2004 KIA Optima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Optima years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 KIA Optima. That ranks 9th out of 20 Optima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is latches/locks/linkages (81 complaints, 36%), typically at around 92,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 3 fires, 8 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 225owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 KIA Optima problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 81 | 36% | 92,000 | “side door” (56%) | $460 |
| Electrical System | 45 | 20% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 42 | 19% | 103,900 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 26 | 12% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 19 | 8% | 68,954 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 5% | 88,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 5% | 19,195 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% | 87,800 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 4% | 22,100 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 3% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 3% | 98,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% | 34,598 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 2% | 4,532 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 2% | 85,854 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 1% | 89,400 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 1% | 66,249 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 107,700 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 700 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 71,179 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 10,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 KIA Optima recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front
Problem: Kia motors corporation (kmc) is recalling 36,538 model year 2001-2004 optima vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. Over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear.
Risk: Corrosion of the front subframe could lead to separation, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Kmc will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on june 15, 2009. Owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Had some noise coming from the front of the car, had my mechanic look at it, he said we needed a control arm. When he took off the cover to replace the control arm, he found the sub frame had rotten and was cracking. As I looked online, I saw that KIA had a recall for this issue. When I contacted…
Door lock/unlock mechanism has failed. Unable to unlock and open door from outside or inside. This defect causes the door to stay locked and unable to open. This can trap people inside of the car if they are unable to crawl out a window or exit from another door. There are many reports of this on…
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V180000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not…
I was repairing brakelines, while observing under carriage i noticed suspension rust, frame. Looked up recalls and this is one. I included screenshot of proog
While driving on a highway with cruise control active, i was unable to turn off the cruise control with the steering wheel control buttons. The cancel and set buttons had no effect when pressed. The car remained traveling at the set speed. Tapping on the brake pedal did cancel the cruise control.
Other KIA Optima years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Optima | 151 | 0 |
| 2019 Optima | 212 | 1 |
| 2018 Optima | 232 | 2 |
| 2017 Optima | 256 | 3 |
| 2016 Optima | 758 | 5 |
| 2015 Optima | 1,009 | 4 |
| 2014 Optima | 589 | 7 |
| 2013 Optima | 1,386 | 9 |
| 2012 Optima | 920 | 5 |
| 2011 Optima | 594 | 5 |
| 2010 Optima | 75 | 1 |
| 2009 Optima | 116 | 1 |
| 2008 Optima | 144 | 3 |
| 2007 Optima | 167 | 2 |
| 2006 Optima | 155 | 2 |
| 2005 Optima | 144 | 0 |
| 2004 | 225 | 1 |
| 2003 Optima | 141 | 2 |
| 2002 Optima | 107 | 3 |
| 2001 Optima | 143 | 3 |
See all KIA Optima problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
Embed this 2004 KIA Optima badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 KIA Optima?
Owners most often report latches/locks/linkages, electrical system, structure problems. The top one, latches/locks/linkages, accounts for 81 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 KIA Optima?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 KIA Optima a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Optima model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.