2006 Kia Optima Latches, locks and linkages Problems

“Driver's side door will not unlock from the inside or outside. This is a major safety concern as someone would not be able to exit the vehicle in a timely manner in case of a fire or vehicle accident. I work as a paramedic and have first hand seen people not being able to exit their vehicles during a fire and it was not pleasant. I did an online search to find how to correct this issue and found thousands of similar complaints through all years and models of Kia vehicles. …”

“It is a well-known issue with Kia Optima cars that the door latch is faulty, and after various lengths of time, it will stop unlocking. By no longer unlocking, I mean under any condition. Using a remote, using the key, even sitting in the vehicle pressing the button on the door or manually moving the indicator by the handle. This is a severe safety issue. In the event of a wreck or other emergency situation, it is impossible to exit the driver's side door on my Kia Optima. No matter what you attempt, the door will not open. …”

“Driver door will not unlock with key or from inside. This problem started randomly. I have to crawl thru passenger door at time to get into my car. After researching online I see that this is a common problem with the vehicle. This is very dangerous should a accident occur and the driver door be locked the driver could be trapped in the vehicle. This is a death trap and Kia should fix it. I called my local Kia dealership to find out if there was a solution to repair this and was told that they would give me a quote on the repairs. …”

“The driver side door will not open either by key or by the remote control. This began randomly a few weeks ago, and would open if we jiggled the key a certain way. We could not lock the car since we didn't know if we could get it open again. We both work full time and are an hour away from a Kia dealer. On thanksgiving day, it was accidentally locked and we haven't been able to get it open since. As a result, my husband, age 63 and I, age 62 have to crawl in through the passenger door, over the center console. …”

“I have a 2006 Kia Optima and started having problems with the driver's side door not wanting to unlock. The event started friday afternoon. After working with my door for about 10 minutes, it finally came unlocked. I drove to pick up my daughter and after getting her in on the passenger side, I could not get the driver's side door open. After multiple failed attempts, I had to climb into the car through the passenger side, which is no easy feat to accomplish. I ended up getting stuck in the vehicle until my husband was finally able to work the door open. …”