IllustrationKIA 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
2004 Kia Optima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Kia Optima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 186.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Optima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
220–25K
2225–50K
3550–75K
4375–100K
56100–150K
9150K+
187 reports with mileage · 38 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 81 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports3 fire reports7 injury reports
Equipment complaints
3 reportsTHE 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
SUMMER OF 2007 A/C WOULD NOT WORK SPORADICALLY. FEBRUARY 1,2008 I HAD MY PERSONAL MECHANIC COME TO MY HOUSE TO LOOK AT MY CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHY I AM HEARING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF MY A/C PROBLEMS HE ASKED ME IF I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY A/C BECAUSE HE SEES THE PROBLEM AS BEING MY A/…
Read full complaint
SUMMER OF 2007 A/C WOULD NOT WORK SPORADICALLY. FEBRUARY 1,2008 I HAD MY PERSONAL MECHANIC COME TO MY HOUSE TO LOOK AT MY CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHY I AM HEARING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF MY A/C PROBLEMS HE ASKED ME IF I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY A/C BECAUSE HE SEES THE PROBLEM AS BEING MY A/C COMPRESSOR. CALLING AROUND FOR PRICES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM I WAS INFORMED THE KIA FACTORY IS COMPLETELY OUT OF A/C COMPRESSORS. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD INFORMED ME THEY HAVE REPLACED A FEW A/C COMPRESSORS RECENTLY. MY CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT WILL LOCK UP UNDER MY HOOD IF I CONTINUE DRIVING IT. I CALLED KIA AND WAS TOLD I HAVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON MY OWN AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. *TR
Official recalls
109V183000 · Suspension:front
May 27, 2009
KIA MOTORS CORPORATION (KMC) IS RECALLING 36,538 MODEL YEAR 2001-2004 OPTIMA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. ROAD SALT APPLIED IN THESE STATES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS MAY RESULT IN PROGRESSIVE, INTERNAL CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME. OVER TIME, SUCH SUBFRAME CORROSION NEAR THE CONNECTION TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CAN LEAD TO WHEEL MISALIGNMENT AND/OR OTHER NOTICEABLE STRESS IN STEERING, OR ACCELERATED ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME COULD LEAD TO SEPARATION, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: KMC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 15, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA'S CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.