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We found the following complaints for KIA OPTIMA (2005)

Read complaints for KIA OPTIMA (2005)


I started the vehicle this morning and the air bag light remained illuminated. The light remains illuminated after two days.

Needed to replace door latch on driver's side.door would not open from the inside.air bag on passenger side will not deploy.

I have a lot of complaints.i have a 2005 kia optima.my air bag light has been on and the dealership told me "anytime anyone with any weight sits down on the seat it will come disconnected".i had it fixed once and now it is on again.ever since i have bought this car i have had nothing but problems.the only dealership i can go to is 2 hours away by freeway.i am afraid for my family to be in this car because i do not know if we will be protected as we should be.the first time that it broke down was a week after we bought it and the mechanics told me that there was nothing wrong with the car.the drivers side door will not unlock, and when i had the throttle replaced the mechanics at the dealership did not even do the repair correctly causing the car to rev up when stopped.please help me resolve the issues i have.

Right after my warranty expired my airbag light started flickering when i went overa minor bump. It is now constantly on. I have seen others post the same issue with my vehicle.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the codes were cleared; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

2005 kia optima air bag lights keep coming on.

Continuing problem with air bag light on vehicle.reported to dealer 9-25-06, 1-4-07, 8-7-07, 3-25-08. Air bag light remains on.

On 8/27/05, about 1:30 p.m. Robertaseals was involved in a semi-head-on collision with an 85 chevy blazer traveling approximatley 35-40mph. Roberta was at an almost complete stop, attempting to make a left-hand turn. The other driver has admitted to not paying attention to his speed or the road, having reached down for his cell phone. The impact was great enough to throw roberta's 2005 kia optima approximatley 150 ft. Into the front yard, on the left side of the street.the impact occured on the right-side front bumper, resulting in the front being shoved, accordian style, towards the drivers window.this impact was hard enough to throw roberta into the windshield causing a minor bump to appear in the middle of her head, because the airbag in the vehicle did not deploy.roberta was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the accident.she suffers from contusions and sprains on both of her knees, her glutos maximus and right arm.her right arm is still swollen and in a splint and sling at this time.no repairs have been completed at this time to the vehicle.our main issue is with the airbag not having deployed on impact.

I was involved in an accident on 3/11/08.a woman caused me to rear end her going about 40-45mph.my car was basically totaled.i had my 2 month old twins in the car and my 3yr old son.luckily we were all buckled in.i didn't sustain any serious injuries.i have few pains but due to work i have not seen a doctor as of yet.my children are to young to communicate if and when they are having pain related to the accident, but physically they look fine.the airbags in the vehicle did not deploy at all.i feel that if we were not buckled in and would have relied soley on the airbag system we could have incurred serious bodily injuries.my concern is the airbags not deploying.

I noticed that my airbag light would go off and on from time to time, then it would just stay on. I took it in to the shop, they told me it was a problem with the sensor, they repaired it and the problem came back. The airbag light is always on.

Purchased 2005 kia optima in 7/06. Air bag light came on in sept 06. Dealer notified and fixed.air bag light came on again a short time later and sent to dealer again, 1-4-07, fixed. Air bag light came on again sent to dealer on 8-7-07, fixed. Air bag light came on again sent to dealer 3-25-08 and fixed.air bag light came on again in 6/08 and light remains on at this time.air bag is not working at this time.we had an accident with the vehicle on 7/07.it was a front end collision and air bags did not deploy.

Airbag light came on for no reason and will not go off. The driver seat and sunroof have an electrical issue where they work then don't, found that the switches are bad and work sometimes.

My airbag continues to have problems and the airbag light will not go off for over a year now.the car was just started and stationary when the light went on.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.the air bag indicator illuminates intermittently.it has been an ongoing issue for months.the vehicle has been taken to the dealer approximately eight times; however, the diagnostic fails to produce an error code each time.the failure always recurs after a few weeks.the contact believes that the part is defective and the manufacturer should develop a proper remedy.the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 55,000.updated 02/10/09. *ljupdated 02/10/09.

One morning i turned the car on and the air bag light came on and has not gone off! ; (

Eight (8) times since i bought the car the air bag warning light has come on; each time i've taken it to the dealership to have repaired as my families safety is of great concern to me.on two of those occasions the dealership replaced a seat back parts that worked temporarily.the other occasions i was mostly given a bunch of nonsense about computer codes and that they cleared the code(i assume i have air bag protection). All of this occurred while the car was still under it's 60,000 mile warranty. A couple of weeks ago, i called the manufacture to let them know that the recurring problem i've had with the seat belt light had occurred again and that my mileage was 58,880 and thati was bringing into dealership asap. Today when i went into the dealership for the same problem i was told that the defective air bag was no longer covered under the warranty and that i would have to pay a $155.00 to have the "pin tension reset".i argued with dealership and manufacturer about coverage under warranty and refused to pay the $155.00 and had to agree to pay a $53.00 diagnostic fee, which i did.i was then told that they had "cleared the air bag light for now".so, i asked if they had indeed done this suggested repair of having the pin tension reset and the he replied no,but the airbag light is cleared for now.i have absolutely no confidence that my air bags will deploy and 100% certainty that the air bag warning light will turn back on.my family is in grave danger in the event of an accident and i would like this investigated further.

Six times since january 07 i've been back to the dealership to fix a air bag light issue.they say that are doing what the computer tells them to do and the problem keeps returning.i believe kia is not accepting responsibility for a bigger problem with the air and does not know if it is fixed or not.since the air bag light can not be predictable the car is unsafe and should be recalled.

Approximately 30 days ago my air bag light came back on.i've left messages with the kia consumer affairs office at least 7 times since this problem recurred, with no reply from kia.last year i filed a complaint with this office and kia fixed the air bag problem.this has been a recurring problem ever since i bought the car. The problem has returned and i believe the air bags in this car are defective and should be recalled.again, i have no confidence that the air bags will deploy and my family is in danger in the event of an accident.please investigate.

The light for my air bag has been staying on and my horn quit working for over a year now. I finally took it to the shop for them to look at it, they told me it was a clock switch (i believe i said that right) which is something in the steering connected to the airbag and horn. I am concerned that the airbag might activate while i am driving which would not be good. Maybe even not work if i get in a wreck.

I was traveling at about 35-40 mph when i noticed the person in front of me stop. I hit the brakes and could not stop in time and collided with the rear of this persons car. It smashed in my front bumper, fender, bent the hood about two feet in the air, and my airbags did not deploy. I drive a kia optima 2005. I think this crash definitely warranted a airbag deployment.

Dt: 2005 kia optima.the consumer's vehicle was rear ended and was pushed into the vehicle in front of hers. The vehicle that hit her was totaled.upon impact, theairbags did not deploy.the front and back of the vehicle was smashed.the hood, trunk and three of the four doors will not shut.the consumer stated lower back was straight where it should be curved.she was not sure the extent of her injuries.she was unable to get into the doctor's office.her seven year old step daughter was also in the vehicle and she had a bruise and was sore on her ribs.

My fiance was traveling down a road where the speed limit is 55 mph and he was blinded by bright lights, he ran off the road and lost control of his car which caused him to strike a tree on the passenger side.he hit the tree at about 50 mph and was spun around and nose dived down a hill. Now he initially hit the back passenger door which means it was a side impact crash and his side airbags didn't deploy.....was this a default?????

Needed to replace door latch on driver's side.door would not open from the inside.air bag on passenger side will not deploy.

Airbag light came on for no reason and will not go off. The driver seat and sunroof have an electrical issue where they work then don't, found that the switches are bad and work sometimes.

I have a lot of complaints.i have a 2005 kia optima.my air bag light has been on and the dealership told me "anytime anyone with any weight sits down on the seat it will come disconnected".i had it fixed once and now it is on again.ever since i have bought this car i have had nothing but problems.the only dealership i can go to is 2 hours away by freeway.i am afraid for my family to be in this car because i do not know if we will be protected as we should be.the first time that it broke down was a week after we bought it and the mechanics told me that there was nothing wrong with the car.the drivers side door will not unlock, and when i had the throttle replaced the mechanics at the dealership did not even do the repair correctly causing the car to rev up when stopped.please help me resolve the issues i have.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.while driving 35 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the dashboard while the air conditioner was running.the smoke was so thick that he could not see through the smoke.the dealer was notified and stated that the cigarette lighter could be the possible cause of the failure.they stated that nothing could be done because the vehicle was out of warranty.upon further investigation, the contact noticed a black box on the driver's side underneath the dashboard covered in electrical tape.it was discovered that the previous owner installed after market floor board lights in the vehicle that required a massive amount of power.the tail lights on the vehicle were inoperable.no repairs were made.the failure and current mileages were less than 77,000.

Drivers side door locks and refuses to unlock if the door is completely closed. Huge safety issue, as i've been forced to crawl out the passengers side multiple times daily!

Passenger side door no longer opens. This is a safety issue. Driver must enter and exit vehicle from passenger side. This is dangerous. Kia dealership was not able to open the door or fix the problem...

My driver side door will not open both from outside and inside, so i've to go through the passenger side to get out and get in the car.

The driver side door will not unlock from the inside or outside. I can hear the assembly trying to work, the key will unlock the other doors. This is a huge safety issue in an emergency. I called the kia dealership iand they told me they had never heard of this with this vehicle. How many people are going to possibly lose their life in an accident,because of this defect before there is a recall.

Doors, locks, linkage, upon leaving work on june 16th, 2010, i went to unlock the driver's side door using the key and the car door would not open.i opened the car from the passenger side and crawled over to try to open the driver's side door from the inside, no luck. The driver side door has not and will not open from either side. Huge safety hazard!!!no luck with kia fixing it either!!!

Driver's side door would not open.you could click it and it would sound like it was going to open, but it didn't.had to drive to a kia store and have the whole assembly replaced at the tune of $450.interestingly enough, they did not seem to think this was a common problem, but i can see there are hundreds of complaints about this problem.i had my two year old grandson in the back seat and was very worried about getting stuck in the car.if this happens again, i will sell the car.there seem to be a lot of electrical problems on this car.i replace the headlights and taillights regularly (about once a month) and i am always having the engine light come on, when there is nothing wrong.how many of these complaints do you need before something is done?or does someone have to get killed first?

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While the vehicle was parked, the locks on the door failed to work. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The vin was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Driver's door will not open, from either inside or outside. The locking mechanism will not unlock, leaving no easy access or exit to or from the driver's seat. This is quite a hazard as the operator could become trapped in the car in an emergency (and the problem has been reported all over the internet for some years now as being very common to this particular car). Why has nhtsa been ignoring this problem? ....updated 12/09/15 updated 08/30/2017*ct

The driver side door will not unlock from the inside or outside. I can hear the assembly trying to work, the key will unlock the other doors.this is a huge safety issue in an emergency.i called the kia dealership in newport richey fl and they told me this a common problem with this vehicle.how many people are going to possibly lose their life in an accident,because of this defect before there is a recall.

I am a disabled woman who became trapped in her own car because the lock mechanism on the door would not open nor could i roll down the window. This is unacceptable. I tried to climb over the gearshift to try the passenger door and hurt my back in the process. I called 911 for help

My passenger side door will not unlock, and can not be opened from inside or outside of the vehicle.the only way to exit the vehicle is to either crawl out of the window or crawl over the center console.my fear is if in the event of emergency the door would not open and we would be sick in the vehicle.

I have been researching the problem i have with my 2005 kia optima and i found out that i am not the only person with this issue. Therefore i saw it necessary for me to bring this to your attention. The door latches are malfunctioning. This is a major safety hazard because if the car ever caught fire or if the car ever went into a river, got flooded, or in a wreck it would be very difficult for the driver to get out of the car. My driver side door will not open, from the inside or the outside. It stays locked and even when you unlock the car, the door will not open. I currently had a baby and had to have a c-section. It was horrible having to climb in and out the car through the passenger side.... From researching this issue i have come across so many people that have had the same issue. Kia should recall the 2005 optima.

I believe this problem should be a recall. This is a safety issue and needs to be corrected by the manufacturer. We had the same problem where the driver door would not open no matter what you did,. It wouldn't open from the inside or the outside. All the other doors would open, but the driver door. If you opened it with the key it clicked, but when you pulled the handle to open the door it would lock.. In order to get out of the car my husband, who has a bad back had to climb over the center console. You wouldn't be able to get out in an emergency and this issue needs to be addressed. Another issue that we are having is we are always replacing bulbs in the headlights and taillights; about once a month. We are forever getting pulled over by the police totell us our headlight or taillight is out. There seems to be a lot of electrical problems with this car and they need to be addressed. The repair cost for the door was $400.00 and we should be refunded as well as everyone else who has paid to repair this defective issue.

Both low beam headlights blow out simultaneously.when this happened, high beams (separate bulbs and switch) would only work sporadically (switched 'on', nothing.switched again, may come 'on', turned 'off' then 'on'may or may not come on).dealer states 'it happens, they burn out', yet said the battery needed to be replaced.(?)non warranty, so you pay.another complaint on the same car year/make/model, same issue, has already been filed with you.in addition, 'google' search shows many entries for this same problem on kia and hyundai vehicles (same manufacturer) over many models/years.signs point to possible defective charging of battery by vehicle's electrical system (maybe why they replaced the battery at the same time).battery was previously fine.i've had many electrical problems with the car, things stop working, then work on their own (power window won't work, sticks part open.switch does nothing.then suddenly later window lowers/raises without switch being touched.trunk suddenly pops open).definite electrical problem on these make of vehicles over many years which neither manufacturer is going to address themselves.unless you do something, many will be paying for service caused by their negligence..also, seat belt does not retract all the time.my vehicle was purchased new.

Drivers side door will not open, this has happened several times. When you pull on the outside handle it will make all the doors lock sometimes. I thought this was an isolated case, but there are several other compliants with this same issue.this is a severe safety issue if the car was in a crash.

I became entrapped in my 2005 kia optima when i accidentally hit the lock. Its been an issue before. While its dangerous to keep it unlocked, i chose that over being locked out or being locked in. Last night my elbow hit the lock as i parked. I had my coworker come pull the handle while i pushed the unlock button. While it has worked after several tries in the past, it just wouldn't give in. I then, had my coworker try the passenger side and it popped. I'm now reduced to climbing over from the passenger side door. While its painful and timely, its not as bad as climbing over the back. I've had to do that when i had no one to call for help. It's so dangerous not being able to get out of your car when you're ready. Its also horrible to think about your vehicle not being there when you come outside because you left your doors unlocked for a car thief. If i open my passenger side door and press lock and close it. I will not be able to enter or use my vehicle without breaking a window. If there was a fire cause by some sort of collision, my child and i would be burned before i could get to him. If me or a passenger accidentally hits the lock before we get out, i'll have to break my own window to get back in. I sent the corporate headquarters an email which i'm sure will be ignored like the many others sent before me. This is sad cause mechanically the car seems to run great. This is my second one. If ihad of kept that one longer, i'm sure i would've experienced the same issue. This is definitely a safety issue that needs to be acknowledged and fixed.

I cannot enter and exit my car safely anymore.the drivers side door lock will not unlock with key fob or by key manually.i was in a hurry at one point to exit to retrieve my child who had exited the car and was heading into traffic at a parking lot and i could not get out of the car.i had to exit from the passenger side.the door works in rare instances, but is not reliable or dependable.this is my only mode of transportation and i have owned the vehicle since new.however, i no longer feel safe should i have an emergency, i may not be able to enter or exit the car as needed.

1. The driver side door locks and refuses to unlock. The driver side door cannot be open and the driver side door knobs inside and outside are not working. This can be a serious safety issue in an emergency situation, because the driver cannot escape through the driver side door. This issue must become a recall item as soon as possible. (happened on 05/13/2013, about 82,000 mileage)2. Driver seat (power) is not working since about 52,000 mileage. (around spring 2010).

After repairing the mass air flow hose,purge valve,and the valve cover gasket. It didn't pass the state inspection. I was told to drive it a little longer to put miles on the car. So i did.. After seven week going back to have it check it was still showing not ready. The merchanic there couldn't tell mewhat the problem and their subjested to take it to the dealer after putting 1175 miles on my car

Closed driver's door and door would not reopen.i took car to auto shop and mechanic finally got door to open after about an hour and a half. He thought he had repaired the door and closed it, but when he tried to open the door for final inspection, again it would not open normally and upon further inspection he found the door lock mechanisms were not functioning correctly from the way they had been manufactured.and there was a recall on the kia door lock mechanisms including my car's year, make and model.i am concerned this is a serious hazard, especially since i transport small children, some in car seats.my car is an older car and i would like all four locks replaced with 'up to standard' locks.

I went to kia dealership regarding keyless remote not working.i advised dealership that both remotes were re-programmed 12 months ago and that one remote stopped working 6 months after re-programming and the 2nd remote stopped working 12 months after re-programming.based on discussion, it appears that 2003 through 2006 kia optimas have defective keyless remote systems, but because there has been no formal recall, repair of keyless remote is not covered outside of warranty.i believe repair cost is about $400.my opinion is that a relative keyless remote recall should be made by kia since the keyless remote defect is not customer's fault.

The passenger door lock started sticking and will not open. Now both doors are locked and i cannot open either. The back doors do open, however it was very difficult to climb out the back door. I don't know how i will even get it to a dealer to fix it.

Locked car after buying it used drivers door will not unlock. Multiple complaints online about this problem.my daughter was going to drive this thing. Kia dealer did not even mention this to me, but did say it was 200 minimum. I hope this gets investigated. In an accident the door will never open. I drove the car home and after 2 hours it will not unlock.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While in park, the automatic door locks failed. The contact attempted to use the remote for entry and heard a clicking noise. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 128,000.

When i got home from work and attempted to open the drivers side door it just kept relocking, the lock doesn't open all the way it makes a noise and locks again. I had to climb over the middle console to get out of the car. I went around to the drivers side to see if i could open it from the outside, the key doesn't turn all the way, if the other doors are unlocked and you try to open from the drivers side it just clicks into the locked position. I am afraid that i will be in a position to have to exit the vehicle in a hurry and can't.

Dt*:the contact stated without incident the check engine light illuminated.the dealership determined the fuel cap was not properly tightened, then checked for diagnostic codes.there were no codes found and the light was turned off.fifteen minutes after the vehicle was taken from the lot, the light illuminated again.the vehicle was taken back to the dealership who expressed the fuel cap was not tight enough and there were still no codes.the light was turned off.the light illuminated a third time; although the vehicle was not refueled.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle stalled without warning.the check engine warning indicator illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel.the vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the failure.the vehicle was taken back to the dealer on three separate occasions for the same failure, but there was no resolution.recently, the crankshaft sensor was replaced under the service warranty; however, the failure recurred a few days later.the vehicle is in the process of being repaired.the vin was unknown.the failure mileage was 24,500 and current mileage was 25,000. Updated 5/18/09 updated 05/20/09.

The car will run fine, then engine will start to misfire.then lose power (put the gas petal to the floor and car does not move and the engine does not rev up due to the increased gas flow.)the engine will shutter and turn off.le it sit for 5 to 10 minutes and the car will start.the car will drive for another 5-10 minutes and shut off and will not run for start for several minutes and will not drive beyond couple hundred feet.we have replaced the cam sensor, crank sensor, egr valve, spark wires, sparks, coil packs, water pump, all belts, alternator, battery, and short block rebuild (warranty work).the code was the first time was misfire in 1 and 4 cyders, after the rebuild the code is misfire 2 and 3 cyders.we have the computer reprogrammed twice.the dealership have no clue.

I just bought my 05 optima. It also turns itself off--when it wants to. At first-it just did it in reverse. Then it started doing it driving down the highway. I took it to the dealer-who also, could not duplicate it. This is scary driving this car. You have no warning--it just turns everything off--like you never started the car at all.

Dt*:the contact stated the vehicle intermittently stalled without warning.the vehicle restarted each time and was taken to the dealership.the dealership was unable to determine the problem.

From the day i have pulled my car off the lot one year ago i have had nothing but problems. The first problem i encountered was everytime i crank my car my belts let off this squealing noise. At every oil change i have asked them to double check the belts. Upon picking up the car the dealer assured me they have tighten the belts only to have them continue squealing. The other issue i have is the fuel tank. I have always felt i do not get a complete fill up when going to the gas station. I put the nozzle in the tank and click the auto holder to fill up my tank at the point it is ready to shut off gas come spewing out before it shuts off. Then you check the gallons entered and you realize that you could have put at least another gallon in the tank but it won't let you. The last major thing that i had to take my car in for was every time i turned my steering wheel it made a terrible grinding noise. Taking it into the dealer they notified me that my upper control mount bolt had come loose. In addition i would like to mention that the acceleration that the 2005 kia optima really stinks. It has no acceleration, it bogs down and acts like it wants to shut off. Sometimes i have to turn my air conditioning off just to make it out of an intersection. I am so unhappy with my car it is not funny. The incident date is ongoing, no specific dates.

I went to kia dealership regarding keyless remote not working.i advised dealership that both remotes were re-programmed 12 months ago and that one remote stopped working 6 months after re-programming and the 2nd remote stopped working 12 months after re-programming.based on discussion, it appears that 2003 through 2006 kia optimas have defective keyless remote systems, but because there has been no formal recall, repair of keyless remote is not covered outside of warranty.i believe repair cost is about $400.my opinion is that a relative keyless remote recall should be made by kia since the keyless remote defect is not customer's fault.

Doors, locks, linkage, upon leaving work on june 16th, 2010, i went to unlock the driver's side door using the key and the car door would not open.i opened the car from the passenger side and crawled over to try to open the driver's side door from the inside, no luck. The driver side door has not and will not open from either side. Huge safety hazard!!!no luck with kia fixing it either!!!

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.ever since the vehicle was purchased, the low beam bulbs constantly blow out.the dealer stated that the cluster connectors failed and they cleaned the connector and replaced the bulbs.this did not correct the failure and the dealer stated that they could not provide a remedy.a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the vehicle was not purchased with an original warranty; therefore, they would not assist.they further stated that if the contact were to take the vehicle in for a diagnostic, they would consider assisting with the repair.the failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.while driving 35 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the dashboard while the air conditioner was running.the smoke was so thick that he could not see through the smoke.the dealer was notified and stated that the cigarette lighter could be the possible cause of the failure.they stated that nothing could be done because the vehicle was out of warranty.upon further investigation, the contact noticed a black box on the driver's side underneath the dashboard covered in electrical tape.it was discovered that the previous owner installed after market floor board lights in the vehicle that required a massive amount of power.the tail lights on the vehicle were inoperable.no repairs were made.the failure and current mileages were less than 77,000.

Both low beam headlights blow out simultaneously.when this happened, high beams (separate bulbs and switch) would only work sporadically (switched 'on', nothing.switched again, may come 'on', turned 'off' then 'on'may or may not come on).dealer states 'it happens, they burn out', yet said the battery needed to be replaced.(?)non warranty, so you pay.another complaint on the same car year/make/model, same issue, has already been filed with you.in addition, 'google' search shows many entries for this same problem on kia and hyundai vehicles (same manufacturer) over many models/years.signs point to possible defective charging of battery by vehicle's electrical system (maybe why they replaced the battery at the same time).battery was previously fine.i've had many electrical problems with the car, things stop working, then work on their own (power window won't work, sticks part open.switch does nothing.then suddenly later window lowers/raises without switch being touched.trunk suddenly pops open).definite electrical problem on these make of vehicles over many years which neither manufacturer is going to address themselves.unless you do something, many will be paying for service caused by their negligence..also, seat belt does not retract all the time.my vehicle was purchased new.

This car is equipped with automatic headlights that come on when you start the car at night.the problem i had was we could not turn on the high beams when using this feature.my dealer showed me they all do this.i had to slow way down because of this unsafe feature. We have had other car with this same feature and we could always use the high beams.

My car began to leak fuel.i sent it into the dealer who found that the gas tank was cracked on the top side of the tank.i was further advised that the leak was not caused by any normal wear and tear or any damage.the car is still under warranty, and i replaced the fuel tank.

I am about to replace my gas tank for the 2nd time in less than a year.i am told by the dealer that the composite tanks are prone to puncture or splitting on the seams.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the fuel tank was defective and could only be filled partially before spilling. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who discovered that the plastic fuel tank gasket seal failed. The fuel tank was replaced several times but the failure continued to recur. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to have the dealer perform a diagnostic test.the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 106,000.

In 2011 we had a hole form in the gas tank of our 2005 kia optima. We took it to a repair shop in which they determined that the straps that hold the gas tank in had caused wear onto the actual tank. They replaced the tank with new gas tank (original factory gas tank) on february 7, 2012 the same problem occurred and the vehicle has been taken back in for servicing.

The gas tank on this 05 kia was leaking at 78,000 miles, took it to dealer, i had to pay for labor, they furnished the new gas tank cost me $330, now at 98,000 miles it is leaking again and kia is refusing to fix it, i feel this is a safety issue, going on 3 gas tanks less than 100,000 miles. Paid dealer $95 to inspect the tank as told by kia consumer dept, dealer didnt look at the tank instead said it needed a gas valve first $400, before they would look at the tank. The dealer is lee kia, in ft walton beach fl. So i guess i just continue driving car till something real serious happens? need some help here please thank you chalmer & kasey berry

In october of 2006 we bought a 2005 kia optima. Shortly after the check engine light came on, so we took it to the dealership and they told us it was air in the tank and just to open the tank and let the air out. They said the sensor would go off in about 60,000 miles. We then started having problems filling the tank up and the sensor continued to come on. We kept doing what the dealer said to do. On 13/14 of october, 2008 we started smelling large amounts of gas fumes and it continued. On october the 17th, 2008 i filled my gas tank up and started doing errands when we noticed that the fumes were really bad and my gas tank was dwindling and went home. We noticed that the gas was coming out very quickly, but stopped at a half of a tank. We called kia and they told up that our warranty was up, but we could have it towed, but they said that we needed to have the fire department come out and empty the tank because it could cause a fire and they would not tow it. I was driving with my child and could have been killed. We did what they said to do and there was a lock, so it could not be seeping. We called kia back and after telling them that it could not be done,so they came and towed it. They are replacing the tank, but were charged almost 1000.00. My car has a little over 70,000 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.the contact stated that gasoline was leaking from the bottom of the vehicle.the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair at least four times; however, the failure recurs after approximately three or four months.the dealer has been replacing the part that holds the fuel.the failure mileage was 68,970.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. After parking, the contact noticed a large puddle of gasoline underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the fuel tank was replaced. The failure recurred three years later. The fuel tank was replaced a second time. There were no prior warnings of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.on two occasions, the contact noticed fuel leaking from the vehicle.the dealer replaced the fuel tank on both occasions; however, the failure persists.the contact paid $600 for the fuel tank.the service engine light was illuminated at the time of the failures, but the dealer stated that it was unrelated.the service manager also stated that they have had several failures regarding the fuel tank.the fuel system and powertrain were unknown.the failure mileage was 72,821 and current mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima lx. The contact stated that after refueling, fuel was seen leaking from the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 97,000.

2005 kia optima.consumer writes in regards to drivers side door issues.the consumer stated the driver's side door would not open with the key fob and it would not open with the key. When she inserted the key and turned it, she could hear the actuator engaging as though it were unlocking, but once she tried the door handle, the door refused to open.after several minutes, the door finally released and opened, but to lock the door and close it, resulted in the same issue. Updated 04/22/14

Drivers side door will not open. After being locked i cannot open the drivers side door from the inside or from the outside.

Both low beam headlights blow out simultaneously.when this happened, high beams (separate bulbs and switch) would only work sporadically (switched 'on', nothing.switched again, may come 'on', turned 'off' then 'on'may or may not come on).dealer states 'it happens, they burn out', yet said the battery needed to be replaced.(?)non warranty, so you pay.another complaint on the same car year/make/model, same issue, has already been filed with you.in addition, 'google' search shows many entries for this same problem on kia and hyundai vehicles (same manufacturer) over many models/years.signs point to possible defective charging of battery by vehicle's electrical system (maybe why they replaced the battery at the same time).battery was previously fine.i've had many electrical problems with the car, things stop working, then work on their own (power window won't work, sticks part open.switch does nothing.then suddenly later window lowers/raises without switch being touched.trunk suddenly pops open).definite electrical problem on these make of vehicles over many years which neither manufacturer is going to address themselves.unless you do something, many will be paying for service caused by their negligence..also, seat belt does not retract all the time.my vehicle was purchased new.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. Thedoors automatically locked when the engine was off. The drivers side door locked and would not unlock manually or with the remote. The driver had to get out on the passenger side of the vehicle. The passenger side and rear doors will open but not the drivers side door. All four doors will lock after you get out of the vehicle even if the keys are in the vehicle. The contact had to have a police officer open the door with a slim jim. The failure mileage was 89,000. The current mileage was 89,100.

My passenger side door will not unlock, and can not be opened from inside or outside of the vehicle.the only way to exit the vehicle is to either crawl out of the window or crawl over the center console.my fear is if in the event of emergency the door would not open and we would be sick in the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated the front drivers side door would not lock or open from the inside or outside of the vehicle. The contact had to enter the vehicle from the passenger door. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated the actuator needed to be replaced. The vin was unknown. The failure and current mileage was 65,000.

2005 kia optima drivers door lock malfunctions. Door will not open from inside or out.this is a serious safety hazard. There are many internet reports and complaints about this issue.kia will not recall or take care of this issue.nhtsa do something about it!

My 2005 kia optima driver side door will not unlock.it is impossible to unlock it either with a key from the outside, or from inside the vehicle.if i needed to get out of the car in an emergency, if would be difficult to do so since i have to climb over the console and enter and exit from the passenger side.this is the second time since owning the car that this has happened to me.i am tired of having to pay to have the same problem repaired.it happens all of a sudden without warning.i have taken it to the mechanic again to get it fixed.

Drivers side door will no longer open.when i try to unlock it from either the inside or outside, theunlock mechanism works, but the door will not open.i now have to crawl in from another door and would not be able to get out in an emergency.this appears to be a common problem with kias and could cause serious injury.this needs to be addressed with kia.

The contact owns 2005 kia optima lx/ex. The drivers side door will not open with or without the key. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there are no recalls or warranties and it would cost $400 to repair the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 73,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While the vehicle was parked, the locks on the door failed to work. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The vin was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Normal use. Door lock fails locking driver in car, preventing safe exit in an emergency. This could result in death if a vehicle fire or accident were to occur. This is a common defect in this make with numerous internet-based complaints and questions related to this problem findable on the web. The $300.00-$400.00 cost of repair is too prohibitive to allow me to fix this. The life-threatening consequences of this manufacturer defect warrants manufacturer to foot the bill for the repair. This problem is listed in many years and models by same manufacturer.

When i got home from work and attempted to open the drivers side door it just kept relocking, the lock doesn't open all the way it makes a noise and locks again. I had to climb over the middle console to get out of the car. I went around to the drivers side to see if i could open it from the outside, the key doesn't turn all the way, if the other doors are unlocked and you try to open from the drivers side it just clicks into the locked position. I am afraid that i will be in a position to have to exit the vehicle in a hurry and can't.

I have had to take my car twice now to get my driver side door open, i have been having to climb in from the passenger side of my car and i have hurt my knees in doing so. Everytime i lock my doors and then unlock the driver side door doesn't open from the inside or outside. This needs a recall .i have already seen other complaints about the same problem...

I recently bought a 2005 kia optima and about the fifth time i drove it i went to the store and was stuck inside the door will not lock or unlock from inside or outthen finally it doesbut i never know when its goin to work or not ..this is crazy and lots of people are having problems with this why hasn't it been recalled.

Much like the countless complaints i've read, my 2005 kia optima lx has a default in the driver side and now the passenger side doors.about a month ago my driver side door stopped opening.sure i could hear the doors electronically unlocking.. But still could not open my driver side door from the inside or outside.finding out this was going to run me about 300-400 dollars i waited to see if it was something i could fix... My friend and i removed both panels after having to slim jim and push and pull the door open. We looked at both door insides and saw no difference and nothing that seemed to be broken, bent or unattached.of coarse as i drove a way my locks locked again.. So i was back to climbing out my passenger side. As of yesterday my passenger side is now doing the same thing.. They say im up to 500 now and nothing is covered by warranty.im thinking, really!!?? this is the second kia i have purchased and have always loved my kia's but this sucks!this is a huge safety issue! how many people have to be stuck in there car on fire or at the bottom of the river dying before kia recalls this.i've read several posts about people with kids or people that are "too big" to go climb over their car seats to safety!at this point the only way in and out of my car is now the back doors but for how long, who knows!what's next, squeeze through the glove box?okay, okay so that's not realistic but jeez!what the heck can we do about this?

I believe because of the option of 'affected parts" does not include locks/linkage, is why the nhtsa is not seeing how 1000s are complaining about having a locked door issue with kias of many models over a span of 10 years!my driver door is permanently locked and until i can come up with $700 to get it fixed i can not drive it due to safety because i can not get it inspected!!! due to safety! kia needs to be responsible for this safety issue for thousands of people!

The doors lock and unlock by themselves.the two front doors will not open everytime i try to open them the doors lock up.i can not safely enter and exit my car.i have to go out the back seat but it takes some time to do so.research on this shows that this is a common problem with kia.if i were to get in an accident or a fire started i would not be able to get out of my car.also i have a bulging disc in my back and this is starting to cause pain and it can cause my back to fully seize up again.i have contacted kia and they are not willing to help because there is no recall on the item.this should be recalled because this is going to result in someone getting hurt or worse even death..

Starting approx. July 28, the front passenger lock began acting up, giving a lot of resistance when trying to turn the key to lock or unlock the door.then yesterday, about eight days later, the problem moved to the drivers side door where now i cannot open the door from the inside or the outside at all.when i open from the outside, it just re-locks the door without opening the door.on the inside, there is absolutely no response.i have read other people with the same problem and it seems to be a wide-spread problem for kia cars.this can be a real safety hazard in that if for some reason i needed to exit the car quickly, i would be stuck inside.right now my only way of entering or exiting the vehicle is climbing in from the passenger side or through the window.i have am waiting for an opening at the kia dealer, but they are busy (likely with other vehicles with the same problem) and i have read therepair costs for this are extremely high.with this being such a wide-spread issue and with the potential safety and hazard ramifications, it seems that kia should be doing a re-call to repair all these parts that are wearing out after only 50,000-70,000 miles--while other cars seem to have no issues at all.this is an unfair situation to put everyone in who has to get this fixed, at great cost, and seems to almost be a planned failure (as wide-spread as it is among many models) to keep their service departments busy.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the door locks became defective and would sporadically cause her to become locked inside or outside of the vehicle. The contact stated that she would often have to climb out of the windows to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The current mileage was 89,677 and the failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The contact owns 2005 kia optima. The contact stated the right front passenger door would not lock or unlock. There was a passenger in the vehicle who was unable to get out of the vehicle due to the door locks. The dealer stated there were no recalls or related warranties and to bring the vehicle in to be inspected. The contact would be responsible for the repair cost. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 52,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While attempting to exit the vehicle, the door's failed to unlock. The contact had to exit through the sun roof. The contact also stated that he was able to unlock the front passenger side door from outside of the vehicle; however, the front driver's door was inoperable. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

I became entrapped in my 2005 kia optima when i accidentally hit the lock. Its been an issue before. While its dangerous to keep it unlocked, i chose that over being locked out or being locked in. Last night my elbow hit the lock as i parked. I had my coworker come pull the handle while i pushed the unlock button. While it has worked after several tries in the past, it just wouldn't give in. I then, had my coworker try the passenger side and it popped. I'm now reduced to climbing over from the passenger side door. While its painful and timely, its not as bad as climbing over the back. I've had to do that when i had no one to call for help. It's so dangerous not being able to get out of your car when you're ready. Its also horrible to think about your vehicle not being there when you come outside because you left your doors unlocked for a car thief. If i open my passenger side door and press lock and close it. I will not be able to enter or use my vehicle without breaking a window. If there was a fire cause by some sort of collision, my child and i would be burned before i could get to him. If me or a passenger accidentally hits the lock before we get out, i'll have to break my own window to get back in. I sent the corporate headquarters an email which i'm sure will be ignored like the many others sent before me. This is sad cause mechanically the car seems to run great. This is my second one. If ihad of kept that one longer, i'm sure i would've experienced the same issue. This is definitely a safety issue that needs to be acknowledged and fixed.

I have been researching the problem i have with my 2005 kia optima and i found out that i am not the only person with this issue. Therefore i saw it necessary for me to bring this to your attention. The door latches are malfunctioning. This is a major safety hazard because if the car ever caught fire or if the car ever went into a river, got flooded, or in a wreck it would be very difficult for the driver to get out of the car. My driver side door will not open, from the inside or the outside. It stays locked and even when you unlock the car, the door will not open. I currently had a baby and had to have a c-section. It was horrible having to climb in and out the car through the passenger side.... From researching this issue i have come across so many people that have had the same issue. Kia should recall the 2005 optima.

Drivers side door will not open.after being locked i cannot open the drivers side door from the inside, and in order to open it from the outside, i have to turn the key in the lock and pull the handle at the same time.this works about 30% of the time.otherwise, if i just turn the key and then pull on the door handle i hear the car door relock before i can open it.

The drivers door will lock and unlock, though it is not possible to open the door.it will not open from the inside or the outside handle.the electronic lock fob will lock and unlock the car.the key will lock and unlock the car.entry and exit must be done by climbing over the center console and going through the passenger door.this is a major hazard to the driver and fellow passengers.if we should be involved in an accident with my two young boys in the car, i will not be able to help them exit the car until i have climbed over the center console and exited through the passenger door.help!!!!!!!!this is definitely a major safety issue related to the kia brand of cars.all over the internet it is discussed how this problem has become a problem for all types of kia models.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the front drivers side door would not open. In order to enter the vehicle, the contact had to use the front passenger side door. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaird. The failure mileage was 69,000. The vin was unavailable.

Driver side door intermittently would not unlock, eventually after continuing to try and unlock it the door would unlock (happened for about 8 months), now the drivers side door will not unlock from either inside or outside the car.can not get the door open at all.

I can't open my door!! my drivers side door refuses to open, from inside or out! i try to unlock it from the outside and when i pull on the latch, it locks the door again, and it will not open from the inside, sometimes relocking the door on me. It was working just fine before then, and then all of sudden it started malfunctioning, nothing happened to make this happen. Only the drivers side door is affected. This is a safety hazard and i'm not the only one this has happened to, there needs to be a recall. I have been unable to get this corrected as of yet.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door latch was inoperable. The contact had to exit the vehicle through the remaining doors. The failure progressed for over five years. The vehicle was taken the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that as the vehicle was shut off, all four doors began locking and unlocking repeatedly. The contact stated that the failure was a constant occurrence.the dealer was made aware of the failure and advised that the check switch in the front driver side door would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000. The vin was not available.

The contact owns 2005 kia optima. The contact stated the front driver and passenger side doors would not lock or unlock from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The contact stated that he would have to climb over the front seat and console to exit the vehicle through the rear doors. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure. The dealer was contacted and advised that the failure could potentially have been caused by a defect in the door lock actuator. The failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.

My passenger side front door sticks and wont open. At first it started locking and unlocking by itself.sometimes when you lock and unlock it a few times it opens. But as soon as you lock the doors its back to not unlocking when you lock and unlock it. Now my passenger door wont open at all. I am worried that if there's emergency i wont be able to get out any of the door. Someone needs to fix this problem, but nobody seems to want to help fix it.

The vehicle has had both front doors have failed latches in the last year. What will happen is you will go to unlock the door and the door will not open from inside or out without significant force or not at all. I went 2 months without being able to open my passenger side door, and now i just keep my doors unlocked all the time so i don't need to deal with it.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the power locks malfunctioned, which caused the driver's side front door to lock.the door could not be reopened.the contact would enter the vehicle through the passenger side of the vehicle and climb over the center console. The dealer advised the contact that the vehicle could not be diagnosed because the driver side door would not open and suggested that the door be unassembled at the contacts expense. The contact stated the failure was a major safety issue because the door would not open in the event of a crash. The failure mileage was 89,703.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver door would not unlock electronically or manually. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 113,000 and the current mileage was 113,000.

I drive a 2005 kia optima. Yesterday when i came out to my car the door would not unlock. Everytime i put the key in and attempt to unlock the door, it locks back immediately. I tried to unlock and open the door from the inside as well but the door will no longer open. In order to get into or out of the vehicle i have to use the passenger side door. This is a major hazard if i were to be involved in an accident or if for some reason i need to exit my car immediately. I have 3 kids that i transport also and am terrified that something should happen. I have read the blogs that this is a typical issue but has not been recalled yet. I am going to take any action possible to insure that this issue is resolved since it is a malfunction on the part of a kia part.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked all of the automatic doors failed to unlock when engaged. The contact had to open the front driver's side power and manually unlock the door in order to exit the vehicle. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 67,500.

I cannot enter and exit my car safely anymore.the drivers side door lock will not unlock with key fob or by key manually.i was in a hurry at one point to exit to retrieve my child who had exited the car and was heading into traffic at a parking lot and i could not get out of the car.i had to exit from the passenger side.the door works in rare instances, but is not reliable or dependable.this is my only mode of transportation and i have owned the vehicle since new.however, i no longer feel safe should i have an emergency, i may not be able to enter or exit the car as needed.

I am the owner of 2005 kia optima and i had serious problems with my vehicle door. When driving doors would start locking/unlocking for no apparent reason.when inside door would open sometimes after numerous tries. Most times had to climb over seat to try other doorsi had incident where i unlock door put grandson in carseat i went to driver side to get in vehicle but doors would not open each time i would unlock, doors would automatic relock temp was 97 degrees i continue to turn key and started dialing 911 when door opened dangerous/heart wrenching situation. Iwas afraid to ride kids in car in case of accident we may be trapped. I went to kia of baton rouge the employee stated he agrees this is dangerous but his concern was how kia was going get paid for repairs, because my vehicle was over the miles for warranty. I told him i had no problems paying for vehicle problems that is normalbut this is not normal wear/tear ilook up info on kias and there were numerous complaints about door locks. I already knew service dept would say it was the actuator because this is info thatwas on internet. Kia employee stated to me if i paid for repairs he would guarantee i would not have any more problemsthis is not fair this is a defect. If i get stop by police he may think im refusing to get out of vehicle when im really trapped inside! i am honest hardworking individual. I do not think it is fair that my money is spent on vehicle that is a hazard to me & my family. If kia is such a great comp. I think they should realize this is a defect that their company should repairplease don't wait until tragedy occur and they are facing a major lawsuit to start a recall.i hope kia does what is best for their customers. Yes i did pay out of pocket for repairs because i did not want to continue riding in this unsafe vehicle. Please advise.

Driver side door will not unlock or open with a key or with the unlock switch. When i try to unlock the doors from the drivers side with the key. It will not unlock but the rest of the doors will. Normally i have to juggle and play with the key and the door will unlatch . Last night i stood outside for 15 minutes and the door would not open so i had to climb thru the passenger side. This problem is a hazard. In the case of an emergency i would be screwed. This problem occurred in early 2010. Once i unlocked it the first time i decided to just leave the door unlocked for easy entry but that leaves my car vulnerable for theft or items i may leave in it. There have been many instances where a passenger has unknowingly locked the door and i would have to climb thru the other side and jiggle the key all over again. Last night was the longest that i have ever had to play with the door and now i believe it will not open and i have no solution on how to open it since the company claims they never heard of this problem.

Doors, locks, linkage, upon leaving work on june 16th, 2010, i went to unlock the driver's side door using the key and the car door would not open.i opened the car from the passenger side and crawled over to try to open the driver's side door from the inside, no luck. The driver side door has not and will not open from either side. Huge safety hazard!!!no luck with kia fixing it either!!!

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While parked, the contact attempted to unlock the front driver side door but it would not unlock. The contact entered the vehicle through the front passenger side door. The front driver side door would not unlock using the key fob from the exterior or manually from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the key fob and door locks would have to be replaced . The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

2005 kia optima.driver door won't unlock or open from inside or outside.i have to climb across the passenger seat to get in or out of the vehicle.this is a huge safety issue, not to mention what it is doing to my lower back.the dealer says they can fix it for about $400 plus about $105 in diagnostic fees.i should not be financially responsible for something that is obviously a serious problem with a lot of the kias out there .there is a list of many owners who are having the same problem.kia needs to step up and take care of it.in the event of an accident, i will not be able to exit the car quickly or safely.this problem needs to be addressed!

Drivers side door locks and refuses to unlock if the door is completely closed. Huge safety issue, as i've been forced to crawl out the passengers side multiple times daily!

I was leaving for some time off of work to go back to wisconsin and all of a sudden the driver door locked on me and i could not get it open.i took it to a dealer and they had to take the door off to fix it.then it only remains fixed for about 3-4 times and it locks on me again and then i have to climb over the console and go through the passenger side.i was told that it is over 60,000 miles and i would have to pay to have it fixed and then i was also told that it would probably happen again.common sense tells me that if it will happen again don't you think that it is a defect of some sort and the company kia should be looking at a recall.what is it going to take?a nice law suit.i took my car where i get my oil changed and they again opened the driver door so to unlock the door so it could be opened.well, again it unlocked for 3-4 times and locked up again, so now i am outmoney and the [xxx] door still does not unlock so i can use the driver's side door.this presents a real safety issue!can someone please do something about this.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

I am unable to unlock my drivers side door either manually/key or by remote access this is a serious safety issue due to the fact that if i need to exit my vehicle in case of an emergency (fire and or crash) i would be unable to.also, two of my rear seatbelts are jammed in the half extended position.i would appreciate any and all help you can give me with this serious safety issue.

1. The driver side door locks and refuses to unlock. The driver side door cannot be open and the driver side door knobs inside and outside are not working. This can be a serious safety issue in an emergency situation, because the driver cannot escape through the driver side door. This issue must become a recall item as soon as possible. (happened on 05/13/2013, about 82,000 mileage)2. Driver seat (power) is not working since about 52,000 mileage. (around spring 2010).

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that when trying to open the driver side doorwith the key, she was unable to do so. She had to enter the vehicle through the passenger side door or not lock the vehicle at all. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised that she needed to replace the lock mechanism. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated the vehicle was parked when the doors began to lock and unlock on their own. As a result, the contact had to enter the vehicle by using the front passenger door. Over time, the failure progressed and the contact was unable to enter the vehicle from either front door. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

While i did experience the same lock problems as a lot of 2005 optima owners... My dealership took care of the problem by replacing the lock mechanism.in my case, the lock would act fine one moment and not work the next.for those with the same problem, i would suggest getting the dealership to look into replacing the entire lock mechanism.i have had no trouble since!

2006 kia optima driverside door locks not allowing drivers door to unlock, we called dealer and they say that they are willing look at the problem for a service fee and labor, we search on-line this is a problem that there are several people having.

Driver door of kia 2005 optima will not open from the inside or outside at all.have to climb over passenger seat to get to drivers seat. Called the dealership and was told that most likely the part that is bad is called the 'door checker' according to the kia manuals. I have to get a new one. Called dealership there will be 2 hours of labor involved. The part wears out to the point where it tells the system that the door is not latched so it trips the auto lock feature to keep the door from swinging open. Apparently this is a dealer part only.not covered under warranty.my car only has 41,000 miles on it.

The contact owns 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the front drivers side door would not unlock from the interior or exterior, with or without the key. The contact stated that the only way to enter the drivers seat was to enter the vehicle from the front passenger side. The vehicle was not yet taken to have the failure diagnosed. The failure and current mileages were 27,000.updated 09/01/2011 *ln

Drivers side door would not open from inside or outside.failed door latch/lock assembly.first happened in july 2007.happening again in january 2014 on same car.definite safety issue--only way out is crawling to passenger side door or back doors, or by crawling out of driver side door window.has never happened on any other vehicles we have owned, including older cars.lock should not fail that often.

The passenger door lock started sticking and will not open. Now both doors are locked and i cannot open either. The back doors do open, however it was very difficult to climb out the back door. I don't know how i will even get it to a dealer to fix it.

Passenger side door automatically locks when you try to open it. Whether in or out, it won't open. Sometimes it will open with a key out of the car, but will not open from inside.

Drivers side door will not unlock from inside vehicle or outside. Thisis not only extremely inconvenient but also very unsafe. Last year the same issue happened on passenger side door, which i paid to have fixed and now the same issue is happening on drivers side. Kia should take responsibility for this defect.

The driver side door will not unlock from the inside or outside. I can hear the assembly trying to work, the key will unlock the other doors.this is a huge safety issue in an emergency.i called the kia dealership in newport richey fl and they told me this a common problem with this vehicle.how many people are going to possibly lose their life in an accident,because of this defect before there is a recall.

The driver side door will not unlock from the inside or outside. I can hear the assembly trying to work, the key will unlock the other doors. This is a huge safety issue in an emergency. I called the kia dealership iand they told me they had never heard of this with this vehicle. How many people are going to possibly lose their life in an accident,because of this defect before there is a recall.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated the drivers side door would not open automatically or manually. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing.the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current miles were 69,000.

Car driver door locks and cannot be unlocked from inside or out. In the event of accident or vehicular fire, driver would be trapped in vehicle, especially if unable to crawl out through other doors. This failure occurred without any warning or symptoms. This is an equipment design flaw and according to internet data and personal contacts, is common for this vehicle make-regardless of model of vehicle.this failure has not resulted in my harm and i do not feel that someone should have to die before your agency issues a recall. However, i am sure that someone has already been harmed due to this faulty equipment based upon the sheer numbers of people who are experiencing the same problem.

Needed to replace door latch on driver's side.door would not open from the inside.air bag on passenger side will not deploy.

Reporting a failure in the door lock mechanism. The door lock will "unlock" when you push the button on the key fob, door panel or use the key to unlock the door. When you pull the handle to open the door, it locks the door preventing you from opening it. The driver is trapt in the car with the only option to exit from the passenger side. This would be a serious safety issue in the event of an accident or any other time you needed to evacuate the car quickly. In searching the internet there are numerous reports of this problem on kia vehicles.

2005 kia optima.consumer writes in regards to vehicle door locks malfunction.the consumer stated when she unlocked the doors, they would automatically lock on their own. The consumer stated on one occasion, she was locked inside the vehicle for 10-15 minutes, before she was able to get the door unlocked.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle would come out of gear while driving approximately 35 mph which made it difficult to move forward. Occasionally, the vehicle appeared to be in the neutral position. Over the course of the day the vehicle would gradually correct itself; although, the check engine light would illuminate and stay on for a couple days. She took the vehicle to several dealers and the transmission was replaced but the problem recurred. She called the manufacturer and was instructed to take her vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle has not been repaired to-date. The current mileage was approximately 66,500. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle continuously lost transmission fluid.also, while driving 30 mph, the vehicle lost acceleration power, causing a lag in the pickup.the vehicle was taken to a service dealer who was unable to determine the problem.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. She stated that while driving, making left and right turns or driving in reverse there was a knocking sound on the right passenger side of the vehicle near the tires. The contact told the dealer that the failure could be related to the cv shaft and the dealer repaired that part; however, the vehicle continued to make the knocking sound. The dealer later confirmed that the axle needed to be repaired. The failure and current mileages were 62,000.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima.the consumer stated their 3 year old son attempted to buckle himself in with the seat belt when all of a sudden if slipped from his hand and wrapped around the 3 year olds neck. The seat belt continued to retract and he could not free himself. The consumer wife grabbed the top of the belt and kept if from retracting even more, but was unable to release it.the consumer had to cut the seat belt. The following friday theconsumer and his wife were rear ended and the his wife had to go to the emergency the room because the seat belt had been cut a week prior. Updated 07/16/09. Updated 07/14/09. *lj

Both low beam headlights blow out simultaneously.when this happened, high beams (separate bulbs and switch) would only work sporadically (switched 'on', nothing.switched again, may come 'on', turned 'off' then 'on'may or may not come on).dealer states 'it happens, they burn out', yet said the battery needed to be replaced.(?)non warranty, so you pay.another complaint on the same car year/make/model, same issue, has already been filed with you.in addition, 'google' search shows many entries for this same problem on kia and hyundai vehicles (same manufacturer) over many models/years.signs point to possible defective charging of battery by vehicle's electrical system (maybe why they replaced the battery at the same time).battery was previously fine.i've had many electrical problems with the car, things stop working, then work on their own (power window won't work, sticks part open.switch does nothing.then suddenly later window lowers/raises without switch being touched.trunk suddenly pops open).definite electrical problem on these make of vehicles over many years which neither manufacturer is going to address themselves.unless you do something, many will be paying for service caused by their negligence..also, seat belt does not retract all the time.my vehicle was purchased new.

I am unable to unlock my drivers side door either manually/key or by remote access this is a serious safety issue due to the fact that if i need to exit my vehicle in case of an emergency (fire and or crash) i would be unable to.also, two of my rear seatbelts are jammed in the half extended position.i would appreciate any and all help you can give me with this serious safety issue.

1. The driver side door locks and refuses to unlock. The driver side door cannot be open and the driver side door knobs inside and outside are not working. This can be a serious safety issue in an emergency situation, because the driver cannot escape through the driver side door. This issue must become a recall item as soon as possible. (happened on 05/13/2013, about 82,000 mileage)2. Driver seat (power) is not working since about 52,000 mileage. (around spring 2010).

Hydraulic master cylinder in the clutch malfunctioned causing the clutch to stay engaged. I did not have a collision but was forced to leave the roadway to avoid having a truck strike me from the rear. When i took the vehicle to a dealer they refused to look at the vehicle unless i prepaid them, and they would later determine if i would reimbursed. Note that the car had only four years and 27k miles of a 10 year/100k warranty. This defect is extremely dangerous and someone not having multiple defensive driving courses and training may not have known how to respond.the situation was entering onto an interstate with heavy traffic. If the car had been working properly the entry would have been safe with time to spare. With the car not accelerating and giving the feeling of being in neutral moving traffic had little or no time to respond.

Brakes turned to sponge on at least three separate occasions in fall 2009, again in feb 2010,summer 2010 and again 12/ 22/ 2010. At first occurrence winter of 2009 i assumed i had hit ice and was unable to brake for that reason. However, every incident after that confirmed that road condition was not a contributing factor. During first event the brakes were not functioning,car continued to move forward at red traffic light. Brake failure recurred twice at 4 way stop and again on residential street as i am preparing to park. Note that these incidents all occurred as i was consciously slowing the vehicle and preparing to come to a full stop. Speed of vehicle at the time of all the above incidents is estimated less than or equal to 15 mph. What we have here is vehicle that randomly will not come to a complete stop although inspection reveals brakes are in good working order and tires are new. Dealer inspected vehicle feb 12, 2010 after car would not stop at stop sign consequently i was forced to turn the car into snow bank to halt vehicle. Otherwise i would have broadsided oncoming truck in n/s 4 way. Dealer could not find anything and event did not reoccur when dealer test drove vehicle. Last night 12/22/2010 had to throw car into park and turn off engine in mid traffic as other vehicles are braking because of rapid change to slow in 45 mph zone. My car is climbing hill as cars ahead are breaking for stalled, slow traffic. Random problem with brakes occurs more often at low temp although has occurred once in summer. Note temperature at event last night 28f at 6:30 pm. Brake fluid tested good on feb 12, 2010 at inspection. Brakes were in fine working order, tires new. Computer diagnostic inspection checked out fine. I reported subsequent brake failure events to kia (after feb 12, 2010) but after calling kia on 12/23/10 i find they did not record said events in kia database although i was assured my phoned in reports in were documented. *ln

Stock tires (on stock rims) rub against undercarriage until a band of cord are exposed and tires are considered to have failed (or potentially an accident results).

Dt: steering mechanism problem caused the contact's vehicle to veered to the right.this caused vehicle to collide with a fence.updated 1/11/2006 -

Drivers side door locking mechanism malfunction. Mechanism will not allow the door to unlock, therefore the door can not be opened. Driver must climb out of passenger side.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the front doors did not open when using the key, key fob, or from the interior. The contact had to enter the vehicle from the rear. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 75,000. The vin was not accepted.

Locked car after buying it used drivers door will not unlock. Multiple complaints online about this problem.my daughter was going to drive this thing. Kia dealer did not even mention this to me, but did say it was 200 minimum. I hope this gets investigated. In an accident the door will never open. I drove the car home and after 2 hours it will not unlock.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door could not be opened from interior of the vehicle. The contact had to exit the vehicle from the passenger's side door. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who stated that the door latch and actuator was defective. The contact had the actuator replaced previously but the repair did not remedy the defect. The failure mileage was 107,038.

Key will not unlock driver's door and driver cannot unlock door from inside vehicle. Kia motors will not issue a recall even though this is a major safety issue. Climbing over the center console is required to enter or exit the vehicle. This is a frequent issue with kia optima cars, well known and often written up online, the part required to repair the vehicle is sold on ebay by multiple sellers always.

For the last few years the driver's side door lock has not worked properly. It will lock without problem but then will not unlock. It cannot be unlocked from within the vehicle at all. To unlock it from outside requires that the door be unlocked at the same time the door handles is pulled open. It requires multiple tries to get it right - usually it takes a few minutes of playing with the door handle and key to get it to work properly.

The driver side door will not open after the doors are locked . If you unlock the doors the driver side will unlock and then re lock itself. If there was to be a vehicle fire or other problem, the drive would have to climb out of a window or cross over the center consul to exit the vehicle . This is without a doubt a safety issue that the vehicle manufacture should be made responsible for repairing.

The frame is extensive rusted to the point where the vehicle's structural integrity has likely been compromised. Nothing unusual has happened that would cause such rust, such as backing into salt water, etc. It has been driven on salted ny roads but still, the rust is extreme on this vehicle even with that taken into consideration.the body has rusted extensively as well, to the point where the rear quarter panels by the rear wheel arches have rusted completely through.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima lx. While the vehicle was in the idle position, the contact was unable to open the driver side door. He could not open it from the outside with the key or even using the handle inside the vehicle. The contact had to climb out the front passenger door. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000 and the current mileage was approximately 89,000.

The driver door become jammed and sometimes will not open. You have to continuously/excessively jerk on it. Due to not opening, i have to crawl through the passenger side door in order to gain entrance into the vehicle. Not only that, after finally getting the driver door to open, i have to leave it crack to avoid this struggle.

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger sidedoors could not be locked. The contact could hear the locks attempting to latch, but they failed to do actually engage. The contact had to climb in and out of the vehicle through the rear doors. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 158,338.

Driver's door will not open, from either inside or outside. The locking mechanism will not unlock, leaving no easy access or exit to or from the driver's seat. This is quite a hazard as the operator could become trapped in the car in an emergency (and the problem has been reported all over the internet for some years now as being very common to this particular car). Why has nhtsa been ignoring this problem? ....updated 12/09/15 updated 08/30/2017*ct

Passenger side door automatically locks when you try to open it. Whether in or out, it won't open. Sometimes it will open with a key out of the car, but will not open from inside.

I have had to take my car twice now to get my driver side door open, i have been having to climb in from the passenger side of my car and i have hurt my knees in doing so. Everytime i lock my doors and then unlock the driver side door doesn't open from the inside or outside. This needs a recall .i have already seen other complaints about the same problem...

Driver's side door would not open.you could click it and it would sound like it was going to open, but it didn't.had to drive to a kia store and have the whole assembly replaced at the tune of $450.interestingly enough, they did not seem to think this was a common problem, but i can see there are hundreds of complaints about this problem.i had my two year old grandson in the back seat and was very worried about getting stuck in the car.if this happens again, i will sell the car.there seem to be a lot of electrical problems on this car.i replace the headlights and taillights regularly (about once a month) and i am always having the engine light come on, when there is nothing wrong.how many of these complaints do you need before something is done?or does someone have to get killed first?

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While the vehicle was parked, the front driver side door was locked and failed to open from the inside or outside. The contact had to go through the front passenger side door and climb over the seat to the driver's side. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

I have a 2005 kia optima. I have not even had the car for three years and am having a major problem. Approximately six months ago my driver side door would not open. I could not afford to have the car repaired until last week. I picked the car up yesterday and did not drive it for half an hour when the door would not open again. I paid almost $400 and the door still will not open. It is back in the shop and my mechanic does not seem to be able to fix the problem. Can anyone tell me how to fix this before something tragic happens to me and my son because of this vehicle?i cannot afford to buy another one!*cw

The contact owns a 2005 kia optima. While in park, the automatic door locks failed. The contact attempted to use the remote for entry and heard a clicking noise. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 128,000.

Drivers side door will no longer open.when i try to unlock it from either the inside or outside, theunlock mechanism works, but the door will not open.i now have to crawl in from another door and would not be able to get out in an emergency.this appears to be a common problem with kias and could cause serious injury.this needs to be addressed with kia.

My driver side door will not open both from outside and inside, so i've to go through the passenger side to get out and get in the car.

I have a lot of complaints.i have a 2005 kia optima.my air bag light has been on and the dealership told me "anytime anyone with any weight sits down on the seat it will come disconnected".i had it fixed once and now it is on again.ever since i have bought this car i have had nothing but problems.the only dealership i can go to is 2 hours away by freeway.i am afraid for my family to be in this car because i do not know if we will be protected as we should be.the first time that it broke down was a week after we bought it and the mechanics told me that there was nothing wrong with the car.the drivers side door will not unlock, and when i had the throttle replaced the mechanics at the dealership did not even do the repair correctly causing the car to rev up when stopped.please help me resolve the issues i have.

Stock tires (on stock rims) rub against undercarriage until a band of cord are exposed and tires are considered to have failed (or potentially an accident results).

The light for my air bag has been staying on and my horn quit working for over a year now. I finally took it to the shop for them to look at it, they told me it was a clock switch (i believe i said that right) which is something in the steering connected to the airbag and horn. I am concerned that the airbag might activate while i am driving which would not be good. Maybe even not work if i get in a wreck.

The drivers door will not unlock, you can not open the drivers door. For the driver to get out of the car you have to go over the console to get out the passenger door. This is a safety issue!!!!! tried to unlock with will not work.

Neither the driver door or passenger door will unlock. This occurs from both inside and outside the car. Very unsafe condition.

Ii have a 2005 kia optima for about 3 years now, first problem was with the air bags . I had the light to come on will the car was being inspected last year for them to tell me it was the sensors. I made a appointment to get it fixed but when i went there the light went off then i was driving down the road a week later and the light comes back on had it checked again and the same things happens will the light is still on. 2nd problem had the timing belt to go out so i purchased a used motor to have nothing but problems. First the throttle sensor went out replaced that for it to burn up within a hour of it being fixed, then had to have the car rewired by the dealership now the six months later the door locks are tripping me in the car. The car had some type of wiring fire, which caused me to have to call the fire department,where the car filled with smoke. So now i have a car that has the check engine light on, air bags light on, and the door locks are tripping me in the car. What can i do?

Kia optima door lock is faulty, will not unlock and only way to get door open is to use a slim jim (if your lucky) or break open door panel and open manually by pulling on locking mechanism.faulty part is a small plastic part in the mechanism. This a very common problem on many kia models

After repairing the mass air flow hose,purge valve,and the valve cover gasket. It didn't pass the state inspection. I was told to drive it a little longer to put miles on the car. So i did.. After seven week going back to have it check it was still showing not ready. The merchanic there couldn't tell mewhat the problem and their subjested to take it to the dealer after putting 1175 miles on my car

The back window of my 2005 kia optima just blew off my car, went airborn and hit the road shattering it in a zillion pieces. Their was a vehicle behind me and thank god it did not land in their windshield. The glass company was here to inspect and they said that the glass had been glued on top of the seal and wasn't installed correctly at all. That is why it flew off like it did. It is covered under warranty, but i can not go without my vehicle. They will not come to my house and install the window here, they insist they have to take it to their dealership. All i want is reimbursement of my cost of replacing the window which would be cheaper for them in the long run anyway.




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