2003 Kia Optima latches/locks/linkages problems
53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the latches/locks/linkages on the 2003 Kia Optima — 38% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My main issue is the door lock on the drivers side. I can not open my drivers side door from inside or outside the vehicle. This is a major issue and the problem has been all over the internet for years. Everyone that I know that has a 2003 and 2004 kia optima has the same problem. I bet every…”
filed Oct 19, 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 kia optima. The contact stated that the passenger side door failed to unlock from either side of the vehicle. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact also mentioned that the same failure occurred on the driver side door prior…”
filed May 11, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
TSB: MANDATORY REPLACEMENT OF LOCKING/SECURITY HARDWARE - By design, certain fasteners utilized in various Kia models are strictly intended for ?one time use?. Though not limited to the following, some examples are…
TSB-GEN085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2016
Latches/locks/linkages problems in other Optima years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Optima | 2 | 1% |
| 2018 Optima | 1 | 0% |
| 2017 Optima | 1 | 0% |
| 2016 Optima | 3 | 0% |
| 2013 Optima | 2 | 0% |
| 2012 Optima | 2 | 0% |
| 2010 Optima | 3 | 4% |
| 2008 Optima | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 Optima | 2 | 1% |
| 2006 Optima | 27 | 17% |
| 2005 Optima | 66 | 46% |
| 2004 Optima | 81 | 36% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 Kia Optima
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.