Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 | 1% | 70,000 miles |
| 2018 | 1 | 0% | 121,000 miles |
| 2017 | 1 | 0% | 126,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 0% | 85,000 miles |
| 2013 | 2 | 0% | 117,000 miles |
| 2012 | 2 | 0% | 102,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 4% | 65,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% | 10,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 1% | 108,000 miles |
| 2006 | 27 | 17% | 74,000 miles |
| 2005 | 66 | 46% | 75,000 miles |
| 2004 | 81 | 36% | 92,000 miles |
| 2003 | 53 | 38% | 90,000 miles |
| 2002 | 12 | 11% | 85,000 miles |
| 2001 | 15 | 10% | 18,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the front driver's and passenger's side windows and the rear driver's side and passenger's side windows were inoperable and would not open or close. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the window regulators for each window had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The contact also stated that the exterior door handles on the front and rear passenger's side doors had fractured. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the trunk door locking mechanism had failed and the door would not remain securely closed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V594000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 60,000.
My rear passenger door lock stopped working. The door will not unlock. I called the dealership while I was still under warranty but they could not get me in for an appointment in a timely manner and now my warranty has expired and the dealership is telling me it costs over $200 to fix the problem. I consider this to be a safety issue. If I were ever in an accident the person sitting in this seat would have a hard time getting out of the car.
Our vehicle started only unlocking the 3 passenger side doors, when using the keyfob to unlock. The drivers door will stay locked and you have to manually unlock vehicle with key. Now 2 of our other doors(both rear) dont unlock. All the doors do not lock with the keyfob and when we push the lock button inside the vehicle. We have to manually lock/unlock the doors, which is a pain in the butt when you have small children!
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. …
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima. The contact was unable to use the key to manually unlock the door to the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle failed to open consistently from inside the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact was unable to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Kia Optima. While attempting to exit the vehicle, the door's failed to unlock. The contact had to exit through the sun roof. The contact also stated that he was able to unlock the front passenger side door from outside of the vehicle; however, the front driver's door was inoperable. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Related recalls (1)
Latches/locks/linkages › Trunk lid › Latch
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base subassembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA investigations
Power door lock failure
This pe disclosed that the subject vehicles have experienced incidents of the alleged defect in significant numbers.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea04-030) to facilitate a thorough review of the matter, including evaluation of the potential safety-related consequences.
Power door lock failure
Investigation failed to disclose a malfunction with a clear and consistent pattern of compromise to motor vehicle safety.failure of the subject door locks May impede normal egress of a vehicle occupant but does not entrap the occupant.complaints and warranty data document the deficiencies of the door lock system, but these malfunctions have not been accompanied by a history of demonstrated safety related…
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Optima years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (81), 2005 (66), 2003 (53), 2006 (27) and 2001 (15) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 36% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Kia Optima door lock & latch problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 23V-594 (latch, Aug 24, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Optima door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles; 15% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (32 mentions), followed by the hood › latch (4).
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.