Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Kia Optima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hood released while in motion, folded back over windshield and roof top totally blinding driver while in motion. Vehicle was in motion, traveling south on nc hwy 16 at a rate of 50 MPH, two lane road. Hood released and flew up, no known cause or effect. Hood release and/or safety latch obviously released without cause or warning.
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. The Kia dealer contacted will not replace this at no charge, it will cost $200 just to be able to get into our car! It is past the bumper to bumper warranty and the customer service 800 number said it would be up to the district manager to fix it at no cost. The service dept. Tells me that there have been other complaints and knows which part to order without even seeing the car. …
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. When you unlock it using any of the aforementioned methods, the car will automatically re-lock the door as soon as you touch the handle, either interior or exterior. While I can understand normal wear and tear eating away at the component, there is absolutely no reason for the car to default to the lock position in the case of such wear and tear. …
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. This is a safety issue because if there was a fire, I would not have been able to promptly exit the vehicle and get my daughter out in a timely manner. Now I cannot lock my doors. I have done research on this defect and have found numerous complaints stating to the same fact. …
Went to driver side door to get into the vehicle. Attempted to open the door and was unable to do so. The door would unlock by the key but when you pull the handle the door would lock back and not come away from the door frame. The only way that you could get in the car was to open the passenger side door and crawl across to the driver side. Exiting the vehicle was the same process. The car was put into the shop where the mechanic opened the door by unlocking the door and pulling the power lock fuse and opening the door. The actuator (or ajitator, I can't remember the specific name but it was one of the two) had to be replaced and then the door locking mechanism had to be replaced as well because it warped due to the actuator going out. With the car being approx 3 years old, the door locking mechanisms should not have gone out so soon. …
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. Even if you don't have enough to mandate a recall on one particular vehicle, I would hope that you look at the manufacturer as a whole and their unwillingness to correct a system wide manufacturing error in their product. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide any further information. Please do something about this before someone is seriously injured, if no one has been killed by this defect yet...
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the driver's side door could not be opened with the keyless entry remote or manually when using the key. The contact had to exit the vehicle from the passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the small plastic door checker needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 98,000. Updated 01/29/13 the consumer stated the vehicle was taken to three different auto repair shops before finally getting the door to open with a coat hanger. The vehicle was repaired. Updated 1/31/2013
Tl contact owns a 2006 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the keyless remote would not unlock the vehicle. The contact could not get out of the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and stated that the latch on the vehicle failed not the keyless remote. The contact was concerned that in the event of an emergency he May not be able to get out of the vehicle. The dealer has given him a new keyless remote that began working normally and then it failed again. The dealer would not repair the latch on the vehicle. There have been no repairs to date. The failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 70,537. Updated 3/10/10 updated 08/18/10
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Optima. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated continuously until the engine was turned off. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The contact was uncertain what type of repair was performed. The failure recurred and the dealer stated that the battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the front driver side door failed to latch properly and an independent mechanic performed the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
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 safety of this vehicle is in question and this should be recalled asap.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Optima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2006 Kia Optima?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2006 Kia Optima, 17% of the model year's 155 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Kia Optima door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2006 Kia Optima, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Kia Optima door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.