2005 Kia Optima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LOCKS ON THE DOOR FAILED TO WORK. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK, AND CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IS TO EITHER CRAWL OUT OF THE WINDOW OR CRAWL OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE. MY FEAR IS IF IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AND WE WOULD BE SICK IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

I BECAME ENTRAPPED IN MY 2005 KIA OPTIMA WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE LOCK. ITS BEEN AN ISSUE BEFORE. WHILE ITS DANGEROUS TO KEEP IT UNLOCKED, I CHOSE THAT OVER BEING LOCKED OUT OR BEING LOCKED IN. LAST NIGHT MY ELBOW HIT THE LOCK AS I PARKED. I HAD MY COWORKER COME PULL THE HANDLE WHILE I PUSHED THE UNLOCK BUTTON. WHILE IT HAS WORKED AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IN THE PAST, IT JUST WOULDN'T GIVE IN. I THEN, HAD MY COWORKER TRY THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT POPPED. I'M NOW REDUCED TO CLIMBING OVER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. WHILE ITS PAINFUL AND TIMELY, ITS NOT AS BAD AS CLIMBING OVER THE BACK. I'VE HAD TO DO THAT WHEN I HAD NO ONE TO CALL FOR HELP. IT'S SO DANGEROUS NOT BEING ABLE TO GET OUT OF YOUR CAR WHEN YOU'RE READY. ITS ALSO HORRIBLE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR VEHICLE NOT BEING THERE WHEN YOU COME OUTSIDE BECAUSE YOU LEFT YOUR DOORS UNLOCKED FOR A CAR THIEF. IF I OPEN MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND PRESS LOCK AND CLOSE IT. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER OR USE MY VEHICLE WITHOUT BREAKING A WINDOW. IF THERE WAS A FIRE CAUSE BY SOME SORT OF COLLISION, MY CHILD AND I WOULD BE BURNED BEFORE I COULD GET TO HIM. IF ME OR A PASSENGER ACCIDENTALLY HITS THE LOCK BEFORE WE GET OUT, I'LL HAVE TO BREAK MY OWN WINDOW TO GET BACK IN. I SENT THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AN EMAIL WHICH I'M SURE WILL BE IGNORED LIKE THE MANY OTHERS SENT BEFORE ME. THIS IS SAD CAUSE MECHANICALLY THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN GREAT. THIS IS MY SECOND ONE. IF I HAD OF KEPT THAT ONE LONGER, I'M SURE I WOULD'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AND FIXED. *TR

I CANNOT ENTER AND EXIT MY CAR SAFELY ANYMORE. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY FOB OR BY KEY MANUALLY. I WAS IN A HURRY AT ONE POINT TO EXIT TO RETRIEVE MY CHILD WHO HAD EXITED THE CAR AND WAS HEADING INTO TRAFFIC AT A PARKING LOT AND I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. I HAD TO EXIT FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DOOR WORKS IN RARE INSTANCES, BUT IS NOT RELIABLE OR DEPENDABLE. THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE NEW. HOWEVER, I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE SHOULD I HAVE AN EMERGENCY, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER OR EXIT THE CAR AS NEEDED. *TR

THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK STARTED STICKING AND WILL NOT OPEN. NOW BOTH DOORS ARE LOCKED AND I CANNOT OPEN EITHER. THE BACK DOORS DO OPEN, HOWEVER IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CLIMB OUT THE BACK DOOR. I DON'T KNOW HOW I WILL EVEN GET IT TO A DEALER TO FIX IT. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCKS AND REFUSES TO UNLOCK IF THE DOOR IS COMPLETELY CLOSED. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, AS I'VE BEEN FORCED TO CRAWL OUT THE PASSENGERS SIDE MULTIPLE TIMES DAILY! *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I CAN HEAR THE ASSEMBLY TRYING TO WORK, THE KEY WILL UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IN AN EMERGENCY. I CALLED THE KIA DEALERSHIP IAND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO POSSIBLY LOSE THEIR LIFE IN AN ACCIDENT,BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I CAN HEAR THE ASSEMBLY TRYING TO WORK, THE KEY WILL UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IN AN EMERGENCY. I CALLED THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN NEWPORT RICHEY FL AND THEY TOLD ME THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO POSSIBLY LOSE THEIR LIFE IN AN ACCIDENT,BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH MY 2005 KIA OPTIMA AND I FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS ISSUE. THEREFORE I SAW IT NECESSARY FOR ME TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. THE DOOR LATCHES ARE MALFUNCTIONING. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IF THE CAR EVER CAUGHT FIRE OR IF THE CAR EVER WENT INTO A RIVER, GOT FLOODED, OR IN A WRECK IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. IT STAYS LOCKED AND EVEN WHEN YOU UNLOCK THE CAR, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. I CURRENTLY HAD A BABY AND HAD TO HAVE A C-SECTION. IT WAS HORRIBLE HAVING TO CLIMB IN AND OUT THE CAR THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE.... FROM RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE I HAVE COME ACROSS SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. KIA SHOULD RECALL THE 2005 OPTIMA. *TR

WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK AND ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR IT JUST KEPT RELOCKING, THE LOCK DOESN'T OPEN ALL THE WAY IT MAKES A NOISE AND LOCKS AGAIN. I HAD TO CLIMB OVER THE MIDDLE CONSOLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I WENT AROUND TO THE DRIVERS SIDE TO SEE IF I COULD OPEN IT FROM THE OUTSIDE, THE KEY DOESN'T TURN ALL THE WAY, IF THE OTHER DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AND YOU TRY TO OPEN FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE IT JUST CLICKS INTO THE LOCKED POSITION. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN A HURRY AND CAN'T. *TR