2004 Kia Optima problems
NHTSA has received 306 complaints about the 2004 Kia Optima, and 26% of them involve latches & locks. Next are electrical system (15%) and body & structure (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 306 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Latches & locks 27% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 14 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 10 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 80,000 miles 251 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 36 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 15 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 25 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 42 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 46 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 37 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 32 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 12 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 251 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 80,000 miles. For latches & locks specifically, the median reported mileage is about 92,000 miles (75 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 14 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 10 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 15th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Optima with enough data (90 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact was traveling at speeds of 15 MPH in rainy weather. The vehicle ahead of him stopped suddenly. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact was injured. A police report was filed. The contacts vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileages were 82,500.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 kia optima. While driving at an unknown speed, an abnormal clicking noise emitted from the vehicle. The power steering failed and the wheels shook violently. The brakes failed to stop the vehicle and it crashed into a wall. The air bags deployed and an unknown substance emitted into the contacts eyes. The contact sustained burns to the body and lacerations to both eyes that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was a gas fume leak and the accelerator sensor needed to be replaced because it caused the vehicle to accelerate and decelerate without warning. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The current mileage was 129,548.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia optima. While driving approximately 10 MPH, an extremely loud sound of metal to metal emitted outside of the vehicle. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and noticed the front driver's side suspension and frame completely fractured due to rust corrosion. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The failure was associated with recall NHTSA campaign id number 09v183000 (suspension: front); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired.