Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCKED AND IS UNUSABLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS AFFECTED ALL MODELS OF KIA AUTOS BUT KIA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR
THE FRONT FRAME AND MANY COMPONENTS OF MY 2001 KIA OPTIMA HAVE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. IT CURRENTLY HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS PRETTY MUCH ON EVERY DAY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GAS CAP, ALTHOUGH THAT NEVER REALLY CAME UP AS THE REASON, THERE WAS MORE THAN THAT- RESULTING IN MULTIPLE REPAIRS. THE O2 SENSOR HAS GONE TWICE, THE BRAKES HAVE CORRODED SO BADLY MY REPAIRMAN HAD TO HIT THEM OFF TO REMOVE THEM. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES SINCE THEY ALL RUSTED OUT. THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND STAYS ON AND NOONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHY. THE SILVER TRIM ON THE BACK WINDOW HAS FALLEN OFF. THE PAINT COMES OFF IN RANDOM PLACES MAKING WEIRD SPOTS OF PRIMER SHOW. THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE SAME HEADLIGHT GOES OUT ALMOST MONTHLY AND IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT IN AND FIND IN STORES. DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN, LOCKING ME IN OR OUT OF THE CAR. THE WINDOWS HAVE VERY WEAK MOTORS THAT BARELY ROLL UP OR DOWN. THIS IS A CAR I BOUGHT FROM A DEALERSHIP AND AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. I HAVE BROUGHT IT IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE AND HAVE SPENT MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH ON REPAIRS WHILE STILL MAKING CAR PAYMENTS AND KEEPING FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE THE FRAME HAS ROTTED OUT AND I WAS TOLD TO JUNK THE VEHICLE BY BILL DODGE KIA SERVICE AND THEN AGAIN BY THE GENTLEMAN DOING MY STATE INSPECTION TODAY. KIA STATES THERE IS NO RECALL CURRENTLY ON MY VIN #. I FIND THAT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. I BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPLACED OR ALL THE PARTS THAT HAVE CORRODED SHOULD BE COMPLETELY REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE BY KIA MOTOR CO. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT ONLY RECLINED FORWARD. THE BACK RECLINER MECHANISM FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000.
SINCE PURCHASING MY 2001 KIA OPTIMA, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT DIFFICULTY. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM IN CASE I NEEDED REPAIRS. I GOT MY MONEY'S WORTH. BUT THE PROBLEMS I HAD ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, LOCKS NOT WORKING, WINDOWS NOT ROLLING UP, PAINT PEELING OFF, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ON, DECREASED ACCELERATION, HEAT SURGES WHEN GAS PEDAL RELEASED AND PRESSED AND THE LIST GOES ON. IT IS NOT HARD TO FIND OTHER KIA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE REPAIR THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS THE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION IT NEEDS. THERE IS 41,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. COMMON PROBLEMS THAT ARE WIDELY KNOWN AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AT KIA MOTOR COMPANY'S EXPENSE. *TR
PURCHASED OCT,15,07. WITHIN 3 DAY WE HAD IT UP TO DEALER WERE PURCHASES 1) FOR WINDOWS NOT GOING UP OR DOWN ALL THE TIME. 2) LIGHT ON RADIO AND HEATER DO NOT WORK. 3) THE CAR HAD NO POWER AND WOULD GO FROM 1ST GEAR TO 3RD GEAR AND WOULD STAY THAT WAY UNTIL CAR TURNED OFF. 4)HAD TO REPLACE SPEED SHIFT SENSOR. 5) BRAKES. GOT LOOKED IN CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD NOT GET OUT. SOMETIMES THEY WORK MOST OF THE TIME THEY DON'T. 6). ANTENNA BROKE OFF FOR NO REASON. WENT OUT ON DAY BARELY TOUCHED IT AND IT FEEL OFF. 7) ON FEB 9TH CAR WOULD NOT START FOR 4 DAYS FOR NO REASON HAD TOWED FROM OWN HOUSE TO GARAGE WERE THEY KNOW BELIEVE IT HAS A CRACKED HEAD OR BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 89,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS ALREADY. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE I HAVE A 3YR OLD AND A 7 YR OLD. I FEAR FOR THERE LIVES AND MINE. . I DON'T EVEN WANT THIS CAR ANYMORE AND HAVE HAD IT FOR ONLY 4 MONTHS. PLEASE HELP IF U HAVE ANY ADVICE. DON'T BUY A KIA. ALSO THIS CAR CAME WITH A 90 DAY WARRANTY FROM HARRY'S AUTO SALES AND THEY KEPT TELLING ME FOR 3 MONTH THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND ONLY WOULD RESET COMPUTER UNTIL I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER GARAGE AND THEY FOUND OUT DIFFERT. THEY TOLD US HEAD GASKET. HARRY SAID NOOOOOO. WHEN WARRANTY RAN OUT THEN THEY INFORMED ME I NEED A HEAD GASKET. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT CAUSE WARRANTY OUT. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LEMON. PLEASE HELP ME FIND LEGAL ADVICE. *TR
JUST PUT MY 2 YR OLD DAUGHTER IN HER CAR SEAT, LOADED THE GROCERIES INTO THE CAR ALONG WITH MY PURSE AND KEYS. SHUT THE DOOR. DOORS LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY. HAD TO CALL 911 FOR POLICE TO COME AND GET MY DAUGHTER OUT OF CAR. ALSO HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN THE CAR, HAD THE KEYS AND STILL COULD NOT GET DOORS UNLOCKED. THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A FLUKE UNTIL I READ OTHER REPORTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENING IN KIAS. *NM
WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT THE CAR AND DROVE IT, THE LIGHTS BECAME DIM IN THE INSIDE AND THE HEADLIGHTS. THE RADIO TURNED OFF AND ON, TOOK IT TO DEALER 4-5 TIMES FOR PROBLEM AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR DOESN'T PICK UP SPEND WHEN GOING OVER HILLS NOT EVEN LITTLE ONES. THE GAS NEEDLE DOES NOT READ FULL EVEN WHEN THE TANK IS PRACTICALLY OVERFLOWING WITH GAS. READING A FULL TANK OF GAS HAPPENS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON . HAVE TAKEN TO SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY SPEND SENSOR IS GOING OUT AND THAT IS WHY THE CAR IS GOING FROM 1ST TO 3RD GEAR AND SKIPS 2ND ALTOGETHER I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ONE YEAR THE WARRINTY IS GONE AND I WAS NEVER OFFERED THE EXTENDED WARRINTY AND REALLY DIDN'T THINK OF IT SINCE THE CAR WAS ONLY 4 YR OLD. BACK BRAKES HAVE ALSO GONE OUT AT LEAST I THINK SO THEY STARTED GRINDING WITH NO WARNING 2 DAYS AGO I'M GOING TO HAVE THEM CHECKED THIS WEEKEND. AIR (NEVER USED BEFOE THIS SUMMER)DOESN'T GET COLD LIKE IT SHOULD. DOOR LOCK MAKING A CRAZY SOUND ON DRIVERS SIDE, BELIEVE THE MOTOR IS GOING OUT ON POWER LOCKS THEY ALSO TEND TO NOT WANT TO UNLOCK SOMETIMES. ATENNA BROKE.AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WON'T TURN OFF. ALSO HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF ANY RECALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN FIXED ON MY CAR OR NOT OR IF THEY STILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *JB
DT: THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THE KEY DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. ALSO THE REMOTE IS NOT ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS. THIS PROBLEM FIRST STARTED IN 7-2001. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED AND THEY WERE STILL WAITING FOR THE PART. THERE ALSO WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO GET THE GEARS TO SHIFT SMOOTHLY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT SENSOR FOR THE TRANSMISSION THE FIRST TIME. THE DEALERSHIP RECENTLY REPLACED THE REAR SENSOR BECAUSE THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *MR
03/06/02 PURCHASED A OPTIMA KIA 2001, STILL UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL 2/6/06. PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAG, ENGINE, AND LOCKS FROM THE DATE OF THE PURCHASE OF THIS CAR. CAR BROUGHT IN FOR AIRBAG LIGHT PROBLEM 14 TIMES SINCE 2002 TO PRESENT DATE 2005 AND STILL NOT FIXED AS WE SPEAK. ENGINE BROUGHT IN 6 TIMES, AND LOCKS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TOO. LAST TIME SERVICE ON AIRBAG WAS 6/5/05 LIGHT BACK ON. KIA KNOWS THIS CAR CAN NOT BE FIXED AND REFUSE TO GIVE ME A SAFE CAR FOR ME AND MY 11 YEAR OLD SON
THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DID NOT LOCK AND THE TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER WAS REPLACED TWICE. *SC *TC *JB
MY WIFE & I OWN A 2001 KIA OPTIMA WITH POWER LOCKS. TWICE THE POWER LOCKS HAVE FAILED. THE FIRST TIME, THE LOCKS FAILED IN THAT THEY WOULD UNLOCK BY REMOTE AND IMMEDIATELY LOCK BACK PREVENTING ACCESS TO THE VEHICLE. BY KEY, ONE DOOR WOULD OPEN WHILE THE OTHER HAD TO BE OPENED FASTER THAN THE CAR COULD RE-LOCK ITSELF. THE SECOND TIME IT FAILED CONCERNED ME GREATLY. THE DEALER, PARAMOUNT KIA OF HICKORY, HAD REPAIRED THE LOCK PARTS AND SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE & THAT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE LOCKS FAILED AGAIN TRAPPING ME IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. DESPITE ANY EFFORT ON MY PART, THERE WERE ONLY TWO WAYS OUT OF THE CAR: CLIMBING OVER THE SEATS TO ANOTHER DOOR OR BY HAVING MY WIFE MANUALLY UNLOCK THE LEFT FRONT DOOR WITH HER KEY WHILE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE WHILE SHE HELD THE KEY IN THE UNLOCK POSITION, SHE HAD TO OPEN THE DOOR. AS SOON AS SHE RELEASED HER GRIP ON THE KEY, THE DOOR WOULD LOCK AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY RISK & I WOULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION HAD IT NOT HAPPENED TWICE TO THE SAME CAR. I CAN SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FAULTY PART AND WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE TRAPPED IN AN ACCIDENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY CONTACT INFORMATION APPEARS BELOW. LEE TRAXLER 103 LOVERS LANE MORGANTON, NC 28655 828-437-1360 *LA
THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IF THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE TRANSMISSION DROPPING TO 3RD GEAR WHEN GOING UPHILL. *LA THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DRIVE UPHILL IN 3RD GEAR. THE DRIVER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR AND LATCH WAS REPLACED BECAUSE THE DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK OR REMAIN UNLOCK, THE WINDOW MADE A CHATTERING NOISE WHEN IT WAS ROLLED DOWN. *JB
POWER LOCK DOORS FAILED, WHICH TWICE TRAPPED THE DRIVER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO RESTART THE ENGINE, ROLLED DOWN THE POWER WINDOW, TAKE THE KEY OUT AND INSERT IT INTO THE DOOR TO UNLOCK IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. *AK
THIS VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONTINUES TO FAIL ALONG WITH NONWORKING LIGHTS, AIR CONDITIONER, LOCK FAILURE, BATTERY AND ALTRENATOR FAILURE. CAR HAS BEEN WORKED ON FOR SAME PROBLEMS MORE THAN 5 TIMES. CAR HAS HAD (THAT I KNOW OF) 3 BATTERIES AND 2 ALTERNATORS. ONCE THE LOCKS ON THE CAR FAILED AND I WAS TRAPPED INSIDE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. LOCKS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY RELOCK FASTER THAN YOU COULD OPEN THE DOOR.*AK
VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHILE DRIVING.*MR THE AIR CONDITION, AUTO CHECK LIGHT AND AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS DO NOT REMAIN UNLOCKED TRAPPING THE DRIVER.*TS *JB
I HAVE TOOK MY CAR IN NUMEROUS TIME FOR THE SQUEKING BRAKES. ALSO, THE THERMOSTAT HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THE 4TH TIME. I HAVE HAD MY CAR SINCE NOV OF 2001. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALER SHIP ABOUT 10 TIMES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS. THE BRAKES THEY JUST BLOW OUT AND SAY IT IS METTALIC DUST. THAT I NEED TO CLEAR THEM OUT WHEN THE CAR IS WASHED. THE SQUEAK STILL COMES BACK. THEY HAVE ALSO TOLD ME IT IS THE HUMIDITY DOING THIS. THE THERMOSTAT HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THE 4TH TIME TODAY. ALSO, I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY LOCKS AND ENIGNE LIGHT COMING ON ALL THE TIME. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ALSO. THE CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE KIA CONSUMER CUSTOMER SERVICES NO HELP AT ALL. MY COMPLAINTS GO BACK ABOUT 1 YR. IT ALL STARTED IN JAN OF 2002
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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