2001 Kia Optima Latches & Locks Problems

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCKED AND IS UNUSABLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS AFFECTED ALL MODELS OF KIA AUTOS BUT KIA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

JUST PUT MY 2 YR OLD DAUGHTER IN HER CAR SEAT, LOADED THE GROCERIES INTO THE CAR ALONG WITH MY PURSE AND KEYS. SHUT THE DOOR. DOORS LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY. HAD TO CALL 911 FOR POLICE TO COME AND GET MY DAUGHTER OUT OF CAR. ALSO HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN THE CAR, HAD THE KEYS AND STILL COULD NOT GET DOORS UNLOCKED. THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A FLUKE UNTIL I READ OTHER REPORTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENING IN KIAS. *NM

MY WIFE & I OWN A 2001 KIA OPTIMA WITH POWER LOCKS. TWICE THE POWER LOCKS HAVE FAILED. THE FIRST TIME, THE LOCKS FAILED IN THAT THEY WOULD UNLOCK BY REMOTE AND IMMEDIATELY LOCK BACK PREVENTING ACCESS TO THE VEHICLE. BY KEY, ONE DOOR WOULD OPEN WHILE THE OTHER HAD TO BE OPENED FASTER THAN THE CAR COULD RE-LOCK ITSELF. THE SECOND TIME IT FAILED CONCERNED ME GREATLY. THE DEALER, PARAMOUNT KIA OF HICKORY, HAD REPAIRED THE LOCK PARTS AND SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE & THAT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE LOCKS FAILED AGAIN TRAPPING ME IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. DESPITE ANY EFFORT ON MY PART, THERE WERE ONLY TWO WAYS OUT OF THE CAR: CLIMBING OVER THE SEATS TO ANOTHER DOOR OR BY HAVING MY WIFE MANUALLY UNLOCK THE LEFT FRONT DOOR WITH HER KEY WHILE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE WHILE SHE HELD THE KEY IN THE UNLOCK POSITION, SHE HAD TO OPEN THE DOOR. AS SOON AS SHE RELEASED HER GRIP ON THE KEY, THE DOOR WOULD LOCK AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY RISK & I WOULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION HAD IT NOT HAPPENED TWICE TO THE SAME CAR. I CAN SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FAULTY PART AND WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE TRAPPED IN AN ACCIDENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY CONTACT INFORMATION APPEARS BELOW. LEE TRAXLER 103 LOVERS LANE MORGANTON, NC 28655 828-437-1360 *LA

POWER LOCK DOORS FAILED, WHICH TWICE TRAPPED THE DRIVER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO RESTART THE ENGINE, ROLLED DOWN THE POWER WINDOW, TAKE THE KEY OUT AND INSERT IT INTO THE DOOR TO UNLOCK IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. *AK