Should I Buy This Hard Shifting 2001 Rio?

[fliprose]

Hi folks - just signed up to the forum here. Am considering buying a 2001 Kia Rio that appears in excellent condition with only 74K miles. Plain jane version with automatic. Only problem I can see with the car is it sometimes shifts pretty hard from first to second - you can definitely feel it, one time it even kind of jerked me. If you baby it the hard shift lessens. Other times not as noticeable. Is hard shifting common, does it just need a transmission service, or is the transmission starting to go? I googled around but couldn't find much on this topic.

Thanks for your help!

[fliprose]

Posted in the wrong place at first. Looking at buying a 2001 Rio in automatic. Great condition, only 73K, looks well kept. Only problem is the car shifts hard from first into second, a little less but still not smooth from second into third. The issue gets better when it's babied, and sometimes not at all, but I have also been jerked by the shift. Is this common, does this just need transmission service, or is this red flag that transmission about to go? Otherwise everything else is good about the car.

Thanks for your help!

[Mspectra]

maybe check the a/t fluid level to see if its low hope this helps

[wliv32503]

Good question. I'm about to buy a '01 Kia and I'm not sure but I'm sorta committed. Got the price down to $3,000 but it needs some work. The belt wasn't changed and the driver door has dent and leaks when it rains, don't know if I can fix it. Also, the glass is hairline cracked where the mirror is and no air conditioner. I made a mistake? Any feedback. I've already paid $1,000 and am going back today to finish paying for it. Oh, it has 80,000 miles and appears to run great. Love driving it.

[Wrench4Life]

$3,000.00 for an AC delete 2001 Rio???? Why??? No AC, No Power Steering, you are going to have to spend a couple hundred more for a T-belt change. More than likely has a torn CV boot. It is still summer, a car with no AC is WORTHLESS, seriously that car is worth 1,500 retail, even an 04 ac delete car here is selling for $2,200. There are serviced Rio's with AC / automatic going for 3K, clean dent free ones for 3,500. Love driving it??? There are car's that are more fun to drive for less money. Ford Escort GT 91-96 DOHC BP, 97+ Gen III Escort sedan 2.0 SPI , Escort ZX2 2.0 ZTEC, Mazda Protoge 1.8 DOHC BP, older Honda Civic, older Nissan Sentra/Altima

Where are the buyers like you that place a high value on a basic model of a basic car, we can't give away ac delete cars here, infact we pull the engine&trans on cars like that and scrap the bodies.