2004 Kia Optima

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THEY WERE UNAWARE OF A REMEDY THAT WOULD CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, DRIVERS SIDE CAR DOOR WON'T UNLOCK. HAS BEEN REPLACED AND SERVICED MANY TIMES. NOW IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I'VE DONE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY IF YOU CAN'T GET IN AND OUT OF THE DRIVERS DOOR (FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE) IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR FINDINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION IN LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER! I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND IT IS THE LOCKING MECHANISM THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT HOW MANY TIMES DOES IT HAVE TO BE REPLACED BEFORE IT IS FIXED--THAT IS THE QUESTION. [XXX] *TR

IN JULY 2008 THE LEFT FRONT DOOR LATCH MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONED ON MY 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THIS MALFUNCTION MADE IT UNABLE TO BE UNLOCKED. AS THE LOCKING FUNCTION OF THIS MECHANISM WORKS BY MOVING THE LATCH OPENING LEVER OUT OF POSITION, THIS MALFUNCTION MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE OCCUPANT TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM INSIDE. THIS PRESENTS A HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANT IN CASE OF CRASH OR FIRE. THE LATCH WAS REPLACED WITH A REPLACEMENT UNIT. IN DEC 2009, THE REPLACEMENT LATCH MALFUNCTIONED AND HAS EXHIBITED THE SAME CHARACTERISTIC PROBLEMS. I HAVE NOT HAD THE $ TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS SHARED BY MANY KIA AND HYUNDAI OWNERS. I HOPE MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE NEVER IN A CRASH AND CANNOT EXIT THE CAR. *TR

MY CAR DOORS DO NOT OPEN EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED WITH MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND NOW IS AFFECTING MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ELECTRICAL AND WILL HAPPENS RANDOMLY. THE PASS. DOOR IS NOW 100% AFFECTED AND THE DRIVERS SIDE JUST STARTED TODAY. SO THE END RESULT IS I AM LOCKED INSIDE MY CAR UNLESS I CRAWL THROUGH THE WINDOW. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPANT. I CALLED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND BECAUSE MY CAR IS A 2004 (WITH ONLY 39,000 MILES) THEY WILL NOT COVER IT. I TOLD HIM HOW DANGEROUS THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WAS AND HE REALLY DIDNT SEEM TO CARE. II ASKED HIM WHO ISSUES RECALLS AND HE SAID IT WAS YOUR ORGANIZATION, WHEN I SAID THAT I WOULD CALL YOU TO TRY AND GET A RECALL HE THEN SAID "WELL YOU COULD BRING IT INTO KIA AND SEE WHAT THEY FIND, ALTHOUGH NO GAURANTEE I WOULD GET IT PAID FOR BY THEM EVEN THOUGH IT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY KIA CARS. I THEN TOLD HIM I WOULD BE CONTACTING YOUR ORGANIZATION AND HE DIDNT SEEM TO HAPPY. * WHEN MY PASSENGER DOOR STARTED WITH THIS PROBLEM APPROX. 2 MONTHS AGO I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I SHOULD ADD THAT THE NEAREST KIA DEALER IS APPROX. 2.5 HOURS ONE WAY AWAY FROM ME. *CN

THE DRIVER DOOR FAILED TO OPEN BY USING THE KEYLESS ENTRY OR MANUALLY. YOU HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE PASSENGER SEAT TO GET INTO OR OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE DRIVER'S DOOR WILL NOT EVEN OPEN USING THE HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THERE IS NOT A CHOICE OF NOT HAVING IT FIXED OR NOT. YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPTION OF NOT USING THE KEYLESS ENTRY SINCE THE DOOR WILL NOT WORK MANUALLY. KIA DOES NOT HAVE THIS UNDER WARRANTY SO YOU ARE FORCED TO REPLACED BOTH THE LATCH AND THE ACTUATOR. THE CAR HAD TO TAKEN TO A KIA DEALER TO BE SERVICED UNLESS CLIMBING OVER THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS THE WAY YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO ENTER AND EXIT THE CAR. *TR

THE FRONT DOOR LOCK ON OUR 2004 KIA OPTIMA WILL NOT UNLOCK, YOU CANNOT UNLOCK IT FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE CAR, AND THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN; THEREFORE, YOU MUST CLIMB TO THE OTHERSIDE OF THE CAR TO EXIT OR CLIMB OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW, WHICH I BELIEVE CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. NOONE WOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE YOU FROM THE CAR IN THE EVENT OF SERIOUS INJURY, FIRE OR A WATER RESCUE. THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP SHOP TOLD US THAT IT WAS A FAULTY DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR AND A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR US. THEY ESTIMATED THE COST TO REPAIR AT $200 PLUS LABOR. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THEN THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS CAR, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE UNSAFE NATURE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. WHEN ENTERING THE VEHICLE WITH THE REMOTE ACCESS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO UNLOCK. THE CONTACT PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WITH THE KEY, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT UNLOCK. SHE HEARD THE LOCKS CLICKING IN AN ATTEMPT TO OPEN, BUT THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLATCH. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO ENTER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WITH THE KEY OR REMOTE ENTRY. SHE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE BY MANEUVERING THE LOCK. THE CONTACT IS UNABLE TO LOCK THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT MAY NOT OPEN AGAIN OR SHE COULD BECOME LOCKED INSIDE. SHE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $300 TO INSPECT AND REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. IN JUNE OF 2004, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE DOOR WAS NOT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING CONTINUED TO FAIL AS WELL AS THE OTHER ISSUES. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES TO REPAIR THE SAME FAILURES, BUT THE ISSUES KEPT PERSISTING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED SINCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,195. UPDATED 10/05/08 *CN THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WERE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DIMMRE SWITCH ALSO FAILED. UPDATED 11/06/08. *JB