2003 Kia Optima Body and structure Problems

“I had parked at the grocery store one night and my car door wouldn't shut. It appeared as though the latch was stuck in a position that wouldn't catch. Finally, after lifting the door handle and pushing the door shut, it stayed closed. When I came out of the store, I found that the driver side door would not open. I tried using the key and the automatic lock features, but neither allowed for the door to open. I now have to exit and enter in the passenger side door. If I were to get into an accident, I would be trapped.”

“My wife noticed the car pulling to the right and called her brother. He looked at the vehicle that evening 12/30/2013. He drove the car pulling onto a highway, the car would not move -- neither forward nor reverse. He pushed the vehicle off the road and the front axle dropped out of the transmission. It was towed and the garage notified us that the front sub-frame had corroded. Online research reveals NHTSA recalled Kia Optima (2001-2004 model years) on may 27, 2009. I called the dealership on 12/31/13 where the car was purchased. …”

“Drivers side door will not open if locked when closed. Mechanism works fine to lock and unlock when open, however. A part in the lock assembly appears to be rotating too far and getting stuck. As a result, the door cannot be opened if locked when the door is closed or the driver will have to climb out of the passengers side door or through the window.”

“Passenger door locks and will not unlock without pushing the unlock button and pulling the door handle at the same time. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get door open using this method. This is a serious safety issue which could trap a person in their car.”

“Owner of 2003 Kia Optima - driver door won't open from inside our outside. Owner must use passenger door to gain access to vehicle. Exterior door handle seems loose. Unable to open door to remove door panel.”