2003 Kia Optima

NO CRASH, NO KNOWN VANDALISM. DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK JUST QUIT WORKING OUT OF THE BLUE. CAN NOT OPEN THE DOOR AT ALL ! (NOT WITH THE KEY IN THE DOOR, NOT WITH THE MANUAL LOCK ACTUATOR, NOT WITH THE POWER DOOR LOCK BUTTON.) THE DOOR JUST WILL NOT OPEN ! IF I HAVE A NEED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY EXIT FROM THE CAR, I WILL BE AT A GREAT DISADVANTAGE, HAVING TO JUMP OVER THE SHIFT LEVER TO EXIT FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. MY OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO CLIMB OUT THROUGH MY DOOR WINDOW. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT INSPECTED THE DOOR AND ORDERED PARTS FOR IT. THEY WILL FIX IT ON DECEMBER 3RD AT NO COST TO ME, SINCE THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. THE DEALER DID NOT CONSIDER THE SITUATION SERIOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WHILE I AM WAITING FOR THE REPAIR. SO I AM GOING TO WORK AND PICKING UP MY 4 AND 6 YEAR OLD GIRLS EVERY DAY, JUST HOPING I DON'T GET INTO A WRECK OR HAVE A VEHICLE FIRE. I WOULD BE VERY MAD IF I SUFFERED A GREAT LOSS BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET OUT THROUGH MY DOOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAS MILEAGE WAS POOR AS WELL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE AIR FILTER AND OIL WERE REPLACED, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE REMAINED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,591 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,002. UPDATED 12-12-07. *KB UPDATED

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS BEEN LOCKED IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE ON THREE OCCASIONS. SHE ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AND HEARD THE LOCKS UNLOCK. HOWEVER, WHEN SHE GRABBED THE HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR, ALL OF THE DOORS LOCKED AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 73,800 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY FAILS TO START. WHEN HE TURNS THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, IT FEELS AS IF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE FUEL. THE CONTACT HAS TO MAKE THREE TO FOUR ATTEMPTS JUST TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START. THE VEHICLE FAILS IN BOTH COLD AND WARM WEATHER AND HAS OCCURRED EIGHT TIMES WITHIN THE PAST THIRTY DAYS. THE VEHICLE WILL EVENTUALLY START AFTER APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO TEN MINUTES. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR DAYS AND NO CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS BEEN DETERMINED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 58,400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

RADIO TURNS OFF AND STAYS OFF DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS OF NORMAL DRIVING ON REGULAR PAVED ROAD WAYS. THE UNIT IS STILL POWERED ON ITSELF BUT NO AUDIBLE SOUND NOT EVEN STATIC CAN BE HEARD FROM THE SPEAKERS FROM THE CD, CASSETTE PLAYER OR RADIO. IT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND HE STATED THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP WASTING THEIR TIME (RADIO IS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY) AND THAT I SHOULD PURCHASE A NEW RADIO BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE OUTPUT ON THE FACTORY UNIT. HE ALSO STATED THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $1000 TO PURCHASE A NEW FACTORY UNIT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A WOODEN FENCE AND ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED BECAUSE THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND FILED A FULL REPORT. THE CRASH OCCURRED IN DRY CONDITIONS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE AIR BAG FAILURE, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SIDE IMPACT WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,000.*AK THE CONSUMER HAS PROVIDED MULTIPLE PICTURES OF THE ACCIDENT. UPDATE 05/10/07*TR

2003 OPTIMA AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHEN SWERVING TO AVOID A MANHOLE. *TS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE IT REGISTERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A COLLISION. THE MANUFACTURER SENT A DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE MANAGER CONCLUDED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG PROPERLY DEPLOYED IN THE INCIDENT EXPERIENCED BY THE CONSUMER. *NM