These instructions apply to the Kia Rio Mk3 (UB/QBR) 2011-2018.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
The Kia Rio Mk3 (UB, 2011–2018) has two fuse boxes: one inside the car, behind a cover at the driver’s end of the lower dashboard, and one in the engine bay next to the battery. If a single electrical item stops working, a blown fuse is the first thing to check.
Where the Fuse Boxes Are
The interior fuse box sits low on the dashboard at the driver’s side, behind a small pull-off cover (above the pedals, by the door). It handles most cabin circuits — lights, windows, radio, sockets.
The engine-compartment fuse box is a black box near the battery, under a clip-on lid. It carries the bigger power and engine fuses, and the plastic fuse puller clips inside it.
How to Check and Change a Fuse
- Turn the ignition off and switch off whatever isn’t working.
- Open the relevant fuse-box cover. Read the diagram on the inside of the lid (or in your handbook) to find the fuse for that circuit — the layout varies by trim, engine and market, so always go by your own car’s legend.
- Pull the suspected fuse straight out with the fuse puller from the engine-bay box. A blown fuse has a visibly broken metal strip inside.
- Fit a new fuse of the exact same amperage (the number printed on top, and usually color-coded). Never fit a higher-rated fuse — that defeats the protection and can start a fire.
- Make sure it seats tightly. If it sits loose, or the new fuse blows again straight away, stop — there is a fault in that circuit that needs diagnosing, not another fuse.
In a pinch you can borrow a fuse of the same rating from a circuit you don’t need right then (such as the cigarette-lighter socket). Keep a few spares of common ratings in the car.
Leave These to a Specialist
Fuses for the airbags/SRS, ABS, engine ECU and other safety systems should not be swapped as a trial — a repeated blow there points to a fault that needs proper diagnosis. The Rio also has a memory fuse (pull it before long-term storage to stop the battery draining); refit it before trying to start the car.
How to Read Your Fuse-Box Label
The inside of each fuse-box cover carries a printed diagram that maps every position. Each slot shows a short abbreviation and its amp rating — for example C/LIGHTER (cigarette lighter), ACC (accessories and audio), HORN, WIPER, HEAD LP (headlights) or STOP LP (brake lights). Find the abbreviation for the item that has failed, note its position on the diagram, then locate that same slot in the box and check that fuse. Because the layout is printed on your car’s cover it is always right for your trim, engine and market — which a generic online chart cannot promise.
The Fuse Most Owners Check
By far the most common DIY fuse is the one for the 12 V accessory / cigarette-lighter socket — a dead socket (or a dash-cam that stopped charging) is usually just this fuse. It lives in the interior box, but its exact slot and rating differ by market and trim (the US car, for example, uses a dedicated 20 A lighter fuse), so go by the label on your own car’s cover rather than a generic chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the fuse box on a Kia Rio?
There are two: one behind a cover at the driver’s end of the lower dashboard, and one in the engine bay beside the battery.
Where is the fuse puller?
It clips inside the engine-compartment fuse box. Use it to pull fuses straight out without bending them.
My new fuse blew immediately — why?
That circuit has a fault (a short or a failed component). Fitting another fuse won’t fix it and can cause damage — have the circuit checked.
If a warning light stays on after you fix a circuit, you can look the fault code up on autodtcs.com.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Kia. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.