The drivers door will not open either from the inside or the outside. The door remains locked as the button and key do not fully unlock it. Using both button and key at the same time, I was able to unlock the door and open it. Dissassembly of the door and latch located the problem to be the door latch mechanism. The door latch is designed to fail as evidenced by the number of complaints listing this part. The lever that is moved into place when the door is unlocked is blocked by the cam that it interfaces with because the cam has rotated beyond the point that it should. This has the potential to trap someone in the car if it should fail at the wrong time.

- Springfield, MO, USA

Drivers side door will not open with the power lock or by key, I have been getting in and out of my car by using the passenger front door. My husband found a way to unlock my driver side door, now I can not lock my car again.

- Port Charlotte, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the front driver's side door failed to unlock, which prevented access in entering or exiting the vehicle. The contact would have to access the front passenger side door to enter or exit the vehicle. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

- Laanchester, OH, USA

Driver door refused to open. I have a disability so this created a huge problem for me. When I put gas in my car (regardless of grade or gas station) my car refuses to start. When I make a U-turn, my car makes loud clicking sound. I had it checked...my axle and every thing else looks fine. No one can establish where the noise comes from. My car has less than 60,000 miles on it, and it should not have all these issues but it does.

- Austell, GA, USA

Drivers door would not open from inside or out, it happened three times and the started working again.

- Newburgh Hts, OH, USA

Driver side door will not unlock. Neither the key nor the door lock knob on the inside works to unlock the door. Unfortunately, we have been entering and exiting the driver side by entering the car from the passenger side. There are many others who have this problem with all Kia models as you can see on the website vlane.com/discuss-topic/989/my-drivers-door-is-locked-will-not-unlock. the problem is a safety hazard since once in the driver seat, the driver can not exit the car through the driver door which can prove to be a problem in an emergency. Kia is taking advantage of owners by not addressing the issue. I am afraid for my safety, my family's safety while driving and emphatically plead with you to recall these Kia cars to fix the problem.

- Rego Park, NY, USA

The contact owns 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the front passenger door was inoperable. Once locked, it could not be opened from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that there were no recalls for the failure and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 93,580.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated the drivers side door will not open when it's unlocked. The contact had to enter the vehicle through the passenger side door. The contact was unable to determine what caused the drivers side door to malfunction. The failure was not diagnosed by a dealer nor a local mechanic. The failure mileage was 95,000.

- Portsmouth, VA, USA