2004 KIA OPTIMA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
306
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
5
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2004 KIA OPTIMA
The 2004 KIA OPTIMA has received a total of 306 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SUSPENSION:FRONT. 5 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Latcheslockslinkages (73 complaints), Electrical System (41 complaints), and Structurebody (28 complaints).
Recalls for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA, potentially affecting up to 36,538 vehicles.
Recall 09V183000 — SUSPENSION:FRONT
| 36,538 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA
306 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
Had some noise coming from the front of the car, had my mechanic look at it, he said we needed a control arm. When he took off the cover to replace the control arm, he found the sub frame had rotten and was cracking. As I looked online, I saw that KIA had a recall for this issue. When I contacted KIA, their response was "as my car is not under warranty, they are not required to repair the car" The car in question has 70, 558 miles on it. We are the 2nd owner.
Door lock/unlock mechanism has failed. Unable to unlock and open door from outside or inside. This defect causes the door to stay locked and unable to open. This can trap people inside of the car if they are unable to crawl out a window or exit from another door. There are many reports of this on Kia forums and general Google search. There was no warning that this part was wearing out until it became impossible to open the door.
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V180000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
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
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
Safety Rating for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2004 KIA OPTIMA in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA
Kia America, Inc. has issued 5 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB-026 — STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
KIA: DURING A SERVICE PROCEDURE THAT REQUIRES THE SUBFRAME TO BE REMOVED FROM A 2001-2005 OPTIMA (MS) (V-6 OR I-4), AN IMPROVED SERVICE PROCEDURE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO ENHANCE SERVICE EFFICIENCY. *PE
TSB-026 — STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
KIA: DURING A SERVICE PROCEDURE THAT REQUIRES THE SUBFRAME TO BE REMOVED FROM A 2001-2005 OPTIMA (MS) (V-6 OR I-4), AN IMPROVED SERVICE PROCEDURE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO ENHANCE SERVICE EFFICIENCY. *PE
KT-2008082201 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
KIA: ALL MODELS. ARTICLE PROVIDES INFORMATION RELATING TO THE IMPROVED DURABILITY OF BULB LIFE FOR REAR COMBINATION BULB; REAR STOP LAMP/TAIL LAMP BULB UTILIZED ON MULTIPLE KIA MODELS. *PE
023 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
HESITATION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER AN INITIAL COLD START. ECM REPROGRAMMING/UPGRADE. *TT
006 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
ENHANCED DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR FOR P0446/P2422. *TT
NHTSA Investigations for the 2004 KIA OPTIMA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA OPTIMA
- 2001 KIA OPTIMA — 231 complaints
- 2002 KIA OPTIMA — 168 complaints
- 2003 KIA OPTIMA — 190 complaints
- 2004 KIA OPTIMA (current)
- 2005 KIA OPTIMA — 180 complaints
- 2006 KIA OPTIMA — 214 complaints
- 2007 KIA OPTIMA — 217 complaints
- 2008 KIA OPTIMA — 188 complaints
- 2009 KIA OPTIMA — 166 complaints
Other KIA Models
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- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA FORTE — 3,450 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints
- KIA RIO — 1,784 total complaints