2003 KIA Optima Latches/locks/linkages Problems
Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about latches/locks/linkages problems on the 2003 KIA Optima, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 90,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “driver side” (34% of reports).
- 53latches/locks/linkages complaints
- 90,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Driver side: mentioned in 18 of 53 complaints (34%)
- Door locks: mentioned in 17 of 53 complaints (32%)
- Doors lock: mentioned in 6 of 53 complaints (11%)
- Unable unlock: mentioned in 5 of 53 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do latches/locks/linkages problems happen?
Based on 41 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 53 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
KIA Optima latches/locks/linkages complaints by model year
| Model year | Latches/locks/linkages complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Optima | 2 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2018 Optima | 1 | 0% | 121,000 |
| 2017 Optima | 1 | 0% | 126,000 |
| 2016 Optima | 3 | 0% | 72,500 |
| 2013 Optima | 2 | 0% | 88,282 |
| 2012 Optima | 2 | 0% | 56,144 |
| 2010 Optima | 3 | 4% | 65,000 |
| 2008 Optima | 1 | 1% | 10,000 |
| 2007 Optima | 2 | 1% | 57,000 |
| 2006 Optima | 27 | 17% | 74,000 |
| 2005 Optima | 66 | 46% | 74,000 |
| 2004 Optima | 81 | 36% | 92,000 |
| 2003 Optima | 53 | 38% | 90,000 |
| 2002 Optima | 12 | 11% | 80,048 |
| 2001 Optima | 15 | 10% | 18,481 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists latches/locks/linkages for the 2003 KIA Optima. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My main issue is the door lock on the drivers side. I can not open my drivers side door from inside or outside the vehicle. This is a major issue and the problem has been all over the internet for years. Everyone that i know that has a 2003 and 2004 kia optima has the same problem. I bet every…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 kia optima. The contact stated that the passenger side door failed to unlock from either side of the vehicle. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact also mentioned that the same failure occurred on the driver side door prior…
Doors (all) will lock after unlocking when you're trying to get in. I unlock the door, either manually or with the key fob, when you pull the handle to open the door the doors lock. You can play with it and finally get in but i've heard alot of problems with the same thing on the same model. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 KIA Optimas have latches/locks/linkages problems?
No. NHTSA has 53 owner complaints about latches/locks/linkages for the 2003 KIA Optima (38% of the 141 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 KIA Optima latches/locks/linkages?
No recall currently lists latches/locks/linkages for this vehicle.
At what mileage do latches/locks/linkages problems start?
The median reported mileage is 90,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about latches/locks/linkages problems on the 2003 KIA Optima?
The most frequent phrase is “driver side”, in 18 of 53 complaints, followed by “door locks” (17).
See all 2003 KIA Optima problems or latches/locks/linkages problems across all Optima years.