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.
driver side door lock does not open using the arm rest switch. wife was in the car could reach the switch but not the unlatch lever. Car was overheating with Ac on with keys in the ignition. Had to have her roll down the passenger door window to manually open the rear passenger side door. From the rear seat I could reach the lever and unlock the door. If I could not it would have been a fire hazard.
The driver door become jammed and sometimes will not open. You have to continuously/excessively jerk on it. Due to not opening, I have to crawl through the passenger side door in order to gain entrance into the vehicle. Not only that, after finally getting the driver door to open, I have to leave it crack to avoid this struggle.
Drivers side door locking mechanism malfunction. Mechanism will not allow the door to unlock, therefore the door can not be opened. Driver must climb out of passenger side.
Locked car after buying it used drivers door will not unlock. Multiple complaints online about this problem. My daughter was going to drive this thing. Kia dealer did not even mention this to me, but did say it was 200 minimum. I hope this gets investigated. In an accident the door will never open. I drove the car home and after 2 hours it will not unlock.
The frame is extensive rusted to the point where the vehicle's structural integrity has likely been compromised. Nothing unusual has happened that would cause such rust, such as backing into salt water, etc. It has been driven on salted NY roads but still, the rust is extreme on this vehicle even with that taken into consideration. The body has rusted extensively as well, to the point where the rear quarter panels by the rear wheel arches have rusted completely through.
- Cheektowaga, NY, USA
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For the last few years the driver's side door lock has not worked properly. It will lock without problem but then will not unlock. It cannot be unlocked from within the vehicle at all. To unlock it from outside requires that the door be unlocked at the same time the door handles is pulled open. It requires multiple tries to get it right - usually it takes a few minutes of playing with the door handle and key to get it to work properly.
Key will not unlock driver's door and driver cannot unlock door from inside vehicle. Kia motors will not issue a recall even though this is a major safety issue. Climbing over the center console is required to enter or exit the vehicle. This is a frequent issue with Kia Optima cars, well known and often written up online, the part required to repair the vehicle is sold on ebay by multiple sellers always.
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door could not be opened from interior of the vehicle. The contact had to exit the vehicle from the passenger's side door. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who stated that the door latch and actuator was defective. The contact had the actuator replaced previously but the repair did not remedy the defect. The failure mileage was 107,038.
The driver side door will not open after the doors are locked. If you unlock the doors the driver side will unlock and then re lock itself. If there was to be a vehicle fire or other problem, the drive would have to climb out of a window or cross over the center consul to exit the vehicle. This is without a doubt a safety issue that the vehicle manufacture should be made responsible for repairing.
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side doors could not be locked. The contact could hear the locks attempting to latch, but they failed to do actually engage. The contact had to climb in and out of the vehicle through the rear doors. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 158,338.
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the front doors did not open when using the key, key fob, or from the interior. The contact had to enter the vehicle from the rear. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not accepted.
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima LX. While the vehicle was in the idle position, the contact was unable to open the driver side door. He could not open it from the outside with the key or even using the handle inside the vehicle. The contact had to climb out the front passenger door. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000 and the current mileage was approximately 89,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Dallas, TX, USA