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.

- Odessa, FL, USA

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.

- Houston, TX, USA

Doors, locks, linkage, upon leaving work on June 16th, 2010, I went to unlock the driver's side door using the key and the car door would not open. I opened the car from the passenger side and crawled over to try to open the driver's side door from the inside, no luck. The driver side door has not and will not open from either side. Huge safety hazard!!! no luck with Kia fixing it either!!!

- North Augusta, SC, USA

I went to Kia dealership regarding keyless remote not working. I advised dealership that both remotes were re-programmed 12 months ago and that one remote stopped working 6 months after re-programming and the 2nd remote stopped working 12 months after re-programming. Based on discussion, it appears that 2003 through 2006 Kia Optimas have defective keyless remote systems, but because there has been no formal recall, repair of keyless remote is not covered outside of warranty. I believe repair cost is about $400. My opinion is that a relative keyless remote recall should be made by Kia since the keyless remote defect is not customer's fault.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

Needed to replace door latch on driver's side. Door would not open from the inside. Air bag on passenger side will not deploy.

- Elk River, MN, USA

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.

- Oakland, CA, USA

Both low beam headlights blow out simultaneously. When this happened, high beams (separate bulbs and switch) would only work sporadically (switched 'on', nothing. Switched again, may come 'on', turned 'off' then 'on' may or may not come on). Dealer states 'it happens, they burn out', yet said the battery needed to be replaced.(?) non warranty, so you pay. Another complaint on the same car year/make/model, same issue, has already been filed with you. In addition, 'google' search shows many entries for this same problem on Kia and Hyundai vehicles (same manufacturer) over many models/years. Signs point to possible defective charging of battery by vehicle's electrical system (maybe why they replaced the battery at the same time). Battery was previously fine. I've had many electrical problems with the car, things stop working, then work on their own (power window won't work, sticks part open. Switch does nothing. Then suddenly later window lowers/raises without switch being touched. Trunk suddenly pops open). Definite electrical problem on these make of vehicles over many years which neither manufacturer is going to address themselves. Unless you do something, many will be paying for service caused by their negligence.. also, seat belt does not retract all the time. My vehicle was purchased new.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

I have a lot of complaints. I have a 2005 Kia Optima. My air bag light has been on and the dealership told me "anytime anyone with any weight sits down on the seat it will come disconnected". I had it fixed once and now it is on again. Ever since I have bought this car I have had nothing but problems. The only dealership I can go to is 2 hours away by freeway. I am afraid for my family to be in this car because I do not know if we will be protected as we should be. The first time that it broke down was a week after we bought it and the mechanics told me that there was nothing wrong with the car. The drivers side door will not unlock, and when I had the throttle replaced the mechanics at the dealership did not even do the repair correctly causing the car to rev up when stopped. Please help me resolve the issues I have.

- Ringgold, GA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima. While driving 35 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the dashboard while the air conditioner was running. The smoke was so thick that he could not see through the smoke. The dealer was notified and stated that the cigarette lighter could be the possible cause of the failure. They stated that nothing could be done because the vehicle was out of warranty. Upon further investigation, the contact noticed a black box on the driver's side underneath the dashboard covered in electrical tape. It was discovered that the previous owner installed after market floor board lights in the vehicle that required a massive amount of power. The tail lights on the vehicle were inoperable. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileages were less than 77,000.

- Toledo, OH, USA