We found the following complaints for KIA OPTIMA (2004)
Read complaints for KIA OPTIMA (2004)
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the air bag light illuminated on the instrument panel.whenever the contact attempted to make a left turn, she heard a grinding noise coming from the steering column.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the clock spring needed to be replaced.the same failure has occurred more than five different times and still persists.the current mileage was 48,016 and failure mileage was 25,000.
The contact owned a 2004 kia optima. While driving at an unknown speed, an abnormal clicking noise emitted from the vehicle. The power steering failed and the wheels shook violently. The brakes failed to stop the vehicle and it crashed into a wall. The air bags deployed and an unknown substance emitted into the contacts eyes. The contact sustained burns to the body and lacerations to both eyes that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin and failure mileage were unknown. Updated 09/23/16*lj
I was commuting. I gave my car regular oil changes and tune ups. Then the engine coils went out. The car would not go over forty. Replaced that.heard funny noises coming from the engine. The car was at 70k at this point. The manufacturers warranty said to replace the timing belt at 110k. So i decided to hold off as that probably wasn't the problem and a manufacturer wouldn't lie to me as they are regulated by the government.then i am driving and the car dies in the middle of a busy intersection. I get the car towed. The timing belt is changed and there are half theteeth left onthe timing belt. How is the car still running you may ask? it is a magical car and is like the little train that could. Then i am driving on a busy scary mountainous highway and the car dies again at a blind corner. No check engine light but there are plenty of cars that want to hit me. The car turns back on. The fear for my life and those around me has subsided for a moment. The car is able to turn back on... Somehow. The check engine light stays on.the crank sensor is the problem. The crank sensor was then fixed.this car is a hazard to have on the road. The air bag light has also been on for a year and won't go off. I have had to replace engine coils, door locks, trunk alignments and probably some other things that made me fear for my life. The speedometer also broke and said i was going 0 mph when it was really 80 mph. As of right now the car is running okay. I expect by next october that something will go wrong as that is the month that everything does with this car.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off and attempting to exit the vehicle the drivers side door would not unlock and could not be opened. The contact also indicated that the front drivers side door could not be unlocked from outside of the vehicle. The door failures had occurred on multiple occasions. The air bags sensor lightremained illuminated indicating that the air bag system was faulty. The failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light illuminated three times.the first time the dealership replaced the driver side air bag.the second time the dealership replaced the passenger side air bag. The contact is awaiting inspection of the vehicle for the third air bag light illumination.
Me 2004 kia have the air bags light on and i have take the vehicle to a repair shop and they had not find what is wrong with it. I call the kia dealer and i was told that there was nothing they could do. I am afraid the air bags will pop while i am driving. Can you please tell me if this is a safety issue. The air bags light stay on at all time. Thank you
I purchased my 2004 kia optima with 100k miles on it and after about 30 days the airbag light came on without being involved in any moving incident and remained on. I took it to the kia dealer (rosen, milwaukee, wi) and they believed it was the contacts because i got code b1378, airbag resistance to high. They sprayed something on the contacts because the couldn't find anything wrong with the air bag system. They reset the airbag light free of charge, but after driving about one week the light came back on. This is a major safety issue that kia needs to resolve because the air bags will not deploy if the car is involved in an accident.
We have had the airbag light come on for the past 3 years always just before the state inspection is dueevery time we get it fixed they said its a switch or a connector. But this year was the worst ,light came onin april, this time they said it's the airbag wire harness and would cost over 1500.00 . We got kia to pay for the part,and we would cover the labor. I'm just worried will this happen again. It should be investigated further.
Air bag light on dashboard stays on, started two days a go.
Airbag light remains on showing a problem with the system. Was told couldbe a sensor and would cost $150 to diagnose and up to $2000 to fix. Not worth the cost considering the age but needs to be fixed for safetyreasons
The contact owned a 2004 kia optima. While driving 25 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle from the front. The passenger side air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained stomach and chest injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vin was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.
The air bag went off while my wife was reaching for her seat belt and scrapped and burned her arm. It sounded like a gun going off. I rushed her home and took care of her wounds
My air bag light comes on there's no wires disconnected under the seat and my seat belts do not retract well also my door locks are getting stuck in lock mode and my engine comes on and then goes off.after awhile.when in park
The airbag light stayed on solid.i took it to my mechanic and he put the computer on it.he said it read the driver side air bag was not functioning.this light is intermittent as it goes out every once in a while, every few days.i do not have the $1000 plus to repair it.
Airbag light stays on and the front passenger door won't open or close.
I was driving and the vehicle air bag light came on.
I was repairing brakelines, while observing under carriage i noticed suspension rust, frame. Looked up recalls and this is one. I included screenshot of proog
The contact owns 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the passenger front door lock failed to unlock electronically or manually. The air bag warning light also remained illuminated. The drivers door lock also failed at 41,000 miles; however, the actuator was replaced. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the passenger door or the air bag warning light. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000. The current mileage was 64,000...updated 12-30-13 the consumer stated the vehicle was taken to be repaied. The techician advised there was a nickel in the door panel and that the was repaired. There door was not actually repaired. Updated 1/16/2014
Purchased a 2004 kia optima in 11/2005 and have reported air bag light coming on every couple of months. Car repair has been attempted 4 times since date of purchase and reported 5 times as of 04/11/2008. I am afraid that the airbag may or may not deploy when needed, or it will deploy while driving.
The vehicle hasn't been in any accidents which i am very thankful for considering the air bags may or may not work. The air bag light is on and the dealership has reset it several times. The car won't pass inspection with the light on. I am a recent college graduate on a fixed income. I need the car for transportation to work and at this time don't have the funds to get it fixed if there is a problem with the air bags. I need the kia dealership to consider calling a recall on these airbags due to a safety issue especially if there was an accident and the bags wouldn't deploy. I need to be able to get this car inspected with little cost to me.
The air bag light illuminates on the cluster panel, the code shows that there is "high resistance" in the driver seat air bag. This issue was fixed while vehicle was under warranty but continues to show up. I was told i can replace the seat and it would correct the issue but i picked one up at a junk yard that had the same issue.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact was traveling at speeds of 15 mph in rainy weather. The vehicle ahead of him stopped suddenly. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact was injured. A police report was filed. The contacts vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileages were 82,500.
Hello i have a few issues with my 2004 kia optima that i have been unable to get resolved.the 1st is my air bag light is constantly on.i took the car into the shop for this while it was under warranty and was told that it was fixed.the light came back on and now the car is no longer under warranty.i was told that in order to have it fixed i have to spend a couple hundred dollars to have my passenger seat removed and some wires would have to be spliced to correct the issue.i'm not comfortable paying to have a problem fixed that should have already been fixed and the response i get as to the solution involves splicing of wires for my air bag.i have been on several websites and heard multiple complaints about the same issue with this year/model.issue #2 involves my headlights.i have owned my car since i purchased it in 2005.i have blown at least 5 sets of headlights in the vehicle.this is sets and not just bulbs.my most recent one has blown and has not even been installed for 3 months.in order to get this fixed i will have to take it to the shop and spend almost $100 just to have somebody test the system and tell me what's wrong and then pay to get it fixed.it has been bad enough that once they both blew at the same time and left me with no headlights at all except for my high beams.i have also seen multiple complaints about this issue also with this make/model.if somebody could please take a look at these issues and assist me with getting them addressed.my car currently will not pass an inspection due to the airbag light being on.
Dt:the airbag warning light was intermittently.the consumer had taken vehicle to the dealership to be repaired five times.the dealership was unable to fix the problem.on september 30, 2005 the front passenger's side airbag deployed without a cause.the vehicle was parked when the air bag deployed.the sound from the airbag had given the driver a headache.the cause was still unknown.*sc.
- the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact was advised by the service department that the air bag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced.the dealer ,where the contact purchased the vehicle repaired theair bag sensoron two occasions,but the failure recurred.the contact indicated that the sensorwas suppose to detect a weight 90 pounds or above. Updated 2/6/2007 -
Dashboard airbag indicator lit. Code b1378 pulled by the dealership - driverside side airbag resistance high. $1,020 to fix (replace seatback) . This car has 26,400 miles on it. Was told none of the 4 airbags will work because this one bag has failed. I understand devices fail but to design an entire safety system to deactivate because one part of it goes bad is negligent engineering. Also, factory warranties covering emission systems longer than systems responsible for bodily safety is bad policy.
I have been taking my car to kia of orange park in jacksonville, florida for the past several months because of issues with stalling and hestitation at start and the car has stopped on my while in gear with my foot on the brake (three or four times).each and every time i take it to the dealership they seem to say the vehicle will not duplicate the concerns i am having.i have been afraid to go a long distance with the car because of these issues.i recently switched to southside kia in jacksonville, florida and they convinced me the car was fixed after replacing sparks plus, fuel pump, gas tank valve, and on one ocassion they found the tps sensor loose from the previous kia dealership doing a throttle body service.i am very dissatisfied with kia right about now and have not been able to get any help.
Drivers side locking and not releasing.numerous incidents where the drivers side door locks and will not release. (using the key on the outside or the pad on the inside door)i have repeatedly had to climb out the back door because the plastic pieces that were used when making the car are worn out and not allowing the lock to unlock.if there was an accident i would not be able to get out on the drivers side.i believe this is a manufactures defect.i am hoping that a recall or a silent recall will be issued for this since i am not able to open the door to get the door panel off to fix it.
The drivers door will not open from the outside or the inside. I have to crawl in from the passenger side and then when i want to get out i have to crawl over and exit from the passenger side. Tried to unlock it with my keyless entry and now it doesn't work. Replaced batteries but still not working. My son kept turning the key in the door and finally got it opened. The next time i drove it the same thing happened. I am tired of having to crawl in and out of my car. I always enjoyed driving my kia but not anymore.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.in june of 2004, the exterior lighting failed while driving at an unknown speed.in addition, the driver's side door would not lock and the check engine light consistently illuminated.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the exterior lighting was repaired; however, the door was not because it was not under warranty.after the repair was made, the exterior lighting continued to fail as well as the other issues.she took the vehicle back to the dealer approximately four times to repair the same failures, but the issues kept persisting.the vehicle has not been repaired since.the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 19,195.updated 10/05/08 the headlights and brake lights were replaced several times. The dimmre switch also failed. Updated 11/06/08.
When i was getting off of work on the night of 7/12/2014, i went to my car to unlock my door with the key. My driver side door will not open. I had to get into the passenger seat, climb over the center counsel and into my driver seat. Once i got home, i could not open the drive side door from the inside. Therefore, i did the reverse above. This is the second time this incident had happen to me. I've taken this to the dealership on 9/25/12 and they had to replace the front door latch, which cost about $200. Reading the information on here this is a common problem on these cars. Kia must place a recall on this issue because this is a requiring problem that needs to be address asap!
While i was driving my vehicle my passenger noticed that there was smoke coming out of the dashboard area.in an attempt to get off the road the smoke had turned into flames at which time i stopped the vehicle and i and my passenger got out of the vehicle and called 911.
I have a 2004 kia optima and my key or fob won't open the drivers door. The key has finally stopped working at all, i have to climb over the console to get in and out of the car. I'm almost 57 years old and don't need this in my life. The dealer want $52 to check it and see if it's under warranty. I do have the extended warranty which i guess i paid for nothing. I' have found many people with this problem and i myself are very tired of this . I hate the day when i have to get out of my car in a hurry. When it first started i could use the key only when pulling hard on the handle at the same time. I believe kia needs a recall on this problem and soon!
Power door lock locks when unlocking from outside with key. Replaced the door latch. But it still does it. Also the headlights stay on when turning off the car. Have to manually turn off headlight switch.
On july 22, 2007, i was on my way back home from my anniversary trip when my car just shut off.we tried several times to get the car restarted with no luck.since the car is still under warranty, we call for roadside assistance which falls under the warranty.well 3-1/2 hours later a tow truck showed up.unfortunately for me, it was not called by kia.he just happened down the road at the time.so i had to pay $250.00 to have my car towed home to avoid storage fees at the dealership.the next day the kia dealership had the car towed to the dealership where they changed the crank sensor and timing belt.two weeks later the car started having idling problems.the car would shut off if left to idle.the car jerked when taking off and it sounded like the engine was bouncing around under the hood.so i had it taken back to the dealership to have it fixed.it is now 2 weeks later and my car is still at the kia dealership.they have called me 4 times to come get the car it is ready.no it was not!!!so 4 times i drove an hour to the dealership and an hour home to go down to the dealership, crank up my car, realize it still had the same problem, give them back the keys, and drive home.i am now at the point where kia can keep the piece of sh*t and either give me my money back on my supposedly new car or give me an actual new car.i have had enough!!!@!
First my passenger side door would not unlock (cannot get the door open at all) - my passengers have to crawl in through the window to sit in passenger seat and my 78 year old grandma can't do that so she has to sit in the back.now 7 months later, my driver side door will not unlock with the key and when i got off the exit last night doing about 20 or 25 miles an hour, my entire car failed (lcheck engine, brake, oil, etc. Lights all came on and then my car died - total system failure).towed the car to get checked - nothing wrong with alternator or battery per mechanic.he said kia knows they have this electrical issue and faulty locks but the cheapskates won't conduct a recall like responsible auto companies do, so he tells all his clients to never buy a kia.for me, this is a serious safety issue. I saved my money to buy my first car and i have obviously made a poor choice.what needs to be done to force kia to recall this serious safety issue?if my car goes on fire from their faulty electrical system, how do i get out of the car to save my life?where do i take my car to get repaired since i can't afford to buy a more reliable car?does anyone know how to fix this issue?i can't keep going back, so i want it fixed once and fixed right.
I was commuting. I gave my car regular oil changes and tune ups. Then the engine coils went out. The car would not go over forty. Replaced that.heard funny noises coming from the engine. The car was at 70k at this point. The manufacturers warranty said to replace the timing belt at 110k. So i decided to hold off as that probably wasn't the problem and a manufacturer wouldn't lie to me as they are regulated by the government.then i am driving and the car dies in the middle of a busy intersection. I get the car towed. The timing belt is changed and there are half theteeth left onthe timing belt. How is the car still running you may ask? it is a magical car and is like the little train that could. Then i am driving on a busy scary mountainous highway and the car dies again at a blind corner. No check engine light but there are plenty of cars that want to hit me. The car turns back on. The fear for my life and those around me has subsided for a moment. The car is able to turn back on... Somehow. The check engine light stays on.the crank sensor is the problem. The crank sensor was then fixed.this car is a hazard to have on the road. The air bag light has also been on for a year and won't go off. I have had to replace engine coils, door locks, trunk alignments and probably some other things that made me fear for my life. The speedometer also broke and said i was going 0 mph when it was really 80 mph. As of right now the car is running okay. I expect by next october that something will go wrong as that is the month that everything does with this car.
Accelerated to get out of snow embankment and engine light came on then car locks went out of whack and locked doors. Could not exit, continued to relock and time you touched locks or door to get out! very unsafe!!! locked in vehicle only exit rear doors, electrical not ok after reset battery. I ordered new part, not even sure it will fix it. Driver door will not open at all!!!!!!!!!
Driver's door does not unlock when trying to enter the car and it does not unlock from the inside manually either.
The driver side door will not open. It shows that it's unlocked. I can use the key and continuously pull the handle from the outside and it was opening. Now it doesn't work at all. Took it to kia in holland they quoted me a minimum of $300 to fix the problem but told me they had no clue what it could be. I will not allow an ignorant person to touch my vehicle. I can at least tell you that it is the latch. I live in michigan. If i am hit on my passenger side and am in need of help i might as well close my eyes and die. No one would be able to get me out without having to drag me out of the window which they would have to break. This could easily be an issue that could result in death.
My car doors do not open either inside or outside.this problem started with my front passenger side door and now is affecting my drivers side door.the problem appears to be electrical and will happens randomly.the pass. Door is now 100% affected and the drivers side just started today.so the end result is i am locked inside my car unless i crawl through the window.i googled this problem online and apparently this problem is rampant.i called kia customer service and they said that there is not a recall and because my car is a 2004 (with only 39,000 miles)they will not cover it.i told him how dangerous this type of problem was and he really didnt seem to care. Ii asked him who issues recalls and he said it was your organization, when i said that i would call you to try and get a recall he then said "well you could bring it into kia and see what they find, although no gaurantee i would get it paid for by them even though it has happened to many kia cars.i then told him i would be contacting your organization and he didnt seem to happy. * when my passenger door started with this problem approx. 2 months ago i called the local dealer and they said that there was nothing they could do for me.i should add that the nearest kia dealer is approx. 2.5 hours one way away from me.
The car was running fine until after a few hours of driving it just stopped running.this is the second time this has occurred.the engine rpm dropped to zero and the car coasted.after sitting for less than an hour the car started up again.i took it to the kia dealer and they said, even though the car had less than 60,000 miles, they would have to diagnose the problem and charge us $200 to do so, and the electronic parts were not covered.
The driver's side door will not unlock from either the inside or outside. The key won't work.i had to crawl over the passenger seat risking potential injury . This is a safety issue. I notified the dealer who saidbasically that it wasn't his dealership's problem and to call kia consumer number. I did call and he also said basically that it is not kia's problem, it is not a safety issue, and too bad for you. There are many documented instances of this door latch failing. Itis a safety issue despite what the consumer rep said at kia. $50.00 diagnosis cost plus , when the part finally comes in, another $230.00 dollars. It is unacceptable for kia to ignore this safety issue.
When trying to exit my kia, the door locks would not unlock.i tried the manual and electrical switches on the door and all i could get was a click, and then an immediate re-lock of the doors, as soon as i pulled on the door handle.i then rolled the window down and tried the key, several times, from the outside with the same results.i managed to work my 79 year old 210 lb. Body over to the passenger seat and tried the same thing and got the same results.i was ready to call 911 when i tried the key on the outside again for the 5th or 6th time and the locks worked.this is a dangerous situation and i understand is quite common on the kia's at about 100,000 miles,i know i was frightened.i don't know what would happen in a wreck with a fire and the doors would not unlock from the inside or outside.this has happened 4 times, twice while locked inside and twice from the outside tying to get in.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the keyless entry ability failed to work for the past three years. The contact mentioned that the rear doors failed to unlock when utilizing a key or manually. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to unlock from outside and inside the vehicle. The contact could not unlock the door manually or with by using the key fob. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the door actuator switch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. Upon entering the vehicle, the doors independently locked. In addition, the front driver and rear passenger side doors failed to unlock in order to exit the vehicle on numerous occasions. The contact stated that the front passenger side window failed to open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Hello i have a few issues with my 2004 kia optima that i have been unable to get resolved.the 1st is my air bag light is constantly on.i took the car into the shop for this while it was under warranty and was told that it was fixed.the light came back on and now the car is no longer under warranty.i was told that in order to have it fixed i have to spend a couple hundred dollars to have my passenger seat removed and some wires would have to be spliced to correct the issue.i'm not comfortable paying to have a problem fixed that should have already been fixed and the response i get as to the solution involves splicing of wires for my air bag.i have been on several websites and heard multiple complaints about the same issue with this year/model.issue #2 involves my headlights.i have owned my car since i purchased it in 2005.i have blown at least 5 sets of headlights in the vehicle.this is sets and not just bulbs.my most recent one has blown and has not even been installed for 3 months.in order to get this fixed i will have to take it to the shop and spend almost $100 just to have somebody test the system and tell me what's wrong and then pay to get it fixed.it has been bad enough that once they both blew at the same time and left me with no headlights at all except for my high beams.i have also seen multiple complaints about this issue also with this make/model.if somebody could please take a look at these issues and assist me with getting them addressed.my car currently will not pass an inspection due to the airbag light being on.
Driver side door will not open, accidentally locked door now it will not open, have to climb over from passenger side to driver side, will not open from inside or outside, i am disabled and it's very difficult to have to climb over to driver side, for a long time now i haveleft the car unlocked for this reason, seems i am not the only one with this problem, a lot of people have placed posts about this issue. It's not only an inconvenience but a safety issue. I feel this is a major recall that needs to be addressed and fixed. Anyone in an accident (god forbid) is trapped, more so if there disabled, people should not have to pay out of pocket for this issue.thank-you
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle locked and unlocked without using the keys, and the alarm activated on its own. The failure prevented the driver from entering or exiting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the anti-theft system failed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Purchased 2004 kia optima ex new. Have had fuse block replaced w/in 15000 miles. Now, the fuel pump has failed. The car ran fine and was parked. Next day car would not start. No fuses blown. The terminal connector from the fuel pump to the gas tank penetration has burned out causing an intermittent open in circuit. Fuel pump burned up in tank. Wires and connectors visibly charred. Connection that failed is inside of the gas tank. Very similar to ntsb case #10161074. Have 120,000 miles on the car. Others with less mileage are in for trouble due to poor engineering design. Defective parts available for photograph or inspection.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted and resumed normal operation. The failure recurred four times and failed to restart on two separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the fuel pump. The failure persisted after the repair was performed. There was a recall according to nhtsa campaign number: 03v067000 (electrical system) however, the vin was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
While driving, a fire started from the dashboard. The cause of fire was undetermined.
My 2004 kia optima ex will not start if it sits for a day or so something is killing or draining my battery i've replaced the battery,the starter,and the alternator it has to be an electrical problem also my right front door want open you have to use the key to get in something is still on while the car is off.
The driver side door will not unlock with the key or inside switch. All the other doors will unlockexcept the driver door. After turning the key for about 10 mins up to a day or a week it will sometimes unlock, but only using the key.this is a very bad safety hazard. It looks as if the plastic part inside the door that controls the lockingis broken . There were no accidents that made this occur . I have talked to kia on several occasions about the matter and this is one feature that the customer does not need to pay for. This is a defective part and can trap someone in a car . You have to crawl through passenger door to even to get in and drive. Shameful on kia . Seems like its going to take some one burning or have a fatality for kia to do a recall on this , but all about money when they pride on safety.
My car completely turns off while im driving it, most of the time when i used it the first time of the day and try to used it again it turns of and loose power, i can't turn it on again in that moment i need to wait and then it works again but if happens really frequently and its really dangerous because im on the freeway and cars are behind me and i can cause an accident or anything worse. I went to the dealership so they could inspect my car but they couldn't find anything at that moment.
Drivers side door latch failed and would not unlock from inside or out side. Had to exit the vehicle through passenger side door. Very dangerous if there were an emergency. I have seen many complaints online about this issue with the same make, model and approx. Mileage as mine. Kia needs to issue a recall before some one gets hurt.
On several occasions, when manually unlocking the power door locks, they will immediately lock again and will go into a loop of unlock-relock, whether using the manual door lock or the power lock switch (the relay clicks but nothing happens when using the switch). This happens about 10% of the time.
Driver side door will not open, stuck in locked position.can't get out of car unless go over to passenger side door.
Driver side door does not open from inside, even when in 'unlock' position. I drove to work, having no problems opening the door to get into the car, nothing unusual happened during my 15 minute commute. I arrived at work, and was forced to exit the car through the passenger side door. The driver side door will now only open if you use the key and can randomly find the perfect timing of turning the key and pulling the door handle. It is nearly impossible to perform this maneuver from inside the vehicle. Having no ease of access from the driver side front seat of the vehicle poses an extreme safety concern to all those driving similar vehicles. Having performed just cursory research over the past two days, i have come across hundreds of similar accounts from other kia owners. This is obviously a manufacturing defect, and should be handled as a recall.
Unable to open passenger door due to door lock actuator stopped working. Unsafe to drive.
When i started to leave for work this morning; i could not get into the car from the drivers side; the door would not unlock; i could not get it to open. This has never happen before so i looked carefully and saw no damage was done to my car so i tried again to unlock and open my door. I put the key in the keyhole as usual but i notice that it felt like it was not fitting correctly and as i turned the key and it was harder to turn but i could hear the sound of the doors unlocking so i pulled the handle to open the drivers door again and it still would not open. The other three car doors worksfine;locking and unlocking like they should.i was then forced to get into the car from the front passenger door. There i attempted to open the drivers door from the inside but my efforts there also failed; which was very alarming. I could feel my anxiety building (feeling trapped & not able to open my car door at anytime)i was running out of time and have to go to work . I tried to open my door from the inside several times but nothing worked. I was able to start the car and let down all the windows. I could breathe some fresh air. All day i had to get in and out of my car form the front passenger door. I tried to open the drivers door several time throughout the day but nothing would work. My door being stuck shut is a horrible feeling to have when driving knowing that one of my ways to escape from the car gone almost helpless at first so i hope this problem is not a small matter to you because it is putting our life in a serious situation; so please treated this as such. Think of this: if there were fire marshalls for cars, would they ever tolerate a front door that can't be open when people are inside? no.
I own a 2004 kia optima purchased brand new. I have been unable to unlock (or open) the driver side door. The vehicle has never been in an accident. The problem accorded a few weeks ago when i attempted to unlock my car door. Once i removed my key and lifted the handle to get in all of the doors lock. I had to enter through the passenger side door. The drivers side door will also not open from the inside. This is a safety hazard as if i get into a car accident i will be trapped inside and could die!! i am not the only person with this issue for this make and model. And it appears that the 2003 model has the same issue. As you can see from the following websites: http://vlane.com/discuss-topic/989/my-drivers-door-is-locked-will-not-unlock, as well as www.fixya.com/cars/+866401-drivers_door_will_not_unlock this is not an isolated incident. This is clearly a defect that needs to be addressed. Please issue a recall as i fear for my family's safety.
Drivers side door will not open with the power lock or by key, i have been getting in and out of my car by using the passenger front door. My husband found a way to unlock my driver side door, now i can not lock my car again.
Almost died in an accident tate kia did not allow me to leave the through my door. I was hit one my passenger side not allowing my escape through that side of the vehicle and i needed to crawl through to the back of the vehicle to escape. My drivers side door lock malfunctioned because of wear on a commonly know part. This should not be considered normal wear and tear considering my 1967 camero still has functioning locks and 50 yrs older.i see not reason as to why a 11 yr old vehicle has non functioning locking equipment and i have owned various other cars without a problem like this malfunction that seems only too obvious of an american safety concern. This seems like a mandatory recall for such an important function of a vehicle to be able to even "get in" or "get out" of the car. Simple concept! won't even be able to operate the vehicle if i can't get in it or sleep in my apartment if i can't get out of it. Huh?the web is full of these complaints and near life disasters because of this malfunction. Seems like this is a problem that people want resolution including myself!if there are so many people aware of this problem online and they have regular jobs no slated to the task of highway safety. How is it that your agency slated with the task of this important job has not done anything to fix this problem. This issue has now span several years of these vehicles and various models. Seems to me that someone, referring to your agency is not doing their job very well at all and needs to wake up concerning this issue with the kia manufacturer to fix this very dangerous problem.get to its boys and girls and get this done, because families depend on you to do the right thing for our well being.scenario:car starts on fire.......can't open door....dead.......a duh!!!!!!!!make sense? yeah! good!they have created a death trap.fix it!!!!!!
Purchased a brand new 2004 kia optima from the dealer on 12/09/2004. The cruise control has not been working since the first day it was driven out of the dealer's lot.what's more, three weeks into ownership of the vehicle, it began to exhibit intermittent, rough idling problems. The problem is not noticeable on cold starts, but after it has been driven for about 35 minutes or so and the engine has warmed up and reached a certain temperature, it will begin to make rocking-jerky-thrusting like movements. It can be felt, as if, the car is either choking or trying to accellerate while waiting at a red traffic light. As for the cruise control, the module was ordered on its first visit, the module wasdefective and reordered on its second visit, the module was installed on its third visit,and the dealer stated that it needed a switch for the cruise towork. Three months later, the cruise control is still inoperable. As for the idling problems, it could not be verified on its first visit. It was verified and reproduced on its second visit, and the car stayed for 2 and 1/2 weeks with the dealer to replace a mass airflow sensor.picked up the car only to find out that it still has the same idling problems.it went back to the dealer 5 days later, and they claimed that the problem "could not be detected." two days after its last visit on 02/02/2005, the dealer delivered the car with significant damage on the driver side front and passenger doors. The car got in an accident while it was in the dealer's care, and they promised in writing to fix it.1 and 1/2 months later, the promised was not fulfilled, so i picked up the car and took it to another shop. Myinsurance paid for the cost, less $500 deductible. Where the dealer failed in 1.5 months to fix the damage, another shop succeeded in just 6 days! the doors are fixed, but the on-going problems on the car still remain. Three months of ownership of a supposedly "brand new" car, and it behaves like a clunker.
All doors lock and won't unlock, have to climb out window then play with key in locks. Cannot get in or out of car. Not good in emergency especially since my three grandchildren are with me in the car 90% of the time, we do not feel safe. Looked the problem up and seen numerous complaints on it plus the dealer won't fix free of charge and the parts are plastic. I'm not a mechanic and do not believe i should pay for repairs since my warranty is up.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.while driving approximately 70 mph, the instrument control panel became inoperative and displayed inaccurate readings.the contact called the dealer and she is in the process of having the vehicle inspected to determine the cause of failure.the failure and current mileages were 64,000. Updated 09/16/08 updated 09/19/08.
Dt: while driving on the road at 75 mph vehicle stalled. The engine shutdown. Also,electrical system shut down.vehicle was pulled over to the curve. Then owner called dealership who was suppose to pick upvehicleup but didn't show up for about 4.5 hours. The vehicle was towed to a garage, andwas left at the shop. The next day owner called to check on the vehicle, nothing wasdone . The mechanic said it was the alternator. Currently,the owner was waiting for the alternator. Owner's family suffered heat exhaustionby waiting outside, and his son becameill due to heat exhaustion. The owner has not contacted kia.
Horn failed.
2004 kia optima with failed wiring harness and tire blow out.consumer states that the wiring harness fell from the vehicle while driving and caused the tire to blow out. Dealer refuses to fix the vehicle instead they want her to buy a new one.
My air bag light comes on there's no wires disconnected under the seat and my seat belts do not retract well also my door locks are getting stuck in lock mode and my engine comes on and then goes off.after awhile.when in park
My car completely turns off while im driving it, most of the time when i used it the first time of the day and try to used it again it turns of and loose power, i can't turn it on again in that moment i need to wait and then it works again but if happens really frequently and its really dangerous because im on the freeway and cars are behind me and i can cause an accident or anything worse. I went to the dealership so they could inspect my car but they couldn't find anything at that moment.
The car was running fine until after a few hours of driving it just stopped running.this is the second time this has occurred.the engine rpm dropped to zero and the car coasted.after sitting for less than an hour the car started up again.i took it to the kia dealer and they said, even though the car had less than 60,000 miles, they would have to diagnose the problem and charge us $200 to do so, and the electronic parts were not covered.
My car completely turns off while im driving it, most of the time when i used it the first time of the day and try to used it again it turns of and loose power, i can't turn it on again in that moment i need to wait and then it works again but if happens really frequently and its really dangerous because im on the freeway and cars are behind me and i can cause an accident or anything worse. I went to the dealership so they could inspect my car but they couldn't find anything at that moment.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle lost power and several indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle shut down and was pushed to the side of the road with the help of the state highway patrol. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the timing belt fractured and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact was driving 70 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. He was able to restart the vehicle but the failure recurred shortly after. The vehicle was not taken for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was contacted who advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 68,000.
I was on my way to work and my car just stopped running while i was driving on the highway.i got it towed,it is the crankshaft position sensor, the cost to repair $460. I have done some research on the internet and many people have had this problem with this year.also earlier models have been recalled.
Dt*:the contact stated the vehicle stalled without warning.the vehicle restarted and the dealership was not contacted.updated 08/29/06.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact was driving 35 mph when the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing after receiving a jump start to the battery. The dealer confirmed that the crank shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileages was 80,034.
While driving 35 mph vehicle suddenly deceleratedand would not go over 20 mph. No impact reported. As a result, the check engine signal light stayed on.
I was commuting. I gave my car regular oil changes and tune ups. Then the engine coils went out. The car would not go over forty. Replaced that.heard funny noises coming from the engine. The car was at 70k at this point. The manufacturers warranty said to replace the timing belt at 110k. So i decided to hold off as that probably wasn't the problem and a manufacturer wouldn't lie to me as they are regulated by the government.then i am driving and the car dies in the middle of a busy intersection. I get the car towed. The timing belt is changed and there are half theteeth left onthe timing belt. How is the car still running you may ask? it is a magical car and is like the little train that could. Then i am driving on a busy scary mountainous highway and the car dies again at a blind corner. No check engine light but there are plenty of cars that want to hit me. The car turns back on. The fear for my life and those around me has subsided for a moment. The car is able to turn back on... Somehow. The check engine light stays on.the crank sensor is the problem. The crank sensor was then fixed.this car is a hazard to have on the road. The air bag light has also been on for a year and won't go off. I have had to replace engine coils, door locks, trunk alignments and probably some other things that made me fear for my life. The speedometer also broke and said i was going 0 mph when it was really 80 mph. As of right now the car is running okay. I expect by next october that something will go wrong as that is the month that everything does with this car.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.in june of 2004, the exterior lighting failed while driving at an unknown speed.in addition, the driver's side door would not lock and the check engine light consistently illuminated.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the exterior lighting was repaired; however, the door was not because it was not under warranty.after the repair was made, the exterior lighting continued to fail as well as the other issues.she took the vehicle back to the dealer approximately four times to repair the same failures, but the issues kept persisting.the vehicle has not been repaired since.the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 19,195.updated 10/05/08 the headlights and brake lights were replaced several times. The dimmre switch also failed. Updated 11/06/08.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated that the vehicle runs well, but the engine light illuminates intermittently.the failure began on may 12, 2007 and has been occurring ever since.she replaced the windshield wiper fluid and the light, but the check engine light continues to illuminate.the engine size was unknown.the current and failure mileages were 96,000.
Motor mounts and pulleys defective. This will be my third time to the shop in less than a month. The pulleys and mounts are bound to cause other damage.
Ry time it rains and our county dirt road gets wet and muddy. Mud splashes up into the engine compartment and into the egr valve and causes it to malfuction due to the way it was desined. I took the car to the dealers shop and was told it was a maintence problem and that the dealer would fix it only once and after that i will have to pay for any repair if it fails again. As of this date ( 03/24/05) this car had 23760 miles of a 100,000 mile warranty on it.
Almost died in an accident tate kia did not allow me to leave the through my door. I was hit one my passenger side not allowing my escape through that side of the vehicle and i needed to crawl through to the back of the vehicle to escape. My drivers side door lock malfunctioned because of wear on a commonly know part. This should not be considered normal wear and tear considering my 1967 camero still has functioning locks and 50 yrs older.i see not reason as to why a 11 yr old vehicle has non functioning locking equipment and i have owned various other cars without a problem like this malfunction that seems only too obvious of an american safety concern. This seems like a mandatory recall for such an important function of a vehicle to be able to even "get in" or "get out" of the car. Simple concept! won't even be able to operate the vehicle if i can't get in it or sleep in my apartment if i can't get out of it. Huh?the web is full of these complaints and near life disasters because of this malfunction. Seems like this is a problem that people want resolution including myself!if there are so many people aware of this problem online and they have regular jobs no slated to the task of highway safety. How is it that your agency slated with the task of this important job has not done anything to fix this problem. This issue has now span several years of these vehicles and various models. Seems to me that someone, referring to your agency is not doing their job very well at all and needs to wake up concerning this issue with the kia manufacturer to fix this very dangerous problem.get to its boys and girls and get this done, because families depend on you to do the right thing for our well being.scenario:car starts on fire.......can't open door....dead.......a duh!!!!!!!!make sense? yeah! good!they have created a death trap.fix it!!!!!!
Drivers side locking and not releasing.numerous incidents where the drivers side door locks and will not release. (using the key on the outside or the pad on the inside door)i have repeatedly had to climb out the back door because the plastic pieces that were used when making the car are worn out and not allowing the lock to unlock.if there was an accident i would not be able to get out on the drivers side.i believe this is a manufactures defect.i am hoping that a recall or a silent recall will be issued for this since i am not able to open the door to get the door panel off to fix it.
Summer of 2007 a/c would not work sporadically.february 1,2008 i had my personal mechanic come to my house to look at my car to figure out why i am hearing noise coming from under my hood.without any knowledge of my a/c problems he asked me if i have been having problems with my a/c because he sees the problem as being my a/c compressor.calling around for prices to fix this problem i was informed the kia factory is completely out of a/c compressors.i called my local dealership and they had informed me they have replaced a few a/c compressors recently.my car is not drivable due to quite a few things that will lock up under my hood if i continue driving it.i called kia and was told i have to fix the problem on my own and there is nothing they can do about it.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.in june of 2004, the exterior lighting failed while driving at an unknown speed.in addition, the driver's side door would not lock and the check engine light consistently illuminated.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the exterior lighting was repaired; however, the door was not because it was not under warranty.after the repair was made, the exterior lighting continued to fail as well as the other issues.she took the vehicle back to the dealer approximately four times to repair the same failures, but the issues kept persisting.the vehicle has not been repaired since.the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 19,195.updated 10/05/08 the headlights and brake lights were replaced several times. The dimmre switch also failed. Updated 11/06/08.
This is an on going problem from nearly day one.i talked to the dealership and they said there is no correction for the problem as this is the way the car is made, and they would not even try to correct the problem, other than to sell me other bulbs at a high price.the problem being that the headlights illuminate about 6" (yup, inches) in front of the car on the dim setting. It is very difficult to see anything in front of me at night unless there is additional illumination, in the form of other vehicles or street lights, which is not always available.i cannot drive with the bright lights on because of oncoming traffic.i have had the bulbs changed on several occasions, by other than the dealership, and the problem still exists.
Hello i have a few issues with my 2004 kia optima that i have been unable to get resolved.the 1st is my air bag light is constantly on.i took the car into the shop for this while it was under warranty and was told that it was fixed.the light came back on and now the car is no longer under warranty.i was told that in order to have it fixed i have to spend a couple hundred dollars to have my passenger seat removed and some wires would have to be spliced to correct the issue.i'm not comfortable paying to have a problem fixed that should have already been fixed and the response i get as to the solution involves splicing of wires for my air bag.i have been on several websites and heard multiple complaints about the same issue with this year/model.issue #2 involves my headlights.i have owned my car since i purchased it in 2005.i have blown at least 5 sets of headlights in the vehicle.this is sets and not just bulbs.my most recent one has blown and has not even been installed for 3 months.in order to get this fixed i will have to take it to the shop and spend almost $100 just to have somebody test the system and tell me what's wrong and then pay to get it fixed.it has been bad enough that once they both blew at the same time and left me with no headlights at all except for my high beams.i have also seen multiple complaints about this issue also with this make/model.if somebody could please take a look at these issues and assist me with getting them addressed.my car currently will not pass an inspection due to the airbag light being on.
I bought a 2004 kia optimia in march 5005 and already the headlight globewas starting to fade.took it to the dealership,and was told therewas nothing they could do about it.the car has 26800 miles on it. And was kept in a garage .the serviceman said it camefrom sun rays.the only time the carwas in the sunwaswhen i was at work. The carwasin good condition.think this was an injustice,i didn't cause the problem.
Driver door refused to open. I have a disability so this created a huge problem for me. When i put gas in my car (regardless of grade or gas station) my car refuses to start.when i make a u-turn, my car makes loud clicking sound. I had it checked...my axle and every thing else looks fine. No one can establish where the noise comes from. My car has less than 60,000 miles on it, and it should not have all these issues but it does.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was a gas fume leak and the accelerator sensor needed to be replaced because it caused the vehicle to accelerate and decelerate without warning. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The current mileage was 129,548.
Car was difficult to start after fuelfill-up. It got worse after each fill up.tried putting fuel in while car was running, but it would just cut off.must put foot on brake and rev gas after putting in fuel to get going. I was using kroger gas,i switched to shell gas but the problem persist. Also engine light has never come on.i think this is the same problem as the 2003 kia.
Bought kia optima on june 22, 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments, replaced two sets of drive belts, replaced a leaking power steering rack, replaced a leaking fuel regulator, machined the front rotors, lost time from work, lost productivity from work as well as jeopardized my wife's work from car pooling for five months, completed scheduled arbitration with the bbb without success for four problems: acceleration delay, low grinding brake noise, low vibration steering noise, and loud squealing noise from the drive belts. Updated 07/24/2012information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Purchased 2004 kia optima ex new. Have had fuse block replaced w/in 15000 miles. Now, the fuel pump has failed. The car ran fine and was parked. Next day car would not start. No fuses blown. The terminal connector from the fuel pump to the gas tank penetration has burned out causing an intermittent open in circuit. Fuel pump burned up in tank. Wires and connectors visibly charred. Connection that failed is inside of the gas tank. Very similar to ntsb case #10161074. Have 120,000 miles on the car. Others with less mileage are in for trouble due to poor engineering design. Defective parts available for photograph or inspection.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The gas cap was removed and replaced to remove pressure in the fuel tank. When the vehicle was restarted, it was sluggish, and had very little power, and a clunking noise was heard. So, the vehicle was towed to the dealership. The dealers mechanic ran a computer diagnostic test, which revealed several misfire codes. Upon removing the fuel pump, melted wiring was discovered running from the fuel pump to the gas tank. The manufacturer was alerted.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the driver attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful.the vehicle was towed to the repair shop and it was discovered that the electric wire for the fuel pump had burned inside the gas tank.these were the plugs for the fuel pump.the driver was fortunate that the vehicle would not start because an explosion could have occurred.the dealer advised him to call nhtsa and file a complaint because they could not assist.the contact is a mechanic and repaired the vehicle himself.the failure mileage was 75,600.updated 12/11/08.*ljupdated 12/11/08.
I was driving on i-10 westbound,katy tx freeway, travelling about 65 miles per hour. The passenger's side front tire blew out causing the car to go back and fourth between two lanes of traffic. In the process, i was hitting the rubber dividers, damaging the hood of the car and the windshield. The blown tire caused damage to the oil pan, the radiator, and eventually the transmission. I got the car to the emergency lane. The car was towed off the freeway and eventually picked up and transported to a car repair shop. A few days later, the insurance adjuster and the repair shop owner both agreed the car was a total loss. I had to buy a new car.
I was repairing brakelines, while observing under carriage i noticed suspension rust, frame. Looked up recalls and this is one. I included screenshot of proog
2004 kia optima 140,000 miles.this failure happened without warning.i first noticed when i tried to unlock the driver's side door.the key was hard to turn and the unlock button moved slightly.upon pulling the handle to open the door the lock automatically moved to the locked position and the door would not open.this happened repeatedly.from inside the car, if you manually lock the car or if the automatic locks engage while driving you can not open the driver's side door by any means.the locking mechanism failure causes 3 serious safety issues.1) prevents the operator from entering the vehicle in an emergency situation 2) the driver can not lock the door for personal security while operating the vehicle because this will permanently lock the occupant inside.3) the potential that an occupant would be locked inside the vehicle during an emergency and prevented from escaping the vehicle.from the number of complaints about this for kia vehicles this will eventually lead to a serious injury or a fatality if this issue is not escalated to a full recall of the locking mechanism.this should be an immediate recall for models including but not limited to 2001-2005.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated that the front driver and passenger side doors failed to unlock. The contact opened the front driver's side window and opened the door from the outside in order to exit the vehicle. Additionally, the contact attempted to enter the vehicle, however the front driver and passenger side doors unlocked but failed to open as a result the contact entered the vehicle through the rear passenger side door. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.the failure mileage was 86,000 and the current mileage 86,200.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.in june of 2004, the exterior lighting failed while driving at an unknown speed.in addition, the driver's side door would not lock and the check engine light consistently illuminated.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the exterior lighting was repaired; however, the door was not because it was not under warranty.after the repair was made, the exterior lighting continued to fail as well as the other issues.she took the vehicle back to the dealer approximately four times to repair the same failures, but the issues kept persisting.the vehicle has not been repaired since.the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 19,195.updated 10/05/08 the headlights and brake lights were replaced several times. The dimmre switch also failed. Updated 11/06/08.
The driver side door on my 2004 kia optima will not unlock from the inside or from the outside.the power lock system re-locks the door when i attempt to unlock the door. To enter or exit the vehicle, i must climb over the console to the passenger side and use that door.the problem began about 80,000 miles on the car.so far there has been no crisis, but in the event of a fire or submersion in water, it could lead to more harm since exit through the driver side door isn't possible.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to unlock or open. The contact had to get in and out of the vehicle by using the passenger side door. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
When trying to exit my kia, the door locks would not unlock.i tried the manual and electrical switches on the door and all i could get was a click, and then an immediate re-lock of the doors, as soon as i pulled on the door handle.i then rolled the window down and tried the key, several times, from the outside with the same results.i managed to work my 79 year old 210 lb. Body over to the passenger seat and tried the same thing and got the same results.i was ready to call 911 when i tried the key on the outside again for the 5th or 6th time and the locks worked.this is a dangerous situation and i understand is quite common on the kia's at about 100,000 miles,i know i was frightened.i don't know what would happen in a wreck with a fire and the doors would not unlock from the inside or outside.this has happened 4 times, twice while locked inside and twice from the outside tying to get in.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. Upon entering the vehicle, the doors independently locked. In addition, the front driver and rear passenger side doors failed to unlock in order to exit the vehicle on numerous occasions. The contact stated that the front passenger side window failed to open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the driver side door lock failed and could not be opened automatically or manually. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired.the failure and the current mileage was 94,000.updated 07/08/11*ljupdated 07/18/11
Driver side door lock will not open from inside or outside. Have to crawl over center console, gear shift and parking brake handle to get out the passenger side door. If there is an accident on the passenger side, will be trapped inside the car. Very dangerous situation to be in. There are 23 complaints on this website plus numerous complaints online when you do a search. What does it take for a recall to be done? kia should step up to the plate and fix this serious problem.
The drivers door can't be unlocked in any way. I believe this is a serious safety hazard. The driver cannot easily exit the vehicle.*ln
The driver's door will not unlock or open from the inside or outside. I have tried using the key, the electric locks from the inside and also manually.after researching this defect on the internet, it seems this happens a lot to kia's around this year of car. This is a safety hazard as the driver is not able to get out ofor into the car if there is an emergency.a door lock of this year of car should not fail this often or at all. I have much older vehicles that have never had a problem with not being able to get out of a vehicle.
The driver's side will lock you in the vehicle and won't let you out. You can be driving with the doors unlocked and it will lock itself while in motion or you maybe ready to leave a location and can't get back in the car. I have had several problems within the last week of being trapped in my car and sometimes i can't get the locks to let me out on the passenger side either. This has been a scary situation and i hope it doesn't cause someone to be hurt or killed.
I was commuting. I gave my car regular oil changes and tune ups. Then the engine coils went out. The car would not go over forty. Replaced that.heard funny noises coming from the engine. The car was at 70k at this point. The manufacturers warranty said to replace the timing belt at 110k. So i decided to hold off as that probably wasn't the problem and a manufacturer wouldn't lie to me as they are regulated by the government.then i am driving and the car dies in the middle of a busy intersection. I get the car towed. The timing belt is changed and there are half theteeth left onthe timing belt. How is the car still running you may ask? it is a magical car and is like the little train that could. Then i am driving on a busy scary mountainous highway and the car dies again at a blind corner. No check engine light but there are plenty of cars that want to hit me. The car turns back on. The fear for my life and those around me has subsided for a moment. The car is able to turn back on... Somehow. The check engine light stays on.the crank sensor is the problem. The crank sensor was then fixed.this car is a hazard to have on the road. The air bag light has also been on for a year and won't go off. I have had to replace engine coils, door locks, trunk alignments and probably some other things that made me fear for my life. The speedometer also broke and said i was going 0 mph when it was really 80 mph. As of right now the car is running okay. I expect by next october that something will go wrong as that is the month that everything does with this car.
The contact owns 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the door locks would not function properly. The contact was locked in the vehicle and had to climb through the window to get out. The contact had been leaving the doors open but after a minor accident, the doors locked again and would not unlock. The mechanic at the local repair shop stated that they could not fix the door locks because it was a manufacturer's defect. The failure mileage was approximately 60,500 and the current mileage was approximately 130,000. Updated 12/29/10 updated 01/03/11
Driver's door locks and cannot be opened with a key and does not open once inside of the car. The operator essentially is locked in the car. In the event of a crash or fire, the occupant may not be able to easily vacate the vehicle; the only way would be to climb over the console to the passenger compartment or the rear to exit the passenger doors. There have been numerous complaints with no action taken by the manufacturer to remedy the defect and affects multiple manufacturing years. In my opinion it clearly is a safety issue.
On my 2004 kia optima when i unlock the doors with the key all doors unlock except the drivers door real big safety concern, if i get stuck in my car during an accident an cannot get out i will sue kia motor company for not issuing a safety recall, i have also notice a lot of postings based upon this issue on fixya.com for the 2003-2006 kia optima need attention asap.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated that the driver side door would not unlock whether using the keyless entry fob or using the key to manually unlock the door. In order to enter the vehicle, the contact would have to climb through the passenger side door.the contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs.the manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance for the repair.the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 68,000.
In july 2008 the left front door latch mechanism malfunctioned on my 2004 kia optima.this malfunction made it unable to be unlocked.as the locking function of this mechanism works by moving the latch opening lever out of position, this malfunction makes it impossible for the occupant to open the door from inside.this presents a hazard to the occupant in case of crash or fire.the latch was replaced with a replacement unit.in dec 2009, the replacement latch malfunctioned and has exhibited the same characteristic problems.i have not had the $ to replace it again.a quick internet search has revealed that this problem is shared by many kia and hyundai owners.i hope my wife and kids are never in a crash and cannot exit the car.
I went to unlock my 2004 kia optima and the drivers door would not unlock. Repeated attempts failed. I have read numerous forums and this is a recurring problem with this car! this is a safety issue and the car is only 10 years old! if an accident occurs, i would not be able to be rescued. Kia needs to address this problem.
The front door lock on our 2004 kia optima will not unlock, you cannot unlock it from inside or outside of the car, and the door will not open; therefore, you must climb to the otherside of the car to exit or climb out through the window, which i believe creates a safety hazard in the event of an accident.noone would be able to remove you from the car in the event of serious injury, fire or a water rescue.the local kia dealership shop told us that it was a faulty door lock actuator and a common problem, but did not open the door for us. They estimated the cost to repair at $200 plus labor.if this is a common problem, then there should be a recall on this car, especially due to the unsafe nature in the event of an accident.
The driver side door will not unlock with the key or inside switch. All the other doors will unlockexcept the driver door. After turning the key for about 10 mins up to a day or a week it will sometimes unlock, but only using the key.this is a very bad safety hazard. It looks as if the plastic part inside the door that controls the lockingis broken . There were no accidents that made this occur . I have talked to kia on several occasions about the matter and this is one feature that the customer does not need to pay for. This is a defective part and can trap someone in a car . You have to crawl through passenger door to even to get in and drive. Shameful on kia . Seems like its going to take some one burning or have a fatality for kia to do a recall on this , but all about money when they pride on safety.
The event that lead to the failure was me simply locking the door to my 04 kia optima to go into the store. The failure was when i attempted to unlock the door and was forced to climb over the console from the drivers seat. It most often occurs when the doors are locked from inside the vehicle, (power locks). Can only unlock vehicle to get in or out through the passenger or rear doors. It's consequences where described above. Please keep in mind this is not a new issue with this car. My wife did research on what was wrong. It is a lock mechanism that can only be purchased from the dealer. I have contacted the manufacturer who could only tell me i would be reimbursed if the ever is a recall. The problem is not yet fixed because of my recent neck surgery. To fix the issue you have to remove the door panel. The problem has yet to be fixed because it seems like a safety issue. The vehicle has 40,000 miles on it. How am i suppose to get out of me vehicle in an emergency?????????? or even worse my wife????????????? please help and do some research.
My car doors do not open either inside or outside.this problem started with my front passenger side door and now is affecting my drivers side door.the problem appears to be electrical and will happens randomly.the pass. Door is now 100% affected and the drivers side just started today.so the end result is i am locked inside my car unless i crawl through the window.i googled this problem online and apparently this problem is rampant.i called kia customer service and they said that there is not a recall and because my car is a 2004 (with only 39,000 miles)they will not cover it.i told him how dangerous this type of problem was and he really didnt seem to care. Ii asked him who issues recalls and he said it was your organization, when i said that i would call you to try and get a recall he then said "well you could bring it into kia and see what they find, although no gaurantee i would get it paid for by them even though it has happened to many kia cars.i then told him i would be contacting your organization and he didnt seem to happy. * when my passenger door started with this problem approx. 2 months ago i called the local dealer and they said that there was nothing they could do for me.i should add that the nearest kia dealer is approx. 2.5 hours one way away from me.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door was locked but could not be unlocked. The contact stated that he had to manually unlock the door with the key in order to get the door to open. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 140,000. Updated 12/28/12 the consumer stated the driver's door would not unlock using the remote or switch. All the other doors would unlock and unlock using the remote or switch. Updated 01/09/13
Driver door will not unlock with the key, using the inside handle or electric lock control.the door constantly relocks when you try to unlock with the key or the toggle lever inside the car.it will not open in case of an accident.eventried to disable the electric lock by removing the fuse.the electric doors did not work but the door did relock when i tried to open with a key (must be on another circuit - maybe security).large number of identical complaints on the internet.this is a safety issue.
In the car with the doors locked, parked and drivers door would not unlock. Tried the unlock button and the locks unlocked and immediately locked again. I tried several times. I tried to actually us the lock itself (manual) and did the same thing. I also tried the keyless remote and this didn't work either. The locks would unlock then relock immediately. I started to panic but leaned over to the passenger door and the manual look unlock just that door. If i were in an accident or if a child were in the car, this would be a huge problem! i am the original owner of the car and i haven't had other problems with it. I have read online and many people have had the same problem.
Driver's door does not unlock when trying to enter the car and it does not unlock from the inside manually either.
Driver side door will not open, stuck in locked position.can't get out of car unless go over to passenger side door.
My driver side locks will no longer unlock correctly. Sometimes if i jiggle everything together just so i can get it to unlock from the outside. However, once inside it is impossible to get the door open. This is a major issue, if i lock my car it takes me forever to get back in to it. I have to make sure that my children are standing out in the heat waiting on me and not baking in the car waiting for me. If i am in an area afterhours, i am more at risk of having something happen. In addition, if there is an accident or if i need to exit car quickly, it would be impossible as i have to climb out over the passenger side. I currently have a lot of shoulder and neck pain from lifting myself from one seat to another.i have looked up this problem online to see if there is something i can do and i am far from the only one that has experienced this exact issue. They have been offered no help outside of go to the dealer and get it fixed for $300 - $700. This is a faulty manufactured part, not just normal wear and tear. I replaced my brake pads a couple weeks back on the same car, that's normal wear and tear.
The driver side door will not unlock.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver side door failed to latch and lock from inside or outside the vehicle. The contact could only enter and exit the vehicle by using another door. The dealer stated that the lock actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl * the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that he was unable to unlock the passenger side doors and the lock would not release. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 72,000.
2004 kia optima (although all models and years are affected) - front door latch defective (research shows both sides affected; this complaint is specific to passenger-side); door will not open.costly to fix; manufacturer aware of defect.safety hazard; in the event accident involving drivers' side, no way to exit vehicle; would inhibit successful rescue attempts.there is no reason for the consumer to have to shoulder the cost of repair due to poor quality parts or workmanship.this is not only a safety issue, but also a widespread defect, as evidenced by numerous internet blogs on this subject, and dealer acknowledgment.
The driver's side door of my 2004 kia optima locks back everytime i unlock it and try to get out . This is an issue for me and a safety defect and i am afraid of not being able to get out of my car. All of a sudden one day i stopped at the service station to get gas and tried to open the door as fast as it unlock it would lock back trapping me inside the vehicle i had to beg someone to help me out on the passenger side. I have researched the internet as there are other consumers just like myself having the same problem andwe are asking kia to do a recall on this problem because webelieve it to be a malfunction within the door itself. I tried to override it by turning the key and pulling the latch at the same time until i got it to unlock and i left it unlock and then riding in the car on the next day it automatically locked andi freaked out thank god my husband was there because i had to pull over and get out of the car and this is the third day and it won't open. I cannot stand the feeling of being closed in. I cannot afford to get it fixed and i need to be able to use my car please investigate and see if it should be a recall issue. Thank you
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact was unable to unlock all four automatic door locks which prevented her to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were able to unlock the front passenger and both rear doors. The driver side door would not unlock and the contact exit the vehicle through the front passenger side door. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Driver side door will not open, accidentally locked door now it will not open, have to climb over from passenger side to driver side, will not open from inside or outside, i am disabled and it's very difficult to have to climb over to driver side, for a long time now i haveleft the car unlocked for this reason, seems i am not the only one with this problem, a lot of people have placed posts about this issue. It's not only an inconvenience but a safety issue. I feel this is a major recall that needs to be addressed and fixed. Anyone in an accident (god forbid) is trapped, more so if there disabled, people should not have to pay out of pocket for this issue.thank-you
The driver side door on my car will not unlock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i have been putting up with this for 4 to 6 months now. And getting really upset please tell me if this is considered a safetly hazard and this is covered i really don't think i should have to pay for this problem to be fixed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the only way i have been able to get it to unlock is for me to crawl out of the passanger side. Then play with the lock with they key for a few days to have it unlock.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the front driver side door was permanently locked and could not be opened from the inside or outside of the vehicle. The contact would have to enter the vehicle from the front, passenger side door and crawl over the middle console to get into the driver's seat. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where he was advised that the failure was mechanical. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 48,015.updated 10/27/10. *lj
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door failed to unlock. The contact was able to gain access after several attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima lx. The contact stated that the driver side door would not unlock when using the key. The contact had to enter the vehicle through the passenger side. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were approximately 42,000. Updated 08/05/11*ljupdated 08/15/11
Hi there,2 weeks ago my kia optima lx 2004 driver door got locked out and it is not unlock any more. I called dealer and was told it is not under the warranty and they need to order the parts and i have to pay for it. I understand this. But i found lot of similar complaints about the same make and model and all of those consumer got the similar kind of response when the contact their dealer. The question is since lot of consumers having the same issues with same make and model why there is no official re-call. Since this is known issue with kia optima 2004 why consumer needs to pay if they did not createa good part or model. Please advise.
When unlocking drivers side door, says its unlocked but wont open. When inside of car if u lock door u cannot get out using drivers door. Its dangerous. And it is embarrassing climbing over to passenger side to get out.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated that the driver's side door failed to unlock.the contact also mentioned that the power lock would not unlock the door and it could not be opened manually from the inside or outside. The failure occurred on several occasions.the vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that the door latch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the approximate failure mileage was 86,628.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver side door was unable to be locked from the inside or outside . The dealer was contacted who advised that the repair would cost $200 at the contacts expense. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 67,000.updated 06/01/11*ljthe consumer was informed that since the vehicle was over five years old, he would have to pay for the diagnosis. Updated 06/10/11
I have a 2004 kia optima lx 4 door sedan, the frontdoor on the driver side you can not lock and unlocki have to leave the door panel off so if it gets locked, you have to take a screwdriver and push up the little rod that leads to the latch. Believe me i will never buy another kia optima or any kind of a kia in my eyes they are junk . Especially when this junky car only has 87,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver side door lock malfunctioned and would not unlock, which made it difficult for the driver to exit the vehicle. The contact also indicated that the rear passenger side door would not unlock when attempting to exit the vehicle. The contact indicated that the failure for the rear door was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the door locks needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
I own a 2004 kia optima purchased brand new. I have been unable to unlock (or open) the driver side door. The vehicle has never been in an accident. The problem accorded a few weeks ago when i attempted to unlock my car door. Once i removed my key and lifted the handle to get in all of the doors lock. I had to enter through the passenger side door. The drivers side door will also not open from the inside. This is a safety hazard as if i get into a car accident i will be trapped inside and could die!! i am not the only person with this issue for this make and model. And it appears that the 2003 model has the same issue. As you can see from the following websites: http://vlane.com/discuss-topic/989/my-drivers-door-is-locked-will-not-unlock, as well as www.fixya.com/cars/+866401-drivers_door_will_not_unlock this is not an isolated incident. This is clearly a defect that needs to be addressed. Please issue a recall as i fear for my family's safety.
I own a 2004 kia optima and i am recently experiencing problems with my drivers side door i am not the only one experiencing these problems because i have done much research on the topic. The drivers side door will not unlock from inside or outside of the vehicle there is something wrong with the locking mechanism. Resulting in many people having to crawl through there window or passenger door. If there was ever an emergency where somebody needed to get out of the car immediately they would not be able to which could be incredibly unsafe if the vehicle was ever on fire, submerged in water, or if in a bad accident it would take longer to get the medical attention needed.
Drivers side door will not unlock from inside or out. Only way in/out of the car is through 3 other doors. Cannot use key to manually get in door. Latch mechanism will not disengage. If you are inside the car and try to unlock the door and open it, it will make a sound like the door has been unlocked, but then will relock almost immediately.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the drivers side door locks malfunctioned. She was unable to enter the vehicle on the driver side and had to climb in on the passenger side. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The vehicle was parked and locked when the contact attempted to exit through the drivers side door but the door would not open. In order to exit the vehicle, the contact was forced to climb over the center console to exit through the front passenger side door. The failure would recur whenever the vehicle was locked. The failure also intermittently occurred when trying to enter the locked vehicle from the front driver side door. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired.the failure and current mileage was unknown.updated 02/17/11*ljupdated 04/28/11
2004 kia optima ex. The driver door lock will not unlock trapping us in car. Must crawl out through passenger seats. Does not open from inside or outside. Locking mechanism is messed up on drivers side.
When i started to leave for work this morning; i could not get into the car from the drivers side; the door would not unlock; i could not get it to open. This has never happen before so i looked carefully and saw no damage was done to my car so i tried again to unlock and open my door. I put the key in the keyhole as usual but i notice that it felt like it was not fitting correctly and as i turned the key and it was harder to turn but i could hear the sound of the doors unlocking so i pulled the handle to open the drivers door again and it still would not open. The other three car doors worksfine;locking and unlocking like they should.i was then forced to get into the car from the front passenger door. There i attempted to open the drivers door from the inside but my efforts there also failed; which was very alarming. I could feel my anxiety building (feeling trapped & not able to open my car door at anytime)i was running out of time and have to go to work . I tried to open my door from the inside several times but nothing worked. I was able to start the car and let down all the windows. I could breathe some fresh air. All day i had to get in and out of my car form the front passenger door. I tried to open the drivers door several time throughout the day but nothing would work. My door being stuck shut is a horrible feeling to have when driving knowing that one of my ways to escape from the car gone almost helpless at first so i hope this problem is not a small matter to you because it is putting our life in a serious situation; so please treated this as such. Think of this: if there were fire marshalls for cars, would they ever tolerate a front door that can't be open when people are inside? no.
Drivers side door latch failed and would not unlock from inside or out side. Had to exit the vehicle through passenger side door. Very dangerous if there were an emergency. I have seen many complaints online about this issue with the same make, model and approx. Mileage as mine. Kia needs to issue a recall before some one gets hurt.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated she used the keyless entry switch to unlock the automatic power doors. When she reached for the door handle to enter the vehicle, the doors independently locked. After repeated attempts, she was able to unlock the door and enter the vehicle. The contact stated the failure only occurred on the driver's door. The contact stated the only way to enter the vehicle through the driver's door was to pull on the door handle while unlocking it manually. The vehicle was not taken to be examined for the cause of the failure. The failure persisted. The failure and current mileages were 76,000.
The driver's side door on my 2004 kia optima locks itself back when i open it.i can't get in or out the car because the door will not open.i went to get in the car and it would not open. I've had to climb across the center console to get in the car.this is a safety issue for me because it hurts my back everytime i have to do this.this is my only form of transportation so i need to have this fixed. Did an online search to see what the problem could possibly be and found out that i wasn't the only one with this issue. I feel there needs to be a recall on this vehicle to remedy this issue with so many people complaining about the same thing on the same year,make, and model car. Will check back to see what is being done to resolve these issues. If nothing is being done then will seek other avenues to handle this matter.
Driver side door won't unlock.went through a period when it would lock/unlock normally, then periodically we had to unlock with key and pulling door handle at same time, now the door will not unlock at all.
The door lock to the 2004 kia optima have defects that the manufacturer shouldwarranty. Hey go bad from 40 miles all the way beyondalso the seat belts do not recoil when taken off the body.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off and attempting to exit the vehicle the drivers side door would not unlock and could not be opened. The contact also indicated that the front drivers side door could not be unlocked from outside of the vehicle. The door failures had occurred on multiple occasions. The air bags sensor lightremained illuminated indicating that the air bag system was faulty. The failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.
The driver door failed to open by using the keyless entry or manually.you have to climb over the passenger seat to get into or out of the driver's seat.the driver's door will not even open using the handle from the inside of the car. There is not a choice of not having it fixed or not. You don't have the option of not using the keyless entry since the door will not work manually.kia does not have this under warranty so you are forced to replaced both the latch and the actuator. The car had to taken to a kia dealer to be serviced unless climbing over the passenger seat was the way you would choose to enter and exit the car.
The driver side door will not open.it will not unlock from the outside, nor from the inside.i am forced to get into and out of my vehicle through the passenger side and climb over the console.this is the second time this has happened.the first time, in 2006, the dealership in greer, south carolina, said that part of the car was out of warranty.they charged me a little over $300.00 and kept my car for 2 weeks!i had to rent a car and pay for it myself.now, i have this same problem.i have a 5 speed optima.in addition to climbing over the console, i have the stick shift and the emergency brake to climb over as well. This is a safety issue!!should i have an accident, on the passenger side, i will be trapped in my car.i see from the other posts on here, i am not the only one having this problem.i am also sure there are others that are having this safety issue, that have not reported it.when is the nhtsa going to investigate this matter and have a recall issued??? how many of us are going to have to be injured and/or killed because we are trapped in our vehicle due to this? as i mentioned, this is the second time this has happened to my car.perhaps, a class action lawsuit against kia for this safety issue is in order since a recall apparently is not going to happen.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Driver side door will not unlock. Neither the key nor the door lock knob on the inside works to unlock the door. Unfortunately, we have been entering and exiting the driver side by entering the car from the passenger side. There are many others who have this problem with all kia models as you can see on the website http://vlane.com/discuss-topic/989/my-drivers-door-is-locked-will-not-unlock . The problem is a safety hazard since once in the driver seat, the driver can not exit the car through the driver door which can prove to be a problem in an emergency. Kia is taking advantage of owners by not addressing the issue. I am afraid for my safety, my family's safety while driving and emphatically plead with you to recall these kia cars to fix the problem.
Driver side door automatically locks and will not unlock from outside with the key or from the inside unlock lever.driver is trapped inside car and must exit by crawling over console to passenger side door.this happens sporadically and is a serious safety hazard.it renders the car unable to be locked at all.there seem to be plenty of others experiencing this same problem, yet no recall from kia.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the door lock failed. In addition, the doors would automatically lock once opened with the key fob. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The drivers door will not open either from the inside or the outside. The door remains locked as the button and key do not fully unlock it.using both button and key at the same time, i was able to unlock the door and open it.dissassembly of the door and latch located the problem to be the door latch mechanism.the door latch is designed to fail as evidenced by the number of complaints listing this part. The lever that is moved into place when the door is unlocked is blocked by the cam that it interfaces with because the cam has rotated beyond the point that it should.this has the potential to trap someone in the car if it should fail at the wrong time.
The contact owns 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the front door lock failed on the driver's side, and once inside the vehicle, the contact was unable to open the door from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the lock actuator had failed. The dealer advised that becasue the lock was manufacturered from plastic, it was designed to wear. The failure and current mileage was 71,000.
The contact owns 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the passenger front door lock failed to unlock electronically or manually. The air bag warning light also remained illuminated. The drivers door lock also failed at 41,000 miles; however, the actuator was replaced. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the passenger door or the air bag warning light. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000. The current mileage was 64,000...updated 12-30-13 the consumer stated the vehicle was taken to be repaied. The techician advised there was a nickel in the door panel and that the was repaired. There door was not actually repaired. Updated 1/16/2014
The door (drivers side) will not unlock. When you pull the handle to get out of the vehicle it locks and will not allow you to exit the vehicle which can be very dangerous during an emergency. I have searched the internet and this has been an ongoing issue in 2003 - 2005 kias. I can't believe there hasn't been a safety recall yet making kia fix this issue on all vehicles. Maybe it takes an accident and someone being trapped inside the vehicle and losing their life before this is repaired.i didn't find just a few issues when i looked online for the problem i am having, i found page after page of people complaining of the same issue on their kia.
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). To whom it may concern,drivers side car door won't unlock.has been replaced and serviced many times.now it is out of warranty.i've done research and found that several people have had the same problem.obviously if you can't get in and out of the drivers door (from the inside or outside of the vehicle) it is a safety issue.please let me know your findings.thank you for your cooperation in looking into this matter!i look forward to working with you to resolve this issue.i understand it is the locking mechanism that needs to be replaced, but how many times does it have to be replaced before it is fixed--that is the question.[xxx]
It started with doors will lock and unlock automatically while driving, this has been going on since 2012, then the passenger door will not unlock at times since 2012. Then on 2-28-15, the driver's side door will not unlock. I had to climb through the back seat and the console to get to the driver seat. Then on the 3-02-2015,driver's door, the passenger door and the rear back door completely refused to unlock. This isvery scary, in fact, i almost broke my right foot while climbing into the driver seat from the back seat through the console, because my right leg was caught on the passenger seat head rest.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the door locks failed. The contact stated that he tried to enter the vehicle with the automatic key fob but the doors would not unlock. The contact was able to unlock the vehicle by manually turning the key abruptly and pulling the door handle. The contact had previously been locked inside the vehicle as a result of the failure. He was able to exit the vehicle by constantly depressing the automated key fob until the door locks responded. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that once the vehicle was in motion, all of the doors would lock independently. The contact was able to unlock all doors except the drivers door when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the failure recurred when unlocking the door with the keyless entry fob or manually with the keys. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the actuator and the latch for the door would need to be replaced. The vin was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 151,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated thatthe front driver's door would not open from the inside or outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was informed they were unaware of a remedy that would correct the failure. The failure and current mileages were 35,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the drivers side front door failed to open from both the outside and inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who confirmed the door latch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages was 71,634.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to open and close. As the failure progressed, the contact was unable to enter and exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Updated 7/16/15
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.when entering the vehicle with the remote access, the vehicle failed to unlock.the contact proceeded to open the front driver's side door with the key, but the vehicle still would not unlock.she heard the locks clicking in an attempt to open, but the door would not unlatch.the contact was unable to enter the driver's side door with the key or remote entry.she was finally able to enter the vehicle by maneuvering the lock.the contact is unable to lock the vehicle because it may not open again or she could become locked inside.she called the dealer and was informed that it would cost $300 to inspect and repair the vehicle.the manufacturer stated that no compensation would be provided because the warranty was expired.the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure mileage was 95,000 and current mileage was 97,000.
Drivers door latch will not open up.
The lock to the driver's side door will not disengage. I put the key in, but the door will not open.i have to enter the car from the passenger side.from what i have read online, this is not the first time this issue has been brought to the forefront for this company to deal with.however, there have been no recalls placed on this vehicle. Are we supposed to wait to see who dies first before the company is forced to do a recall? if i knew this was a problem with this particular vehicle, i never would have bought it. This is very dangerous. At the time, this is my only means of transportation. It is paid off, and i cannot afford another one. I can't trade it in knowing that the next person would inherit this problem. I, for one, could not live with myself if a person died as a result of not being able to get out in the event of an emergency. Just replace the defective parts on this vehicle. It is a great car, but the defective actuator that prevents the driver's side door from opening overshadows the that fact. I would never recommend any of my family members, friends, co-workers, or anyone else buy this car (or any other kia) until this problem is fixed. The transportation safety board needs to step in fast. We as consumers are doing our part by reporting these issues, please do yours by protecting the public from this safety hazard. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the drivers side door does not unlock from the outside. The key nor the keyless entry would unlock the drivers side door. The contact had to enter the vehicle through the front passenger door. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was able to lock and unlock the door by using the key.when the contact left the dealer she could not open the driver side door from the outside of the vehicle. The contact did not take the vehicle back to the dealer for additional diagnostic testing.the door latch was faulty and need to be replaced.the failure mileage was 79,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated that when she used the key to unlock the doors, only the rear doors unlocked.the front doors also failed to unlock from inside the vehicle.she had to climb in the vehicle from the backseat.the vin was unknown.the current mileage was 109,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. The consumer stated the vehicle will not unlock and have been locked out of the vehicle numerous times. The consumer further stated this is a safety issue and had to leave doors unlocked for fear of being locked out of the vehicle.updated 08/29/07
Purchased a brand new 2004 kia optima from the dealer on 12/09/2004. The cruise control has not been working since the first day it was driven out of the dealer's lot.what's more, three weeks into ownership of the vehicle, it began to exhibit intermittent, rough idling problems. The problem is not noticeable on cold starts, but after it has been driven for about 35 minutes or so and the engine has warmed up and reached a certain temperature, it will begin to make rocking-jerky-thrusting like movements. It can be felt, as if, the car is either choking or trying to accellerate while waiting at a red traffic light. As for the cruise control, the module was ordered on its first visit, the module wasdefective and reordered on its second visit, the module was installed on its third visit,and the dealer stated that it needed a switch for the cruise towork. Three months later, the cruise control is still inoperable. As for the idling problems, it could not be verified on its first visit. It was verified and reproduced on its second visit, and the car stayed for 2 and 1/2 weeks with the dealer to replace a mass airflow sensor.picked up the car only to find out that it still has the same idling problems.it went back to the dealer 5 days later, and they claimed that the problem "could not be detected." two days after its last visit on 02/02/2005, the dealer delivered the car with significant damage on the driver side front and passenger doors. The car got in an accident while it was in the dealer's care, and they promised in writing to fix it.1 and 1/2 months later, the promised was not fulfilled, so i picked up the car and took it to another shop. Myinsurance paid for the cost, less $500 deductible. Where the dealer failed in 1.5 months to fix the damage, another shop succeeded in just 6 days! the doors are fixed, but the on-going problems on the car still remain. Three months of ownership of a supposedly "brand new" car, and it behaves like a clunker.
I have been taking my car to kia of orange park in jacksonville, florida for the past several months because of issues with stalling and hestitation at start and the car has stopped on my while in gear with my foot on the brake (three or four times).each and every time i take it to the dealership they seem to say the vehicle will not duplicate the concerns i am having.i have been afraid to go a long distance with the car because of these issues.i recently switched to southside kia in jacksonville, florida and they convinced me the car was fixed after replacing sparks plus, fuel pump, gas tank valve, and on one ocassion they found the tps sensor loose from the previous kia dealership doing a throttle body service.i am very dissatisfied with kia right about now and have not been able to get any help.
Irregular occurrences of steering problem, leaking power steering rack.since the initial repair of the power steering rack, the consumer has continued to experience problems with the steering, however the dealer was unable to duplicate the consumers concern.the consumer stated when the vehicle was started in the mornings, there was a second delay in the transmission.
Bought kia optima on june 22, 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments, replaced two sets of drive belts, replaced a leaking power steering rack, replaced a leaking fuel regulator, machined the front rotors, lost time from work, lost productivity from work as well as jeopardized my wife's work from car pooling for five months, completed scheduled arbitration with the bbb without success for four problems: acceleration delay, low grinding brake noise, low vibration steering noise, and loud squealing noise from the drive belts. Updated 07/24/2012information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Defect: kia optima 2004 manual transmissionwhen shifting from second to third gear, engine often surges after you remove foot from gas pedal creating an extremely dangerous driving condition.it will surge two times out of three.dealer states that the mfgr states that the engine surge is computor controled and nothing can be done about it.i cannot emphasise enough what a dangerous driving condition/situation this creates.this is a condition that will result in death and injury.kia sells so few manual transmission optima's that i don't think they care and kia will try to ignore the defect.this is not a single incident/this is continual.
I bought my car in august 2004, a 2004 kia optima, and everything was fine until about april 2006.i was driving to work and i noticed when i left my house that the car sounded a little funny and the clutch was giving me problems.i was stopping at a red light and the car just died.i had the car towed to the dealership and the service department insured me that the clutch was under warranty and it would only cost $50 at the most.they gave me a loaner car and i went to work.the service manager called me a couple of hours later to inform me that the clutch wasn't under warranty and it was going to cost me $1500.00 to fix my car.they fixed it and i paid.unfortunately that's not the end of the story, a couple of months later my car broke down again and i had it towed to the same dealership, they instantly gave me a loaner car and i went to work.they called me a few hours later at work to tell me that the clutch was bad again and tried to tell me it was because i was riding the clutch.i told them that this wasn't the only manual transmission i had owned.i've owned 4 manual transmissions some new some much older and i've never had to replace a clutch.they did tell me that i wouldn't have to pay anything because the new clutch was still under warranty.about a week later they called to tell me that they had installed the clutch but they found the transmission was bad and needed to be replaced.i asked them if it was possible that the transmission was the problem in the first place and causedboth clutches to go bad but they insured me that it wasn't possible.they paid for the clutch and the transmission.
1) no events leading to failure, no indication of a pending failure.no lights came on and the car was running well until the day of incident, feb 3, 2008.2)after driving a few miles, the car suddenly would not go forward while in gear.we were on an access road to an interstate.we had to coast into a parking lot and into a parking space while cars avoided us.3)the car was towed to a mechanic, who determined that the flywheel had come loose, destroying the clutch.the car only had 40,000 miles and the mechanic stated this should not occur until almost 100,000 miles.cost to repair was $2,000.
Wheel misalignment and other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear. Rattling noise coming from left front end area, not cv axle or strut.
I own a 2004 kia optima.the driver's side seat belt buckle became detached from the seat under normal use.i was parked and leaned forward in the seat and the buckle came out of the seat housing with a bolt and 2 washers on it.there appears to be no damage to any of the components.i see this as a major safety issue and will have the car at the dealer tomorrow for a hopefully free repair since the seat belt buckle pretty much just fell apart.
A 5 year old child was sitting in the backseat behind the driver while driving 25 mph and a loud pop occurred.the seat belt mechanism broke.it was taken apart and found that the inner workings of the seat belt are plastic and a small plastic clip that holds the spring broke, thus a non working seat belt. Search to see if a recall was present.no recall but tons of threads posted of the same thing occurring on other kia optimas.
A child was sitting in the rear center seat when a snapping sound occurred while at a stop sign.uponinvestigation the seat belt mechanism broke, causing it to not retract or lock. Second seat belt to break on this vehicle, a year apart.concerned this is a safety issue as seat belts are required by law.
My air bag light comes on there's no wires disconnected under the seat and my seat belts do not retract well also my door locks are getting stuck in lock mode and my engine comes on and then goes off.after awhile.when in park
We have had the airbag light come on for the past 3 years always just before the state inspection is dueevery time we get it fixed they said its a switch or a connector. But this year was the worst ,light came onin april, this time they said it's the airbag wire harness and would cost over 1500.00 . We got kia to pay for the part,and we would cover the labor. I'm just worried will this happen again. It should be investigated further.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the rear driver's side seat belt would not retract properly. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic, who stated that the retractor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 78,000.updated 03/27/13*lj updated 05/09/2013
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side head rests were designed with an interior bar covered by fabric. Over a period of time, the metal protruded and caused discomfort. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. The vin was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was being inspected by a private mechanic for a brake grinding noise when he was advised that the passenger rear caliper failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 700 and the current mileage was. 32,429.
The contact owned a 2004 kia optima. While driving at an unknown speed, an abnormal clicking noise emitted from the vehicle. The power steering failed and the wheels shook violently. The brakes failed to stop the vehicle and it crashed into a wall. The air bags deployed and an unknown substance emitted into the contacts eyes. The contact sustained burns to the body and lacerations to both eyes that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin and failure mileage were unknown. Updated 09/23/16*lj
I purchased a new kia optima in 2004.in 2005 the rear passenger tire smelled like burnt rubber.i took the car into dorschel automotive group.they stated that the brakes needed grease and i was all set.the rear brake continued to smell like smoke intermittently and shrugged it off due to lubricants.in 2007 i complained of the problem of smell of smoke and a sound of medal on medal everytime i made a turn.dorschel inspected the brakes and stated i needed new rotors and new brake pads in the rear.the car only had 14,230 miles on it.we argued that a car with such low mileage should not have a break job done so soon.dorschel did not offer any assistance and basically stated they have customers waiting.we reluctantly did the brake job in order to pass inspection.however, we asked for the parts.under inspection of the original brakes, the brakes separated and the pads do not look worn.we called kia to file a complaint.we received a case number k1384334.kia claims this is occurring due to the car sitting.we stated to kia that the car is on the road on a daily basis in all types of weather.kia stated it is our fault, closed the case, and did not resolve the brake issue.we let this issue go, until recently.we took the car back in for the same problem of smoking brakes and medal on medal sound, but this time we took it to vision kia.again, i contacted kia about the same brake issue to have them work directly with vision kia to see if kia truly has a defect in it's parts.vision kia is stating that i need front and back brake jobs.again, kia is stating this is our issue because the car is sitting.again i explained to kia that the car is on the road on a daily basis.the car has 21,417 miles.there are cars that are older than my car with low mileage that never had to have brake jobs done. I believe the issue is that the kia genuine parts are of poor quality.with the brake pads separating, i believe to be a danger of brake failure.
While driving 55 mph the consumer applied the brake pedal and the brakes locked.the consumer lost control of the vehicle.the consumer was able to unlock the brakes and the vehicle stopped completely.the mechanic informed the driver that the brakes needed to be fixed and ordered a part. Please provide further details. The consumer did not apply excessive pressure to brakes vehicle was completely out of control.*tc
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.while driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the rear passenger side tire.the vehicle was taken to the shop the following day for an oil change, and it was discovered that the rear passenger caliper was frozen and would not release.the rotor and caliper were replaced.approximately 8,000 miles later, the pads and rotors had to be replaced again.there is no recall regarding this failure.the current mileage was 17,080 and failure mileage was 80,000.
Bought kia optima on june 22, 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments, replaced two sets of drive belts, replaced a leaking power steering rack, replaced a leaking fuel regulator, machined the front rotors, lost time from work, lost productivity from work as well as jeopardized my wife's work from car pooling for five months, completed scheduled arbitration with the bbb without success for four problems: acceleration delay, low grinding brake noise, low vibration steering noise, and loud squealing noise from the drive belts. Updated 07/24/2012information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.while driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the rear passenger side tire.the vehicle was taken to the shop the following day for an oil change, and it was discovered that the rear passenger caliper was frozen and would not release.the rotor and caliper were replaced.approximately 8,000 miles later, the pads and rotors had to be replaced again.there is no recall regarding this failure.the current mileage was 17,080 and failure mileage was 80,000.
I recently purchased a kia optima 2004, on december 28,2005i notice a piercing noise coming from the back of my car. I took the car into the local dealership who indicated that i needed new brake pads and that my rotors were rusted. My question is how can a car that is brand new and only driven for 14 months have rusted rotors. Isn't there safety standards on material used so that this does not occur in such short of a time.it was not covered under warranty which resulted in a bill totaling $659.00. My purpose of purchasing a new car was to avoid constant repairs right away. I feel that all of the fine print was not disclosed when kia advertises a bumper to bumper warranty for a car up to 100,000 miles.i even called the national customer service hotline for kia and they had no explanation as to why this could have occurred in such short of a time. The car has only seen 1 winter.
Every timemy car go through a mud puddle i lose my power steeringdealer cant find any problems something is wrong.
The nhtsa campaign number is 09v183000 and the component is suspension.i was told that the recall portion for my vehicle was performed but only as an inspection by glassman kia, southfield michigan, in july 2009.i experienced the actual corrosion of the front sub-frame but thank god i did not have a crash.i am told by kmc that there is a possibility they may not fix the car.i have an appointment at glassman tomorrow, july 17, 2014.
The contact owned a 2004 kia optima. While driving at an unknown speed, an abnormal clicking noise emitted from the vehicle. The power steering failed and the wheels shook violently. The brakes failed to stop the vehicle and it crashed into a wall. The air bags deployed and an unknown substance emitted into the contacts eyes. The contact sustained burns to the body and lacerations to both eyes that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin and failure mileage were unknown. Updated 09/23/16*lj
Wheel misalignment and other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear. Rattling noise coming from left front end area, not cv axle or strut.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving at approximately 20 mph, the power steering seized. Also, the subframe was fractured. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact believed that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 09v183000 (suspension).the approximate failure mileage was 91,700.
Bought kia optima on june 22, 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments, replaced two sets of drive belts, replaced a leaking power steering rack, replaced a leaking fuel regulator, machined the front rotors, lost time from work, lost productivity from work as well as jeopardized my wife's work from car pooling for five months, completed scheduled arbitration with the bbb without success for four problems: acceleration delay, low grinding brake noise, low vibration steering noise, and loud squealing noise from the drive belts. Updated 07/24/2012information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Irregular occurrences of steering problem, leaking power steering rack.since the initial repair of the power steering rack, the consumer has continued to experience problems with the steering, however the dealer was unable to duplicate the consumers concern.the consumer stated when the vehicle was started in the mornings, there was a second delay in the transmission.
Sub frame rot leading to poor handling , tire wear, bad engine performance.the rotted supframe is separating from body, causing poor performance.the car is performing poorly at all speeds.not safe...
Driver door refused to open. I have a disability so this created a huge problem for me. When i put gas in my car (regardless of grade or gas station) my car refuses to start.when i make a u-turn, my car makes loud clicking sound. I had it checked...my axle and every thing else looks fine. No one can establish where the noise comes from. My car has less than 60,000 miles on it, and it should not have all these issues but it does.
The drivers door will not open either from the inside or the outside. The door remains locked as the button and key do not fully unlock it.using both button and key at the same time, i was able to unlock the door and open it.dissassembly of the door and latch located the problem to be the door latch mechanism.the door latch is designed to fail as evidenced by the number of complaints listing this part. The lever that is moved into place when the door is unlocked is blocked by the cam that it interfaces with because the cam has rotated beyond the point that it should.this has the potential to trap someone in the car if it should fail at the wrong time.
Driver door will not open even though it indicates the door is unlocked. Despite multiple tries the door will not unlock or open trapping the driver in the car.
Both driver and passenger doors won't open, even though they are unlocked. The car could be on or off with this problem.
The passenger wheel came off the car as my son was backing out of a parking space at a grocery store.i bought this car new. That part of the car had never been worked on.the car had to be towed to a garage for repair.kia used glue on life a support nut on a ball joint, where they should have used a cotter pin.i have bought four (4) kias. These cars are still in the family. The kia i drive daily is identical (except being automatic) to the one that the wheel came off.
Drivers side door will not open with the power lock or by key, i have been getting in and out of my car by using the passenger front door. My husband found a way to unlock my driver side door, now i can not lock my car again.
Drivers door would not open from inside or out, it happened three times and the started working again.
I was on a weekend trip and when i got to my destination i was unable to unlock or open the driver's side door. I had to crawl out the passenger side door.i am back home now. I have tried spraying some lubricant on door latch but i still can not get it to open.
I was driving on i-10 westbound,katy tx freeway, travelling about 65 miles per hour. The passenger's side front tire blew out causing the car to go back and fourth between two lanes of traffic. In the process, i was hitting the rubber dividers, damaging the hood of the car and the windshield. The blown tire caused damage to the oil pan, the radiator, and eventually the transmission. I got the car to the emergency lane. The car was towed off the freeway and eventually picked up and transported to a car repair shop. A few days later, the insurance adjuster and the repair shop owner both agreed the car was a total loss. I had to buy a new car.
The contact owns 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front passenger door was inoperable. Once locked, it could not be opened from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that there were no recalls for the failure and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 93,580.
Driver door would not open from inside or out. Power door lock would automatically re-lock all doors when attempting to open or unlock with key or inside lock lever. Had to crawl over console to get in or out when finally able to get passenger front door to open. Finally able to get door open by holding key cylinder in unlock position and forcing handle to open. Unhooked door lock actuator. As long as locked or unlocked door with key only, door would open. If locked door with inside lock lever, door would not open again. Mechanic replacing the driver front door latch assembly repaired vehicle. Very dangerous situation if in accident or vehicle fire.
Driver door does not open from inside nor from outside. When unlocking the doors, all doors will open except the driver's door. Center lock mechanism or manual use of keys does not help. This is without a doubt a safety problem where driver can be trapped in the car in case of emergency. This is very common in kia optima models.
Driver side door will not unlock. Neither the key nor the door lock knob on the inside works to unlock the door. Unfortunately, we have been entering and exiting the driver side by entering the car from the passenger side. There are many others who have this problem with all kia models as you can see on the website http://vlane.com/discuss-topic/989/my-drivers-door-is-locked-will-not-unlock . The problem is a safety hazard since once in the driver seat, the driver can not exit the car through the driver door which can prove to be a problem in an emergency. Kia is taking advantage of owners by not addressing the issue. I am afraid for my safety, my family's safety while driving and emphatically plead with you to recall these kia cars to fix the problem.
Power door lock locks when unlocking from outside with key. Replaced the door latch. But it still does it. Also the headlights stay on when turning off the car. Have to manually turn off headlight switch.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact heard an abnormal loud sound from the vehicle without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the frame failed. The vehicle was serviced per an unknown recall; however, the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 178,000.
The driver side door will not open from the inside or outside, with or without the key. I've tried everything and can't get it to open. I had to crawl to the passenger side after getting home to get out.
Out of nowhere my daughter's car door would not open, trapping her inside. It won't open with the key or remote. I called kia and they said my warranty ran out and there is no recall despite this being a common issue-- a very dangerous safety issue i must say, since the driver and passengers could possibly be trapped and die in an emergency.
Driver's door locks and cannot be opened with a key and does not open once inside of the car. The operator essentially is locked in the car. In the event of a crash or fire, the occupant may not be able to easily vacate the vehicle; the only way would be to climb over the console to the passenger compartment or the rear to exit the passenger doors. There have been numerous complaints with no action taken by the manufacturer to remedy the defect and affects multiple manufacturing years. In my opinion it clearly is a safety issue.
While stationary - driver's side door will not open from inside or outside with key, manual lock or electronic lock controls (stuck closed).unable to evacuate car from driver's side.safety concern - lack of egress
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that while traveling approximately 5 mph, the vehicle emitted a loud pop. Upon inspection, it was found that the sub frame had failed. The contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 09v183000 (suspension). The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver's side door would not unlock. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver's side door failed to unlock, which prevented access in entering or exiting the vehicle. The contact would have to access the front passenger side door to enter or exit the vehicle. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated the drivers side door will not open when it's unlocked. The contact had to enter the vehicle through the passenger side door. The contact was unable to determine what caused the drivers side door to malfunction. The failure was not diagnosed by a dealer nor a local mechanic. The failure mileage was 95,000.
Passenger and driver door locks will not unlock 85% of the time, preventing normal entry to / exit from the vehicle.multiple attempts using the key in the door latch are required to gain entry the other 15% of the time.this is a huge safety issue in case of crash, fire, or carjacking.internet research shows this to be a common issue around 100k miles.this should be a recall event...
On my 2004 kia optima when i unlock the doors with the key all doors unlock except the drivers door real big safety concern, if i get stuck in my car during an accident an cannot get out i will sue kia motor company for not issuing a safety recall, i have also notice a lot of postings based upon this issue on fixya.com for the 2003-2006 kia optima need attention asap.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. When the vehicle was taken to bill doraty kia (2925 medina rd, medina, oh 44256, (330) 721-9500) for routine brake service, the technician found a crack in the front frame. The dealer stated that the vehicle was safe to drive at that time. The contact was informed that the frame would need to be replaced, but no repairs were made. Since winter was approaching, the contact was concerned that the frame would completely crack due to the weather and salted roadways in her state. The contact received a manufacturer recall and extended warranty notices in 2009. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no issues were found. The dealer sent pictures of the cracked frame to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified and issued case number: 2560103. The manufacturer stated that they would contact the local dealer. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer and dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to unlock or open. The contact had to get in and out of the vehicle by using the passenger side door. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated that the driver side door was defective and would not open from neither the inside or outside of the vehicle.the dealer diagnosed that a module inside the door would need to be replaced.the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired.the failure mileage was 85, 960 and the current mileage was 86,000.
The driver's side door on my 2004 kia optima locks itself back when i open it.i can't get in or out the car because the door will not open.i went to get in the car and it would not open. I've had to climb across the center console to get in the car.this is a safety issue for me because it hurts my back everytime i have to do this.this is my only form of transportation so i need to have this fixed. Did an online search to see what the problem could possibly be and found out that i wasn't the only one with this issue. I feel there needs to be a recall on this vehicle to remedy this issue with so many people complaining about the same thing on the same year,make, and model car. Will check back to see what is being done to resolve these issues. If nothing is being done then will seek other avenues to handle this matter.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door failed to unlock. The contact was able to gain access after several attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Driver side door does not open from inside, even when in 'unlock' position. I drove to work, having no problems opening the door to get into the car, nothing unusual happened during my 15 minute commute. I arrived at work, and was forced to exit the car through the passenger side door. The driver side door will now only open if you use the key and can randomly find the perfect timing of turning the key and pulling the door handle. It is nearly impossible to perform this maneuver from inside the vehicle. Having no ease of access from the driver side front seat of the vehicle poses an extreme safety concern to all those driving similar vehicles. Having performed just cursory research over the past two days, i have come across hundreds of similar accounts from other kia owners. This is obviously a manufacturing defect, and should be handled as a recall.
The drivers door will not open from the outside or the inside. I have to crawl in from the passenger side and then when i want to get out i have to crawl over and exit from the passenger side. Tried to unlock it with my keyless entry and now it doesn't work. Replaced batteries but still not working. My son kept turning the key in the door and finally got it opened. The next time i drove it the same thing happened. I am tired of having to crawl in and out of my car. I always enjoyed driving my kia but not anymore.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the door lock failed. In addition, the doors would automatically lock once opened with the key fob. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver side door would become stuck and he was unable to open the door. The contact would have to exit the vehicle through the passenger side door.the contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired for the failure four years prior to the most recent recurrence. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 32,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.
I have been refused the repair on my 2004 kia by no less than 3 dealerships about the rusting front end because of lack of rust proofing. It made the car undrivable 4 months ago and i have had no satisfaction. You are going after toyota with both barrels yet you are leaving kia alone and i have had nothing but serious expenses and problems with this car since it was purchased brand new in 2004. I have made several attempts at contacting your office with negative replies. If i do not here from this agency in the near future concerning my issues i will contact the media and seek my restitution through the squeaky wheel getting the grease method and my attempts to have the government assist will be part of that discussion. Please put heat on kia to get aggressive with the recall repairs.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving at approximately 20 mph, the power steering seized. Also, the subframe was fractured. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact believed that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 09v183000 (suspension).the approximate failure mileage was 91,700.
As described by others driver side lower ball joint on '04 kia optima broke with 1 sheared bolt and 1 bolt just falling out (rusted with no clean areas)the ball joint had 1 part of the sheared bolt remaining and 1 rusted threaded hole.dealer offered no help other than to indicate that this was not related to the subframe recall of last august ('09).
Motor mounts and pulleys defective. This will be my third time to the shop in less than a month. The pulleys and mounts are bound to cause other damage.
Received recall letter from kia june15,2009, possibility of corrosion of the subframe. I called my dealer within a couple of days and was told no parts in they would call me. On aug. 03 i called the kia consumer assistance center and they called the dealer and was told still not parts. I was told i would be called back within two days to let me know why no parts however it was the same no call. I am concerned that my car may be faulty and i can get no service or help. If it is a recall why can i not get help to have it checked. Kia motors america inc. Gave no reply and the dealer still says no parts. On aug 15th it will be two months and no help. Thank you(this is from a recall letter to me).
The recall concerning the 01 -04 kia optima subframe causing the car to be unable to maintain alignment is not being honored by dealers. I have made multiple attempts to either contact dealers for an appointment to which they would not return phonecalls or e-mails, or in one case actually got hold of a dealer who told me that at 130,000 miles it was time to replace the subframe and that i would have to pay for it. I have been eating tires and have not been able to keep this car aligned after the first 20,000 miles. I continue to drive this car because i am unable to replace it. I have had to put 2 clutches in it (the first one after 29,000 miles. For the record i have driven standards for 27 years before this and had never had to replace a clutch) and found out after the second clutch (which at no time would kia acknowledge a design flaw or any culpability) that the original clutches were not lasting on these cars and a standard pressure plate clutch had replaced the original under an engineering change instead of a recall.this car is unsafe and kia corporation and any dealer i have attempted to contact so far has refused ever to make good on any aspect of this car. This car and any 01-04 kia optima should have to be replaced by the kia corporation for their blatant disregard to the consumer for their safety and costs. I am going to attempt a media blitz to inform the american public of this blatant disregard and these safety issues in the next few weeks and felt you would want to know in order to get your data in order.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed inspection due to severe corrosion of the subframe. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 09v183000 (suspension) as a possible solution to the failure; however, the vin was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000. ..updated 05/05/17
The passenger wheel came off the car as my son was backing out of a parking space at a grocery store.i bought this car new. That part of the car had never been worked on.the car had to be towed to a garage for repair.kia used glue on life a support nut on a ball joint, where they should have used a cotter pin.i have bought four (4) kias. These cars are still in the family. The kia i drive daily is identical (except being automatic) to the one that the wheel came off.
My 2004 kia optima pulls to the left.it will pull you into oncoming traffic.your web page doesnot have kia listed as a vehicle choice.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they noticed rust on the passenger's side subframe rail. The vehicle was previously inspected under nhtsa campaign id number 09v183000 (suspension) but no repair was required.the manufacturer was notified of the problem. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 73,615...updated 12-30-13
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving 30 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the frame was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v183000 (suspension). The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle would drift when driving various speeds. The mechanic discovered there was severe corrosion on the sub fram which would need to be replaced. The contact was informed by the dealer that the remedy for nhtsa campaign number 09v183000 (suspension) had already been performed on the vehicle prior to the contact's purchase. The remedy included an inspection of the sub frame, drilling holes into the sub frame and applying a sealant coating. The contact indicated that the remedy was insufficient and did not prevent the defect from occurring. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 78,603.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the vehicle veered to the right. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the suspension frame on the passenger side tire was rusted and the tire was disconnecting from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v183000 (suspension). The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.updated 2/24/15updated 03/02/15
Rt ball joint/axle broke while driving on 10 oct 08. My vehicle is a 2004 kia optima.
Sub frame rot leading to poor handling , tire wear, bad engine performance.the rotted supframe is separating from body, causing poor performance.the car is performing poorly at all speeds.not safe...
I was repairing brakelines, while observing under carriage i noticed suspension rust, frame. Looked up recalls and this is one. I included screenshot of proog
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle would make a loud noise and the steering wheel would vibrate violently. A local mechanic informed the contact of the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 09v183000 (suspension:front). An authorized dealer was then notified and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 67,000.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.while driving 20 mph out of a parking lot, the front passenger side lower ball joint and axle detached from the vehicle.the contact controlled the vehicle until it came to a stop twelve feet from the incident.her insurance company provided roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to a collision shop.prior to the failure, the contact informed the dealer of a grinding noise she heard.they stated that they were too busy to check the vehicle, but three hours later the axle and lower ball joints failed.the failure mileage was 68,954.
The nhtsa campaign number is 09v183000 and the component is suspension.i was told that the recall portion for my vehicle was performed but only as an inspection by glassman kia, southfield michigan, in july 2009.i experienced the actual corrosion of the front sub-frame but thank god i did not have a crash.i am told by kmc that there is a possibility they may not fix the car.i have an appointment at glassman tomorrow, july 17, 2014.
As described by others driver side lower ball joint on '04 kia optima broke with 1 sheared bolt and 1 bolt just falling out (rusted with no clean areas)the ball joint had 1 part of the sheared bolt remaining and 1 rusted threaded hole.dealer offered no help other than to indicate that this was not related to the subframe recall of last august ('09).
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving approximately 10 mph, an extremely loud sound of metal to metal emitted outside of the vehicle. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and noticed the front driver's side suspension and frame completely fractured due to rust corrosion. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The failure was associated with recall nhtsa campaign id number 09v183000 (suspension: front); however, the vin was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact planned to notify the manufacturer regarding the defect. The failure mileage was 85,854. I was less than ten minutes removed for highway, i could have been killed, wheel front passanger completely broke off! updated 09/14/2011 *lnupdated 12/19/11
I have been refused the repair on my 2004 kia by no less than 3 dealerships about the rusting front end because of lack of rust proofing. It made the car undrivable 4 months ago and i have had no satisfaction. You are going after toyota with both barrels yet you are leaving kia alone and i have had nothing but serious expenses and problems with this car since it was purchased brand new in 2004. I have made several attempts at contacting your office with negative replies. If i do not here from this agency in the near future concerning my issues i will contact the media and seek my restitution through the squeaky wheel getting the grease method and my attempts to have the government assist will be part of that discussion. Please put heat on kia to get aggressive with the recall repairs.
Wheel misalignment and other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear. Rattling noise coming from left front end area, not cv axle or strut.
Vehicle was involved in a single car accident impacting a fixed median curb. The car was towed to a repair shop identified by my insurance company. The tow truck driver remarked that the front suspension appeared to have bolts missing. This was independently verified by the body shop. In their damage assessment, they found that the lower control arm to ball joint bolts were missing and the 2 holes were rounded out in a way that would be consistent with the bolts falling out. The bolts falling out caused the left front suspension to collapse thereby causing the accident. A complaint was filed with kia motors america. They required the insurance company or myself to provide all of the evidence to show that their car was at fault. After submitting the repair estimate and pictures from both the scene and from the repair shop, kia motors america and their legal department determined that they are not at fault.the repair shop manager could not believe that they would make a determination without ever looking at the car. According to jennifer at kia, the complaint is closed and i have no further recourse other that to contact a lawyer. The vehicle has not been repaired as it will be shown as a claim against my insurance policy and then cause my rates to increase. I fear that this problem may be present on other 2004 kia optimas or other models that both kia and hyundai makes.updated01/11/06.
I have been refused the repair on my 2004 kia by no less than 3 dealerships about the rusting front end because of lack of rust proofing. It made the car undrivable 4 months ago and i have had no satisfaction. You are going after toyota with both barrels yet you are leaving kia alone and i have had nothing but serious expenses and problems with this car since it was purchased brand new in 2004. I have made several attempts at contacting your office with negative replies. If i do not here from this agency in the near future concerning my issues i will contact the media and seek my restitution through the squeaky wheel getting the grease method and my attempts to have the government assist will be part of that discussion. Please put heat on kia to get aggressive with the recall repairs.
Driver's door locking system will not unlock, all others do. The door locks itself immediately as you try to unlock either with the key (outside) or pressing the central lock button (when inside).this would be a serious problem if the car was involved in an accident and/or fire was an issue. Right now it is inconvenient to climb over the center console.i see this is not the first complaint on this subject and the problem seems endemic to this car.the problem started intermittently from september 2016 and now is permanent as of november 30.
The driver's side door will not unlock from either the inside or outside. The key won't work.i had to crawl over the passenger seat risking potential injury . This is a safety issue. I notified the dealer who saidbasically that it wasn't his dealership's problem and to call kia consumer number. I did call and he also said basically that it is not kia's problem, it is not a safety issue, and too bad for you. There are many documented instances of this door latch failing. Itis a safety issue despite what the consumer rep said at kia. $50.00 diagnosis cost plus , when the part finally comes in, another $230.00 dollars. It is unacceptable for kia to ignore this safety issue.
I have a 2004 kia optima with a belt that squeaks rather loudly. I took it back to the dealer. They said it was not covered under warranty and would cost $120.00 to replace it if i wanted to, but it was not dangerous. My problem was that i had just bought the car and it made this awful sound. I even contacted kia's complaint department, but nothing was ever done. This is my first and last kia. This just didn't happen once, but squeaks on a regular basis.
Sub frame rot leading to poor handling , tire wear, bad engine performance.the rotted supframe is separating from body, causing poor performance.the car is performing poorly at all speeds.not safe...
We just purchased is car last saturday and went to the store and locked the doors then when we went to unlock the doors with the key on the driver side the driver door would not unlock. I would turn the key and pull the handle and the doors would lock back. I had to get in and back out through the passanger side. When i got home my son finally got it to unlock and open and everytime we would lock it it would not unlock or open. We just have to keep working with it until it fianlly unlocks and the door opens. So now i am afraid to lock it. I read online of many reports of this same problem and it would really be nice to get a recall for it.
Driver door fails to open. When will something be done about this? there are complaints everywhere online about this exact issue on this exact model and other years too. I can't get in or out of my car through the driver door. This is a huge safety concern!
Cannot add fuel because the pump stops from filling up the tank.it took me about 7 times to get in $7 worth of gas.even though this car only has 25,830 miles on it.it has hardly been used.we put gas in about every 3 or 4 weeks - not that often.
Out of nowhere my daughter's car door would not open, trapping her inside. It won't open with the key or remote. I called kia and they said my warranty ran out and there is no recall despite this being a common issue-- a very dangerous safety issue i must say, since the driver and passengers could possibly be trapped and die in an emergency.
Drivers side door will not open with the power lock or by key, i have been getting in and out of my car by using the passenger front door. My husband found a way to unlock my driver side door, now i can not lock my car again.
Drivers door lock will not open from inside at all & only 10%of the time from outside with key. Pulled fuse on actuators & lock continues to malfunction. Can not efficiently get in or out of the car. Have to slide over center to reach passenger door to get out. I am 6'4" so this is a real safety hazard.
Kia optima problemmodel years affected: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 the driver front door lock on my 2004 kia optima started giving me problems. If i am in the car and locked the door, i could not unlock it. If i was outside and try to use the key to unlock the doors, it would not unlock. If i tried to use the key, it felt like something was jamming, and the actuator would automatically relock. I took the car to the local kia dealership and the shop told me that it was a faulty door lock actuator.the mechanic did not open the door but said that this was a common problem. They estimated cost is $300+ including labor to repair. As an interim solution, the mechanic told us to "turn the key and pull the handle simultaneously". The trick worked about 30% of the time. It still does not solve the fact that once you're inside, you have to crawl out through the passenger side to exit or go dukes of hazard on it.
My drivers side door automatic locks lock and even after manually unlocking them i am unable to open the door.have to enter and exit the vehicle through passenger door.many other kia optima owners online have the same issue.this poses a serious safety risk if i can't exit the vehicle in an emergency. Please force kia to make this right!
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima.the contact stated while driving 30 mph with the brakes engaged the vehicle accelerated and crashed into some trees. The vehicle was destroyed.no one was injured. The contact did not call the manufacturer. The contact stated that the vehicle had always been unsafe to drive.the failure mileage was 40,000.
While driving on a highway with cruise control active, i was unable to turn off the cruise control with the steering wheel control buttons. The cancel and set buttons had no effect when pressed. The car remained traveling at the set speed. Tapping on the brake pedal did cancel the cruise control.
I was commuting. I gave my car regular oil changes and tune ups. Then the engine coils went out. The car would not go over forty. Replaced that.heard funny noises coming from the engine. The car was at 70k at this point. The manufacturers warranty said to replace the timing belt at 110k. So i decided to hold off as that probably wasn't the problem and a manufacturer wouldn't lie to me as they are regulated by the government.then i am driving and the car dies in the middle of a busy intersection. I get the car towed. The timing belt is changed and there are half theteeth left onthe timing belt. How is the car still running you may ask? it is a magical car and is like the little train that could. Then i am driving on a busy scary mountainous highway and the car dies again at a blind corner. No check engine light but there are plenty of cars that want to hit me. The car turns back on. The fear for my life and those around me has subsided for a moment. The car is able to turn back on... Somehow. The check engine light stays on.the crank sensor is the problem. The crank sensor was then fixed.this car is a hazard to have on the road. The air bag light has also been on for a year and won't go off. I have had to replace engine coils, door locks, trunk alignments and probably some other things that made me fear for my life. The speedometer also broke and said i was going 0 mph when it was really 80 mph. As of right now the car is running okay. I expect by next october that something will go wrong as that is the month that everything does with this car.
The car was running fine until after a few hours of driving it just stopped running.this is the second time this has occurred.the engine rpm dropped to zero and the car coasted.after sitting for less than an hour the car started up again.i took it to the kia dealer and they said, even though the car had less than 60,000 miles, they would have to diagnose the problem and charge us $200 to do so, and the electronic parts were not covered.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was a gas fume leak and the accelerator sensor needed to be replaced because it caused the vehicle to accelerate and decelerate without warning. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The current mileage was 129,548.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. Upon entering the vehicle, the doors independently locked. In addition, the front driver and rear passenger side doors failed to unlock in order to exit the vehicle on numerous occasions. The contact stated that the front passenger side window failed to open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
The passenger wheel came off the car as my son was backing out of a parking space at a grocery store.i bought this car new. That part of the car had never been worked on.the car had to be towed to a garage for repair.kia used glue on life a support nut on a ball joint, where they should have used a cotter pin.i have bought four (4) kias. These cars are still in the family. The kia i drive daily is identical (except being automatic) to the one that the wheel came off.
I was driving on i-10 westbound,katy tx freeway, travelling about 65 miles per hour. The passenger's side front tire blew out causing the car to go back and fourth between two lanes of traffic. In the process, i was hitting the rubber dividers, damaging the hood of the car and the windshield. The blown tire caused damage to the oil pan, the radiator, and eventually the transmission. I got the car to the emergency lane. The car was towed off the freeway and eventually picked up and transported to a car repair shop. A few days later, the insurance adjuster and the repair shop owner both agreed the car was a total loss. I had to buy a new car.
The nhtsa campaign number is 09v183000 and the component is suspension.i was told that the recall portion for my vehicle was performed but only as an inspection by glassman kia, southfield michigan, in july 2009.i experienced the actual corrosion of the front sub-frame but thank god i did not have a crash.i am told by kmc that there is a possibility they may not fix the car.i have an appointment at glassman tomorrow, july 17, 2014.
The contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving approximately 10 mph, an extremely loud sound of metal to metal emitted outside of the vehicle. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and noticed the front driver's side suspension and frame completely fractured due to rust corrosion. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The failure was associated with recall nhtsa campaign id number 09v183000 (suspension: front); however, the vin was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact planned to notify the manufacturer regarding the defect. The failure mileage was 85,854. I was less than ten minutes removed for highway, i could have been killed, wheel front passanger completely broke off! updated 09/14/2011 *lnupdated 12/19/11
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