2004 Kia Optima

ON MY 2004 KIA OPTIMA WHEN I UNLOCK THE DOORS WITH THE KEY ALL DOORS UNLOCK EXCEPT THE DRIVERS DOOR REAL BIG SAFETY CONCERN, IF I GET STUCK IN MY CAR DURING AN ACCIDENT AN CANNOT GET OUT I WILL SUE KIA MOTOR COMPANY FOR NOT ISSUING A SAFETY RECALL, I HAVE ALSO NOTICE A LOT OF POSTINGS BASED UPON THIS ISSUE ON FIXYA.COM FOR THE 2003-2006 KIA OPTIMA NEED ATTENTION ASAP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000. *TR UPDATED 03/27/13*LJ UPDATED 05/09/2013 *JS

THE DRIVERS DOOR WILL NOT OPEN EITHER FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THE DOOR REMAINS LOCKED AS THE BUTTON AND KEY DO NOT FULLY UNLOCK IT. USING BOTH BUTTON AND KEY AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AND OPEN IT. DISSASSEMBLY OF THE DOOR AND LATCH LOCATED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE DOOR LATCH MECHANISM. THE DOOR LATCH IS DESIGNED TO FAIL AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS LISTING THIS PART. THE LEVER THAT IS MOVED INTO PLACE WHEN THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED IS BLOCKED BY THE CAM THAT IT INTERFACES WITH BECAUSE THE CAM HAS ROTATED BEYOND THE POINT THAT IT SHOULD. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRAP SOMEONE IN THE CAR IF IT SHOULD FAIL AT THE WRONG TIME. *TR

DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, ACCIDENTALLY LOCKED DOOR NOW IT WILL NOT OPEN, HAVE TO CLIMB OVER FROM PASSENGER SIDE TO DRIVER SIDE, WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, I AM DISABLED AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO HAVE TO CLIMB OVER TO DRIVER SIDE, FOR A LONG TIME NOW I HAVE LEFT THE CAR UNLOCKED FOR THIS REASON, SEEMS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PLACED POSTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT ONLY AN INCONVENIENCE BUT A SAFETY ISSUE. I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR RECALL THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED. ANYONE IN AN ACCIDENT (GOD FORBID) IS TRAPPED, MORE SO IF THERE DISABLED, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THIS ISSUE. THANK-YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS LOCKED BUT COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE KEY IN ORDER TO GET THE DOOR TO OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 12/28/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK USING THE REMOTE OR SWITCH. ALL THE OTHER DOORS WOULD UNLOCK AND UNLOCK USING THE REMOTE OR SWITCH. UPDATED 01/09/13

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LATCH FAILED AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK FROM INSIDE OR OUT SIDE. HAD TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. VERY DANGEROUS IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITH THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND APPROX. MILEAGE AS MINE. KIA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOME ONE GETS HURT. *TR

THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL AFTER A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE CAR COASTED. AFTER SITTING FOR LESS THAN AN HOUR THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO THE KIA DEALER AND THEY SAID, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND CHARGE US $200 TO DO SO, AND THE ELECTRONIC PARTS WERE NOT COVERED. *TR