder free of charge.
What NHTSA says to do
Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 12 months after NHTSA received the defect report.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Contact Kia
We’ve drafted a message you can send Kia to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 21V936000 — Kia 2020 Rio: Brake Master Cylinder Risk Increases Crash Risk Hello, I own a Kia 2020 Rio: Brake Master Cylinder Risk Increases Crash Risk that is covered by recall 21V936000 from Kia. The official recall notice states: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 11, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall SC223. I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this? Thank you.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #21V936000 (January 12, 2021)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 4, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.