2004 Kia Optima

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. IT SHOWS THAT IT'S UNLOCKED. I CAN USE THE KEY AND CONTINUOUSLY PULL THE HANDLE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IT WAS OPENING. NOW IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. TOOK IT TO KIA IN HOLLAND THEY QUOTED ME A MINIMUM OF $300 TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT TOLD ME THEY HAD NO CLUE WHAT IT COULD BE. I WILL NOT ALLOW AN IGNORANT PERSON TO TOUCH MY VEHICLE. I CAN AT LEAST TELL YOU THAT IT IS THE LATCH. I LIVE IN MICHIGAN. IF I AM HIT ON MY PASSENGER SIDE AND AM IN NEED OF HELP I MIGHT AS WELL CLOSE MY EYES AND DIE. NO ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET ME OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO DRAG ME OUT OF THE WINDOW WHICH THEY WOULD HAVE TO BREAK. THIS COULD EASILY BE AN ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN DEATH. *TR

MY CAR COMPLETELY TURNS OFF WHILE IM DRIVING IT, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I USED IT THE FIRST TIME OF THE DAY AND TRY TO USED IT AGAIN IT TURNS OF AND LOOSE POWER, I CAN'T TURN IT ON AGAIN IN THAT MOMENT I NEED TO WAIT AND THEN IT WORKS AGAIN BUT IF HAPPENS REALLY FREQUENTLY AND ITS REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IM ON THE FREEWAY AND CARS ARE BEHIND ME AND I CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING WORSE. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD INSPECT MY CAR BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AT THAT MOMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED. ALSO, THE SUBFRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,700.

I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 WESTBOUND, KATY TX FREEWAY, TRAVELLING ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING THE CAR TO GO BACK AND FOURTH BETWEEN TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC. IN THE PROCESS, I WAS HITTING THE RUBBER DIVIDERS, DAMAGING THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND THE WINDSHIELD. THE BLOWN TIRE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE OIL PAN, THE RADIATOR, AND EVENTUALLY THE TRANSMISSION. I GOT THE CAR TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE CAR WAS TOWED OFF THE FREEWAY AND EVENTUALLY PICKED UP AND TRANSPORTED TO A CAR REPAIR SHOP. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER AND THE REPAIR SHOP OWNER BOTH AGREED THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I HAD TO BUY A NEW CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK FROM OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR MANUALLY OR WITH BY USING THE KEY FOB. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DOOR ACTUATOR SWITCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUSPENSION FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS RUSTED AND THE TIRE WAS DISCONNECTING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000. UPDATED 2/24/15*CN UPDATED 03/02/15*JB

DRIVER'S DOOR LOCKS AND CANNOT BE OPENED WITH A KEY AND DOES NOT OPEN ONCE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE OPERATOR ESSENTIALLY IS LOCKED IN THE CAR. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR FIRE, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EASILY VACATE THE VEHICLE; THE ONLY WAY WOULD BE TO CLIMB OVER THE CONSOLE TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OR THE REAR TO EXIT THE PASSENGER DOORS. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WITH NO ACTION TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO REMEDY THE DEFECT AND AFFECTS MULTIPLE MANUFACTURING YEARS. IN MY OPINION IT CLEARLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

KIA OPTIMA PROBLEM MODEL YEARS AFFECTED: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 THE DRIVER FRONT DOOR LOCK ON MY 2004 KIA OPTIMA STARTED GIVING ME PROBLEMS. IF I AM IN THE CAR AND LOCKED THE DOOR, I COULD NOT UNLOCK IT. IF I WAS OUTSIDE AND TRY TO USE THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, IT WOULD NOT UNLOCK. IF I TRIED TO USE THE KEY, IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS JAMMING, AND THE ACTUATOR WOULD AUTOMATICALLY RELOCK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP AND THE SHOP TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A FAULTY DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR.THE MECHANIC DID NOT OPEN THE DOOR BUT SAID THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THEY ESTIMATED COST IS $300+ INCLUDING LABOR TO REPAIR. AS AN INTERIM SOLUTION, THE MECHANIC TOLD US TO "TURN THE KEY AND PULL THE HANDLE SIMULTANEOUSLY". THE TRICK WORKED ABOUT 30% OF THE TIME. IT STILL DOES NOT SOLVE THE FACT THAT ONCE YOU'RE INSIDE, YOU HAVE TO CRAWL OUT THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE TO EXIT OR GO DUKES OF HAZARD ON IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE DOORS INDEPENDENTLY LOCKED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOORS FAILED TO UNLOCK IN ORDER TO EXIT THE VEHICLE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FAILED TO OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO LATCH AND LOCK FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COULD ONLY ENTER AND EXIT THE VEHICLE BY USING ANOTHER DOOR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LOCK ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.