2004 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

2004 KIA OPTIMA WITH FAILED WIRING HARNESS AND TIRE BLOW OUT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FELL FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. DEALER REFUSES TO FIX THE VEHICLE INSTEAD THEY WANT HER TO BUY A NEW ONE. *KB

PURCHASED 2004 KIA OPTIMA EX NEW. HAVE HAD FUSE BLOCK REPLACED W/IN 15000 MILES. NOW, THE FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED. THE CAR RAN FINE AND WAS PARKED. NEXT DAY CAR WOULD NOT START. NO FUSES BLOWN. THE TERMINAL CONNECTOR FROM THE FUEL PUMP TO THE GAS TANK PENETRATION HAS BURNED OUT CAUSING AN INTERMITTENT OPEN IN CIRCUIT. FUEL PUMP BURNED UP IN TANK. WIRES AND CONNECTORS VISIBLY CHARRED. CONNECTION THAT FAILED IS INSIDE OF THE GAS TANK. VERY SIMILAR TO NTSB CASE #10161074. HAVE 120,000 MILES ON THE CAR. OTHERS WITH LESS MILEAGE ARE IN FOR TROUBLE DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. DEFECTIVE PARTS AVAILABLE FOR PHOTOGRAPH OR INSPECTION. *JB

ON JULY 22, 2007, I WAS ON MY WAY BACK HOME FROM MY ANNIVERSARY TRIP WHEN MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE CAR RESTARTED WITH NO LUCK. SINCE THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WE CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHICH FALLS UNDER THE WARRANTY. WELL 3-1/2 HOURS LATER A TOW TRUCK SHOWED UP. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, IT WAS NOT CALLED BY KIA. HE JUST HAPPENED DOWN THE ROAD AT THE TIME. SO I HAD TO PAY $250.00 TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME TO AVOID STORAGE FEES AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY THE KIA DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY CHANGED THE CRANK SENSOR AND TIMING BELT. TWO WEEKS LATER THE CAR STARTED HAVING IDLING PROBLEMS. THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF IF LEFT TO IDLE. THE CAR JERKED WHEN TAKING OFF AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE WAS BOUNCING AROUND UNDER THE HOOD. SO I HAD IT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED. IT IS NOW 2 WEEKS LATER AND MY CAR IS STILL AT THE KIA DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE CALLED ME 4 TIMES TO COME GET THE CAR IT IS READY. NO IT WAS NOT!!! SO 4 TIMES I DROVE AN HOUR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AN HOUR HOME TO GO DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP, CRANK UP MY CAR, REALIZE IT STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, GIVE THEM BACK THE KEYS, AND DRIVE HOME. I AM NOW AT THE POINT WHERE KIA CAN KEEP THE PIECE OF SH*T AND EITHER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK ON MY SUPPOSEDLY NEW CAR OR GIVE ME AN ACTUAL NEW CAR. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!@!

TL*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 *TR

I BOUGHT A 2004 KIA OPTIMIA IN MARCH 5005 AND ALREADY THE HEADLIGHT GLOBE WAS STARTING TO FADE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. THE CAR HAS 26800 MILES ON IT. AND WAS KEPT IN A GARAGE . THE SERVICEMAN SAID IT CAME FROM SUN RAYS. THE ONLY TIME THE CAR WAS IN THE SUN WAS WHEN I WAS AT WORK. THE CAR WASIN GOOD CONDITION. THINK THIS WAS AN INJUSTICE, I DIDN'T CAUSE THE PROBLEM. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RUNS WELL, BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE BEGAN ON MAY 12, 2007 AND HAS BEEN OCCURRING EVER SINCE. SHE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID AND THE LIGHT, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES TO ILLUMINATE. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 96,000.

PUNCTURED TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE DAMAGED TIRE HAD EXCESSIVE TREAD WEAR IN RELATION TO THE MILES DRIVEN ON CAR. THE FIGURES SHOWED THE TIRE WAS WEARING 3-1 EXP: UNIROYAL TOURING TRACK, P205/60R15-90H WITH 60,000 MILE TREAD WEAR. 10/32ND TREAD DEPTH NEW. I BOUGHT THIS TIRE ON 03/07/07, AND WAS DAMAGED ON 05/14/07= 70 DAYS OLD. BOUGHT TIRE FROM WAL-MART, BRUNSWICK, GA 31520. TOOK TIRE TO SAME ON 05/14/07. TIRE SHOWED 4/32NDS WORE OFF OF TREAD. THIS = 24,000 MILES OF WEAR AT 6,000 MILE PER 1/32ND OF TREAD. TRAVEL NO MORE THEN 100 MILES PER DAY AT 68 DAYS AND 1 ROUND TRIP OF 1,500 MILES = TOTAL OF8,300 MILES OF TRAVEL ON CAR. AS I SAID 3-1 WEAR OF TREAD.MFG WILL NOT AJUST PRORATED COST OF NEW TIRE NOR WILL WAL-MART. NEW TIRE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED FREE BUT COAT ME PRORATE OF $49.00. *AK

I BOUGHT MY CAR IN AUGUST 2004, A 2004 KIA OPTIMA, AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL ABOUT APRIL 2006. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND I NOTICED WHEN I LEFT MY HOUSE THAT THE CAR SOUNDED A LITTLE FUNNY AND THE CLUTCH WAS GIVING ME PROBLEMS. I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT AND THE CAR JUST DIED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INSURED ME THAT THE CLUTCH WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD ONLY COST $50 AT THE MOST. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER CAR AND I WENT TO WORK. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER TO INFORM ME THAT THE CLUTCH WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WAS GOING TO COST ME $1500.00 TO FIX MY CAR. THEY FIXED IT AND I PAID. UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY, A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER MY CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP, THEY INSTANTLY GAVE ME A LOANER CAR AND I WENT TO WORK. THEY CALLED ME A FEW HOURS LATER AT WORK TO TELL ME THAT THE CLUTCH WAS BAD AGAIN AND TRIED TO TELL ME IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS RIDING THE CLUTCH. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS WASN'T THE ONLY MANUAL TRANSMISSION I HAD OWNED. I'VE OWNED 4 MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS SOME NEW SOME MUCH OLDER AND I'VE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH. THEY DID TELL ME THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THE NEW CLUTCH WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THEY HAD INSTALLED THE CLUTCH BUT THEY FOUND THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED THEM IF IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND CAUSED BOTH CLUTCHES TO GO BAD BUT THEY INSURED ME THAT IT WASN'T POSSIBLE. THEY PAID FOR THE CLUTCH AND THE TRANSMISSION. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ,WHERE THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE REPAIRED THE AIR BAG SENSOR ON TWO OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE SENSOR WAS SUPPOSE TO DETECT A WEIGHT 90 POUNDS OR ABOVE. *AK UPDATED 2/6/2007 -*NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG. THE SECOND TIME THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE CONTACT IS AWAITING INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE FOR THE THIRD AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION.