Major Problems with 2004 Kia Optima Derived from Complaints & Recalls

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Worst 3 complaints of 2004 Kia Optima

2004 Kia Optima SUSPENSION Victims: 2 Mileage: 68592 miles

2004 Kia Optima AIR BAGS Victims: 1

2004 Kia Optima FRONTAL Victims: 1 Mileage: 15343 miles

Browse 2004 Kia Optima complaints by category

Problems with LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and BODY are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Kia Optima owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. in june of 2004 the exterior lighting failed while driving at an unknown...	73 ~ 85817 miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while driving a fire started from the dashboard. the cause of fire was undetermined....	41 ~ 66350 miles
BODY > STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated the drivers side door will not open when it's...	27 ~ 88163 miles
AIR BAGS dt*: the contact stated the air bag light illuminated three times. the first time the dealership replaced the driver side...	20 ~ 57362 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER i have a 2004 kia optima with a belt that squeaks rather loudly. i took it back to the dealer....	12 ~ 56713 miles
SUSPENSION my 2004 kia optima pulls to the left. it will pull you into oncoming traffic. your web page doesnot have	9 ~ 63627 miles
LATCH > DOORS > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated that when she used the key to unlock the doors...	8 ~ 65079 miles
DOOR > BODY > STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated that the front driver side door would become stuck...	8 ~ 88120 miles
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING while driving 35 mph vehicle suddenly decelerated and would not go over 20 mph. no impact reported. as a result	8 ~ 32078 miles
FRONT > SUSPENSION tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. while driving 20 mph out of a parking lot the front passenger side...	7 ~ 61080 miles
FRAME AND MEMBERS > STRUCTURE motor mounts and pulleys defective. this will be my third time to the shop in less than a month. the	6 ~ 40117 miles
SEAT BELTS i own a 2004 kia optima. the driver's side seat belt buckle became detached from the seat under normal use....	6 ~ 94833 miles
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken...	5 ~ 58716 miles
STEERING wheel misalignment and other noticeable stress in steering or accelerated abnormal tire wear. rattling noise coming from left front end	5 ~ 43190 miles
WHEELS tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. while driving approximately 10 mph an extremely loud sound of metal to metal...	4 ~ 62664 miles
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE the fuel system is giving me problem after problem after problems i have changed the fuel pump 3 times in...	4 ~ 25000 miles
ENGINE the car was running fine until after a few hours of driving it just stopped running. this is the second...	3 ~ 101133 miles
FUEL PUMP > DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE dt*: the contact stated while traveling 25 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. the gas cap was removed and replaced...	3 ~ 85664 miles
FRONTAL > AIR BAGS dt: the airbag warning light was intermittently. the consumer had taken vehicle to the dealership to be repaired five times....	3 ~ 49281 miles
ROTOR > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS bought kia optima on june 22 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments replaced two sets of...	3 ~ 27733 miles
EXTERIOR LIGHTING tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. in june of 2004 the exterior lighting failed while driving at an unknown...	3 ~ 6398 miles
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN defect: kia optima 2004 manual transmission when shifting from second to third gear engine often surges after you remove foot...	3 ~ 2467 miles
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL my car completely turns off while im driving it most of the time when i used it the first time...	2 ~ 107700 miles
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY drivers side locking and not releasing. numerous incidents where the drivers side door locks and will not release. (using the...	2
AIR CONDITIONER > APPLIANCE > EQUIPMENT summer of 2007 a/c would not work sporadically. february 1 2008 i had my personal mechanic come to my house...	2 ~ 34500 miles
HEADLIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING i bought a 2004 kia optimia in march 5005 and already the headlight globe was starting to fade. took it...	2 ~ 25000 miles
POWER TRAIN purchased a brand new 2004 kia optima from the dealer on 12/09/2004. the cruise control has not been working since...	2 ~ 35638 miles
SERVICE BRAKES tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle was being inspected by a private...	2 ~ 350 miles
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM i was driving on i-10 westbound katy tx freeway travelling about 65 miles per hour. the passenger's side front tire...	1 ~ 62000 miles
HEAD RESTRAINT > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEATS tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated that the front driver and passenger side head rests...	1 ~ 70000 miles
EQUIPMENT kia optima 2004. driver-door locked up. wouldn't open. can't open the door either from inside or outside. i had to	1 ~ 63497 miles
LPG SYSTEMS > RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER > EQUIPMENT the fuel system is giving me problem after problem after problems i have changed the fuel pump 3 times in...	1
TANK ASSEMBLY > LPG SYSTEMS > RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER the fuel system is giving me problem after problem after problems i have changed the fuel pump 3 times in...	1
TIRES i have been refused the repair on my 2004 kia by no less than 3 dealerships about the rusting front...	1 ~ 30000 miles
DRIVELINE > POWER TRAIN wheel misalignment and other noticeable stress in steering or accelerated abnormal tire wear. rattling noise coming from left front end	1 ~ 89250 miles
SIDE/WINDOW > AIR BAGS dashboard airbag indicator lit. code b1378 pulled by the dealership - driverside side airbag resistance high. $1 020 to fix...	1 ~ 26400 miles
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. while driving approximately 70 mph the instrument control panel became inoperative and displayed...	1 ~ 64000 miles
PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) > CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN 1) no events leading to failure no indication of a pending failure. no lights came on and the car was...	1 ~ 40000 miles
WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2004 kia optima with failed wiring harness and tire blow out. consumer states that the wiring harness fell from the...	1
TREAD/BELT > TIRES punctured tire needed to be replaced tire was replaced. the damaged tire had excessive tread wear in relation to the...	1
ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle runs well but the engine light illuminates...	1 ~ 96000 miles
POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS > VISIBILITY tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. upon entering the vehicle the doors independently locked. in addition the front...	1 ~ 10000 miles
SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE > FRONTAL > AIR BAGS tl* - the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. the contact was advised by the service department that the air...	1 ~ 44143 miles
CALIPER > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. while driving at an unknown speed the contact heard a grinding noise coming...	1 ~ 80000 miles
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN i bought my car in august 2004 a 2004 kia optima and everything was fine until about april 2006. i...	1
BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS > GASOLINE > ENGINE motor mounts and pulleys defective. this will be my third time to the shop in less than a month. the	1 ~ 5500 miles
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC i purchased a new kia optima in 2004. in 2005 the rear passenger tire smelled like burnt rubber. i took...	1 ~ 5864 miles
LOWER BALL JOINT > CONTROL ARM > FRONT vehicle was involved in a single car accident impacting a fixed median curb. the car was towed to a repair...	1 ~ 10700 miles
ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM dt: while driving on the road at 75 mph vehicle stalled. the engine shut down. also electrical system shut down....	1 ~ 29000 miles
GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM ry time it rains and our county dirt road gets wet and muddy. mud splashes up into the engine compartment...	1 ~ 23682 miles
ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC while driving 55 mph the consumer applied the brake pedal and the brakes locked. the consumer lost control of the...	1 ~ 500 miles
RACK > RACK AND PINION > STEERING irregular occurrences of steering problem leaking power steering rack. *bf since the initial repair of the power steering rack the...	1 ~ 4200 miles
DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE bought kia optima on june 22 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments replaced two sets of...	1 ~ 3200 miles
RACK AND PINION > STEERING bought kia optima on june 22 2004 vin# [xxx] and have since had seven service appointments replaced two sets of...	1 ~ 3200 miles
HORN > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM horn failed. *ak...	1 ~ 500 miles
SIDEWALL > TIRES i purchased a brand new 2004 kia optima and paid in full. i purchased for the 10 yr warranty and...	1 ~ 7000 miles

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