2005 Kia Optima Electrical Problems

Your car's door lock mechanism failed and wouldn't open, trapping you inside. The windows also wouldn't roll down, preventing you from escaping. You had to call 911 for help. The fix will likely involve replacing or repairing the door lock actuator and window regulator components.

Your driver's door won't unlock, leaving you trapped in the car. This problem appeared shortly after you bought the vehicle used, and you've found multiple online reports of the same issue from other owners. In an emergency or accident, this could prevent you from getting out of the vehicle, and the Kia dealer quoted at least $200 to fix it without explaining the problem upfront.

Your driver's side door won't open from the outside, and this has happened multiple times. When you pull the outside handle, it sometimes causes all the doors to lock instead. This is a serious safety concern, especially in an emergency or crash situation where you need to exit quickly.

Your driver's door became stuck and wouldn't open normally, requiring significant effort from a mechanic to get it open. The mechanic discovered the door lock mechanism wasn't functioning correctly due to a manufacturing defect, and found there was a recall issued for your car's year, make, and model for this exact issue. This is a safety concern, especially when transporting children, as it could prevent quick exit in an emergency. The fix will involve replacing the faulty door lock mechanisms with properly functioning ones.

Your airbag warning light is on and won't turn off even though there's no obvious problem. Additionally, your driver's seat and sunroof have electrical issues where they work intermittently, and you've found that the switches controlling them are faulty and only work sometimes. You'll likely need a diagnostic scan to clear the airbag light and replacement switches for both the seat and sunroof controls.

After your mechanic repaired the mass air flow hose, purge valve, and valve cover gasket, your car failed its state inspection because the emissions system wasn't showing as ready. Even after driving the car for seven weeks and adding 1,175 miles, the system still wasn't ready. The mechanic couldn't identify the underlying problem and recommended taking your car to the dealer for diagnosis.

Your car's automatic door locks stopped working while parked. When you tried using the remote key to unlock the doors, you heard clicking sounds but the doors wouldn't unlock. The vehicle was never diagnosed or repaired to determine the root cause. The issue occurred at 128,000 miles.

Your car's door locks stopped working while the vehicle was parked, with no warning lights appearing on the dashboard. The locks wouldn't respond when you tried to use them. Getting this fixed will likely involve diagnosing the electrical connections to the door lock actuators and replacing any faulty wiring or lock components.

I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN NO MATTER WHAT YOU DID,. IT WOULDN'T OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. ALL THE OTHER DOORS WOULD OPEN, BUT THE DRIVER DOOR. IF YOU OPENED IT WITH THE KEY IT CLICKED, BUT WHEN YOU PULLED THE HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR IT WOULD LOCK.. IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE CAR MY HUSBAND, WHO HAS A BAD BACK HAD TO CLIMB OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE. YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET OUT IN AN EMERGENCY AND THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE ARE HAVING IS WE ARE ALWAYS REPLACING BULBS IN THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS; ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. WE ARE FOREVER GETTING PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE TO TELL US OUR HEADLIGHT OR TAILLIGHT IS OUT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THE REPAIR COST FOR THE DOOR WAS $400.00 AND WE SHOULD BE REFUNDED AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS PAID TO REPAIR THIS DEFECTIVE ISSUE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. YOU COULD CLICK IT AND IT WOULD SOUND LIKE IT WAS GOING TO OPEN, BUT IT DIDN'T. HAD TO DRIVE TO A KIA STORE AND HAVE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY REPLACED AT THE TUNE OF $450. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THEY DID NOT SEEM TO THINK THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT I CAN SEE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAD MY TWO YEAR OLD GRANDSON IN THE BACK SEAT AND WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT GETTING STUCK IN THE CAR. IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, I WILL SELL THE CAR. THERE SEEM TO BE A LOT OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ON THIS CAR. I REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS REGULARLY (ABOUT ONCE A MONTH) AND I AM ALWAYS HAVING THE ENGINE LIGHT COME ON, WHEN THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. HOW MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS DO YOU NEED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE? OR DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED FIRST? *TR

DRIVER'S DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, FROM EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL NOT UNLOCK, LEAVING NO EASY ACCESS OR EXIT TO OR FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THIS IS QUITE A HAZARD AS THE OPERATOR COULD BECOME TRAPPED IN THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY (AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET FOR SOME YEARS NOW AS BEING VERY COMMON TO THIS PARTICULAR CAR). WHY HAS NHTSA BEEN IGNORING THIS PROBLEM? *TR....UPDATED 12/09/15 *BF UPDATED 08/30/2017*CT

MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK, AND CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IS TO EITHER CRAWL OUT OF THE WINDOW OR CRAWL OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE. MY FEAR IS IF IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AND WE WOULD BE SICK IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

I BECAME ENTRAPPED IN MY 2005 KIA OPTIMA WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE LOCK. ITS BEEN AN ISSUE BEFORE. WHILE ITS DANGEROUS TO KEEP IT UNLOCKED, I CHOSE THAT OVER BEING LOCKED OUT OR BEING LOCKED IN. LAST NIGHT MY ELBOW HIT THE LOCK AS I PARKED. I HAD MY COWORKER COME PULL THE HANDLE WHILE I PUSHED THE UNLOCK BUTTON. WHILE IT HAS WORKED AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IN THE PAST, IT JUST WOULDN'T GIVE IN. I THEN, HAD MY COWORKER TRY THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT POPPED. I'M NOW REDUCED TO CLIMBING OVER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. WHILE ITS PAINFUL AND TIMELY, ITS NOT AS BAD AS CLIMBING OVER THE BACK. I'VE HAD TO DO THAT WHEN I HAD NO ONE TO CALL FOR HELP. IT'S SO DANGEROUS NOT BEING ABLE TO GET OUT OF YOUR CAR WHEN YOU'RE READY. ITS ALSO HORRIBLE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR VEHICLE NOT BEING THERE WHEN YOU COME OUTSIDE BECAUSE YOU LEFT YOUR DOORS UNLOCKED FOR A CAR THIEF. IF I OPEN MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND PRESS LOCK AND CLOSE IT. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER OR USE MY VEHICLE WITHOUT BREAKING A WINDOW. IF THERE WAS A FIRE CAUSE BY SOME SORT OF COLLISION, MY CHILD AND I WOULD BE BURNED BEFORE I COULD GET TO HIM. IF ME OR A PASSENGER ACCIDENTALLY HITS THE LOCK BEFORE WE GET OUT, I'LL HAVE TO BREAK MY OWN WINDOW TO GET BACK IN. I SENT THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AN EMAIL WHICH I'M SURE WILL BE IGNORED LIKE THE MANY OTHERS SENT BEFORE ME. THIS IS SAD CAUSE MECHANICALLY THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN GREAT. THIS IS MY SECOND ONE. IF I HAD OF KEPT THAT ONE LONGER, I'M SURE I WOULD'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AND FIXED. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE DOOR NO LONGER OPENS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. DRIVER MUST ENTER AND EXIT VEHICLE FROM PASSENGER SIDE. THIS IS DANGEROUS. KIA DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR OR FIX THE PROBLEM... *TR

I CANNOT ENTER AND EXIT MY CAR SAFELY ANYMORE. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY FOB OR BY KEY MANUALLY. I WAS IN A HURRY AT ONE POINT TO EXIT TO RETRIEVE MY CHILD WHO HAD EXITED THE CAR AND WAS HEADING INTO TRAFFIC AT A PARKING LOT AND I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. I HAD TO EXIT FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DOOR WORKS IN RARE INSTANCES, BUT IS NOT RELIABLE OR DEPENDABLE. THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE NEW. HOWEVER, I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE SHOULD I HAVE AN EMERGENCY, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER OR EXIT THE CAR AS NEEDED. *TR

1. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCKS AND REFUSES TO UNLOCK. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE OPEN AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR KNOBS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ARE NOT WORKING. THIS CAN BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, BECAUSE THE DRIVER CANNOT ESCAPE THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THIS ISSUE MUST BECOME A RECALL ITEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (HAPPENED ON 05/13/2013, ABOUT 82,000 MILEAGE) 2. DRIVER SEAT (POWER) IS NOT WORKING SINCE ABOUT 52,000 MILEAGE. (AROUND SPRING 2010). *TR

THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK STARTED STICKING AND WILL NOT OPEN. NOW BOTH DOORS ARE LOCKED AND I CANNOT OPEN EITHER. THE BACK DOORS DO OPEN, HOWEVER IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CLIMB OUT THE BACK DOOR. I DON'T KNOW HOW I WILL EVEN GET IT TO A DEALER TO FIX IT. *TR

MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN BOTH FROM OUTSIDE AND INSIDE, SO I'VE TO GO THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT AND GET IN THE CAR. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCKS AND REFUSES TO UNLOCK IF THE DOOR IS COMPLETELY CLOSED. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, AS I'VE BEEN FORCED TO CRAWL OUT THE PASSENGERS SIDE MULTIPLE TIMES DAILY! *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I CAN HEAR THE ASSEMBLY TRYING TO WORK, THE KEY WILL UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IN AN EMERGENCY. I CALLED THE KIA DEALERSHIP IAND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO POSSIBLY LOSE THEIR LIFE IN AN ACCIDENT,BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I CAN HEAR THE ASSEMBLY TRYING TO WORK, THE KEY WILL UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IN AN EMERGENCY. I CALLED THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN NEWPORT RICHEY FL AND THEY TOLD ME THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO POSSIBLY LOSE THEIR LIFE IN AN ACCIDENT,BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH MY 2005 KIA OPTIMA AND I FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS ISSUE. THEREFORE I SAW IT NECESSARY FOR ME TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. THE DOOR LATCHES ARE MALFUNCTIONING. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IF THE CAR EVER CAUGHT FIRE OR IF THE CAR EVER WENT INTO A RIVER, GOT FLOODED, OR IN A WRECK IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. IT STAYS LOCKED AND EVEN WHEN YOU UNLOCK THE CAR, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. I CURRENTLY HAD A BABY AND HAD TO HAVE A C-SECTION. IT WAS HORRIBLE HAVING TO CLIMB IN AND OUT THE CAR THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE.... FROM RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE I HAVE COME ACROSS SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. KIA SHOULD RECALL THE 2005 OPTIMA. *TR

DOORS, LOCKS, LINKAGE, UPON LEAVING WORK ON JUNE 16TH, 2010, I WENT TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR USING THE KEY AND THE CAR DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. I OPENED THE CAR FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AND CRAWLED OVER TO TRY TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE, NO LUCK. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS NOT AND WILL NOT OPEN FROM EITHER SIDE. HUGE SAFETY HAZARD!!! NO LUCK WITH KIA FIXING IT EITHER!!! *TR

I WENT TO KIA DEALERSHIP REGARDING KEYLESS REMOTE NOT WORKING. I ADVISED DEALERSHIP THAT BOTH REMOTES WERE RE-PROGRAMMED 12 MONTHS AGO AND THAT ONE REMOTE STOPPED WORKING 6 MONTHS AFTER RE-PROGRAMMING AND THE 2ND REMOTE STOPPED WORKING 12 MONTHS AFTER RE-PROGRAMMING. BASED ON DISCUSSION, IT APPEARS THAT 2003 THROUGH 2006 KIA OPTIMAS HAVE DEFECTIVE KEYLESS REMOTE SYSTEMS, BUT BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO FORMAL RECALL, REPAIR OF KEYLESS REMOTE IS NOT COVERED OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE REPAIR COST IS ABOUT $400. MY OPINION IS THAT A RELATIVE KEYLESS REMOTE RECALL SHOULD BE MADE BY KIA SINCE THE KEYLESS REMOTE DEFECT IS NOT CUSTOMER'S FAULT. *TR

NEEDED TO REPLACE DOOR LATCH ON DRIVER'S SIDE. DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT DEPLOY. *TR

WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK AND ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR IT JUST KEPT RELOCKING, THE LOCK DOESN'T OPEN ALL THE WAY IT MAKES A NOISE AND LOCKS AGAIN. I HAD TO CLIMB OVER THE MIDDLE CONSOLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I WENT AROUND TO THE DRIVERS SIDE TO SEE IF I COULD OPEN IT FROM THE OUTSIDE, THE KEY DOESN'T TURN ALL THE WAY, IF THE OTHER DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AND YOU TRY TO OPEN FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE IT JUST CLICKS INTO THE LOCKED POSITION. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN A HURRY AND CAN'T. *TR

BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BLOW OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, HIGH BEAMS (SEPARATE BULBS AND SWITCH) WOULD ONLY WORK SPORADICALLY (SWITCHED 'ON', NOTHING. SWITCHED AGAIN, MAY COME 'ON', TURNED 'OFF' THEN 'ON' MAY OR MAY NOT COME ON). DEALER STATES 'IT HAPPENS, THEY BURN OUT', YET SAID THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.(?) NON WARRANTY, SO YOU PAY. ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THE SAME CAR YEAR/MAKE/MODEL, SAME ISSUE, HAS ALREADY BEEN FILED WITH YOU. IN ADDITION, 'GOOGLE' SEARCH SHOWS MANY ENTRIES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM ON KIA AND HYUNDAI VEHICLES (SAME MANUFACTURER) OVER MANY MODELS/YEARS. SIGNS POINT TO POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CHARGING OF BATTERY BY VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (MAYBE WHY THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE SAME TIME). BATTERY WAS PREVIOUSLY FINE. I'VE HAD MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, THINGS STOP WORKING, THEN WORK ON THEIR OWN (POWER WINDOW WON'T WORK, STICKS PART OPEN. SWITCH DOES NOTHING. THEN SUDDENLY LATER WINDOW LOWERS/RAISES WITHOUT SWITCH BEING TOUCHED. TRUNK SUDDENLY POPS OPEN). DEFINITE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON THESE MAKE OF VEHICLES OVER MANY YEARS WHICH NEITHER MANUFACTURER IS GOING TO ADDRESS THEMSELVES. UNLESS YOU DO SOMETHING, MANY WILL BE PAYING FOR SERVICE CAUSED BY THEIR NEGLIGENCE. . ALSO, SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT ALL THE TIME. MY VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW. *TR

I HAVE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. I HAVE A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. MY AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME "ANYTIME ANYONE WITH ANY WEIGHT SITS DOWN ON THE SEAT IT WILL COME DISCONNECTED". I HAD IT FIXED ONCE AND NOW IT IS ON AGAIN. EVER SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THIS CAR I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. THE ONLY DEALERSHIP I CAN GO TO IS 2 HOURS AWAY BY FREEWAY. I AM AFRAID FOR MY FAMILY TO BE IN THIS CAR BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW IF WE WILL BE PROTECTED AS WE SHOULD BE. THE FIRST TIME THAT IT BROKE DOWN WAS A WEEK AFTER WE BOUGHT IT AND THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK, AND WHEN I HAD THE THROTTLE REPLACED THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT EVEN DO THE REPAIR CORRECTLY CAUSING THE CAR TO REV UP WHEN STOPPED. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THE ISSUES I HAVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD WHILE THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS RUNNING. THE SMOKE WAS SO THICK THAT HE COULD NOT SEE THROUGH THE SMOKE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER COULD BE THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THEY STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BLACK BOX ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD COVERED IN ELECTRICAL TAPE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER INSTALLED AFTER MARKET FLOOR BOARD LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE THAT REQUIRED A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF POWER. THE TAIL LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE WERE INOPERABLE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 77,000.