Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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
I WAS REPAIRING BRAKELINES, WHILE OBSERVING UNDER CARRIAGE I NOTICED SUSPENSION RUST, FRAME. LOOKED UP RECALLS AND THIS IS ONE. I INCLUDED SCREENSHOT OF PROOG
WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVE, I WAS UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL BUTTONS. THE CANCEL AND SET BUTTONS HAD NO EFFECT WHEN PRESSED. THE CAR REMAINED TRAVELING AT THE SET SPEED. TAPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL DID CANCEL THE CRUISE CONTROL.
MY AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON THERE'S NO WIRES DISCONNECTED UNDER THE SEAT AND MY SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT WELL ALSO MY DOOR LOCKS ARE GETTING STUCK IN LOCK MODE AND MY ENGINE COMES ON AND THEN GOES OFF.AFTER AWHILE.WHEN IN PARK
MY CAR COMPLETELY TURNS OFF WHILE IM DRIVING IT, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I USED IT THE FIRST TIME OF THE DAY AND TRY TO USED IT AGAIN IT TURNS OF AND LOOSE POWER, I CAN'T TURN IT ON AGAIN IN THAT MOMENT I NEED TO WAIT AND THEN IT WORKS AGAIN BUT IF HAPPENS REALLY FREQUENTLY AND ITS REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IM ON THE FREEWAY AND CARS ARE BEHIND ME AND I CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING WORSE. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD INSPECT MY CAR BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AT THAT MOMENT. *TR
THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL AFTER A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE CAR COASTED. AFTER SITTING FOR LESS THAN AN HOUR THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO THE KIA DEALER AND THEY SAID, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND CHARGE US $200 TO DO SO, AND THE ELECTRONIC PARTS WERE NOT COVERED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO SOME TREES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ALWAYS BEEN UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
I WAS COMMUTING. I GAVE MY CAR REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND TUNE UPS. THEN THE ENGINE COILS WENT OUT. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER FORTY. REPLACED THAT. HEARD FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS AT 70K AT THIS POINT. THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY SAID TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT AT 110K. SO I DECIDED TO HOLD OFF AS THAT PROBABLY WASN'T THE PROBLEM AND A MANUFACTURER WOULDN'T LIE TO ME AS THEY ARE REGULATED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THEN I AM DRIVING AND THE CAR DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. I GET THE CAR TOWED. THE TIMING BELT IS CHANGED AND THERE ARE HALF THE TEETH LEFT ON THE TIMING BELT. HOW IS THE CAR STILL RUNNING YOU MAY ASK? IT IS A MAGICAL CAR AND IS LIKE THE LITTLE TRAIN THAT COULD. THEN I AM DRIVING ON A BUSY SCARY MOUNTAINOUS HIGHWAY AND THE CAR DIES AGAIN AT A BLIND CORNER. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF CARS THAT WANT TO HIT ME. THE CAR TURNS BACK ON. THE FEAR FOR MY LIFE AND THOSE AROUND ME HAS SUBSIDED FOR A MOMENT. THE CAR IS ABLE TO TURN BACK ON... SOMEHOW. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. THE CRANK SENSOR IS THE PROBLEM. THE CRANK SENSOR WAS THEN FIXED. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD TO HAVE ON THE ROAD. THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS ALSO BEEN ON FOR A YEAR AND WON'T GO OFF. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE COILS, DOOR LOCKS, TRUNK ALIGNMENTS AND PROBABLY SOME OTHER THINGS THAT MADE ME FEAR FOR MY LIFE. THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO BROKE AND SAID I WAS GOING 0 MPH WHEN IT WAS REALLY 80 MPH. AS OF RIGHT NOW THE CAR IS RUNNING OKAY. I EXPECT BY NEXT OCTOBER THAT SOMETHING WILL GO WRONG AS THAT IS THE MONTH THAT EVERYTHING DOES WITH THIS CAR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A GAS FUME LEAK AND THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,548.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .