This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to open and close. As the failure progressed, the contact was unable to enter and exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Updated 7/16/15
The lock to the driver's side door will not disengage. I put the key in, but the door will not open. I have to enter the car from the passenger side. From what I have read online, this is not the first time this issue has been brought to the forefront for this company to deal with. However, there have been no recalls placed on this vehicle. Are we supposed to wait to see who dies first before the company is forced to do a recall? if I knew this was a problem with this particular vehicle, I never would have bought it. This is very dangerous. At the time, this is my only means of transportation. It is paid off, and I cannot afford another one. I can't trade it in knowing that the next person would inherit this problem. I, for one, could not live with myself if a person died as a result of not being able to get out in the event of an emergency. Just replace the defective parts on this vehicle. It is a great car, but the defective actuator that prevents the driver's side door from opening overshadows the that fact. I would never recommend any of my family members, friends, co-workers, or anyone else buy this car (or any other Kia) until this problem is fixed. The transportation safety board needs to step in fast. We as consumers are doing our part by reporting these issues, please do yours by protecting the public from this safety hazard. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated the drivers side front door failed to open from both the outside and inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who confirmed the door latch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages was 71,634.
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated the drivers side door does not unlock from the outside. The key nor the keyless entry would unlock the drivers side door. The contact had to enter the vehicle through the front passenger door. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was able to lock and unlock the door by using the key. When the contact left the dealer she could not open the driver side door from the outside of the vehicle. The contact did not take the vehicle back to the dealer for additional diagnostic testing. The door latch was faulty and need to be replaced. The failure mileage was 79,000.
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.
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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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.
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated that when she used the key to unlock the doors, only the rear doors unlocked. The front doors also failed to unlock from inside the vehicle. She had to climb in the vehicle from the backseat. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 109,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. The consumer stated the vehicle will not unlock and have been locked out of the vehicle numerous times. The consumer further stated this is a safety issue and had to leave doors unlocked for fear of being locked out of the vehicle. Updated 08/29/07
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Glenrock, NJ, USA