2004 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEY, USING THE INSIDE HANDLE OR ELECTRIC LOCK CONTROL. THE DOOR CONSTANTLY RELOCKS WHEN YOU TRY TO UNLOCK WITH THE KEY OR THE TOGGLE LEVER INSIDE THE CAR. IT WILL NOT OPEN IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. EVEN TRIED TO DISABLE THE ELECTRIC LOCK BY REMOVING THE FUSE. THE ELECTRIC DOORS DID NOT WORK BUT THE DOOR DID RELOCK WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN WITH A KEY (MUST BE ON ANOTHER CIRCUIT - MAYBE SECURITY). LARGE NUMBER OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE DOOR LOCK TO THE 2004 KIA OPTIMA HAVE DEFECTS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD WARRANTY. HEY GO BAD FROM 40 MILES ALL THE WAY BEYOND ALSO THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT RECOIL WHEN TAKEN OFF THE BODY. *TR

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 15 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER. THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM STOPPED SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,500.

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

I HAVE BEEN REFUSED THE REPAIR ON MY 2004 KIA BY NO LESS THAN 3 DEALERSHIPS ABOUT THE RUSTING FRONT END BECAUSE OF LACK OF RUST PROOFING. IT MADE THE CAR UNDRIVABLE 4 MONTHS AGO AND I HAVE HAD NO SATISFACTION. YOU ARE GOING AFTER TOYOTA WITH BOTH BARRELS YET YOU ARE LEAVING KIA ALONE AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT SERIOUS EXPENSES AND PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN 2004. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING YOUR OFFICE WITH NEGATIVE REPLIES. IF I DO NOT HERE FROM THIS AGENCY IN THE NEAR FUTURE CONCERNING MY ISSUES I WILL CONTACT THE MEDIA AND SEEK MY RESTITUTION THROUGH THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETTING THE GREASE METHOD AND MY ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE GOVERNMENT ASSIST WILL BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION. PLEASE PUT HEAT ON KIA TO GET AGGRESSIVE WITH THE RECALL REPAIRS. *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

ME 2004 KIA HAVE THE AIR BAGS LIGHT ON AND I HAVE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY HAD NOT FIND WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. I CALL THE KIA DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I AM AFRAID THE AIR BAGS WILL POP WHILE I AM DRIVING. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE AIR BAGS LIGHT STAY ON AT ALL TIME. *TR THANK YOU

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