2004 Kia Optima Other / unspecified Problems

ALMOST DIED IN AN ACCIDENT TATE KIA DID NOT ALLOW ME TO LEAVE THE THROUGH MY DOOR. I WAS HIT ONE MY PASSENGER SIDE NOT ALLOWING MY ESCAPE THROUGH THAT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND I NEEDED TO CRAWL THROUGH TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TO ESCAPE. MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK MALFUNCTIONED BECAUSE OF WEAR ON A COMMONLY KNOW PART. THIS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR CONSIDERING MY 1967 CAMERO STILL HAS FUNCTIONING LOCKS AND 50 YRS OLDER. I SEE NOT REASON AS TO WHY A 11 YR OLD VEHICLE HAS NON FUNCTIONING LOCKING EQUIPMENT AND I HAVE OWNED VARIOUS OTHER CARS WITHOUT A PROBLEM LIKE THIS MALFUNCTION THAT SEEMS ONLY TOO OBVIOUS OF AN AMERICAN SAFETY CONCERN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A MANDATORY RECALL FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF A VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO EVEN "GET IN" OR "GET OUT" OF THE CAR. SIMPLE CONCEPT! WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE IF I CAN'T GET IN IT OR SLEEP IN MY APARTMENT IF I CAN'T GET OUT OF IT. HUH? THE WEB IS FULL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND NEAR LIFE DISASTERS BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE WANT RESOLUTION INCLUDING MYSELF! IF THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND THEY HAVE REGULAR JOBS NO SLATED TO THE TASK OF HIGHWAY SAFETY. HOW IS IT THAT YOUR AGENCY SLATED WITH THE TASK OF THIS IMPORTANT JOB HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE HAS NOW SPAN SEVERAL YEARS OF THESE VEHICLES AND VARIOUS MODELS. SEEMS TO ME THAT SOMEONE, REFERRING TO YOUR AGENCY IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB VERY WELL AT ALL AND NEEDS TO WAKE UP CONCERNING THIS ISSUE WITH THE KIA MANUFACTURER TO FIX THIS VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. GET TO ITS BOYS AND GIRLS AND GET THIS DONE, BECAUSE FAMILIES DEPEND ON YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR WELL BEING. SCENARIO: CAR STARTS ON FIRE.......CAN'T OPEN DOOR....DEAD.......A DUH!!!!!!!! MAKE SENSE? YEAH! GOOD! THEY HAVE CREATED A DEATH TRAP. FIX IT!!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10702345

Incident

Mar 28, 2015

DRIVERS SIDE LOCKING AND NOT RELEASING. NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WHERE THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCKS AND WILL NOT RELEASE. (USING THE KEY ON THE OUTSIDE OR THE PAD ON THE INSIDE DOOR) I HAVE REPEATEDLY HAD TO CLIMB OUT THE BACK DOOR BECAUSE THE PLASTIC PIECES THAT WERE USED WHEN MAKING THE CAR ARE WORN OUT AND NOT ALLOWING THE LOCK TO UNLOCK. IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. I AM HOPING THAT A RECALL OR A SILENT RECALL WILL BE ISSUED FOR THIS SINCE I AM NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO GET THE DOOR PANEL OFF TO FIX IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10691413

Incident

Mar 1, 2013

I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 WESTBOUND, KATY TX FREEWAY, TRAVELLING ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING THE CAR TO GO BACK AND FOURTH BETWEEN TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC. IN THE PROCESS, I WAS HITTING THE RUBBER DIVIDERS, DAMAGING THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND THE WINDSHIELD. THE BLOWN TIRE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE OIL PAN, THE RADIATOR, AND EVENTUALLY THE TRANSMISSION. I GOT THE CAR TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE CAR WAS TOWED OFF THE FREEWAY AND EVENTUALLY PICKED UP AND TRANSPORTED TO A CAR REPAIR SHOP. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER AND THE REPAIR SHOP OWNER BOTH AGREED THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I HAD TO BUY A NEW CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10680973

Incident

Jan 26, 2015

Mileage

62,000 mi

THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 09V183000 AND THE COMPONENT IS SUSPENSION. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL PORTION FOR MY VEHICLE WAS PERFORMED BUT ONLY AS AN INSPECTION BY GLASSMAN KIA, SOUTHFIELD MICHIGAN, IN JULY 2009. I EXPERIENCED THE ACTUAL CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUB-FRAME BUT THANK GOD I DID NOT HAVE A CRASH. I AM TOLD BY KMC THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THEY MAY NOT FIX THE CAR. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT GLASSMAN TOMORROW, JULY 17, 2014. *TR

NHTSA ID

10611056

Incident

Jul 15, 2014

THE PASSENGER WHEEL CAME OFF THE CAR AS MY SON WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT A GROCERY STORE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. THAT PART OF THE CAR HAD NEVER BEEN WORKED ON. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR REPAIR. KIA USED GLUE ON LIFE A SUPPORT NUT ON A BALL JOINT, WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE USED A COTTER PIN. I HAVE BOUGHT FOUR (4) KIAS. THESE CARS ARE STILL IN THE FAMILY. THE KIA I DRIVE DAILY IS IDENTICAL (EXCEPT BEING AUTOMATIC) TO THE ONE THAT THE WHEEL CAME OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10534657

Incident

Jul 30, 2012

Mileage

102,800 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, AN EXTREMELY LOUD SOUND OF METAL TO METAL EMITTED OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND NOTICED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SUSPENSION AND FRAME COMPLETELY FRACTURED DUE TO RUST CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V183000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,854. I WAS LESS THAN TEN MINUTES REMOVED FOR HIGHWAY, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, WHEEL FRONT PASSANGER COMPLETELY BROKE OFF! UPDATED 09/14/2011 *LN UPDATED 12/19/11

NHTSA ID

10407497

Incident

Jun 19, 2011

Mileage

85,854 mi

KIA OPTIMA 2004. DRIVER-DOOR LOCKED UP. WOULDN'T OPEN. CAN'T OPEN THE DOOR EITHER FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR FROM PASSENGER DOOR. WINDOWS CAN'T BE OPENED! *TR

NHTSA ID

10351174

Incident

Aug 21, 2010

Mileage

63,497 mi

THE FUEL SYSTEM IS GIVING ME PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEMS I HAVE CHANGED THE FUEL PUMP 3 TIMES IN 12 MONTHS. AND THE HEAD LIGHTS ALSO KEEP GOING OUT. I'VE CHANGED THE LEFT SIDE HEAD LIGHT TWICE AND THE RIGHT SIDE ONCE IN 4-1/2 YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10345869

Incident

Jul 23, 2010