2003 Kia Optima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
190 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Kia Optima, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 9/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Latches & locks leads the reports, typically around 90,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2003 Kia Optima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2003 sits among all Optima years
What owners report
“For the 2003 kia optima , the door locks fail and the doors cannot be opened from the outside or inside. This is a very common complaint about the car in the 2000-03 generation.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Optima
“After 60,000 miles, while driving or with the engine running, the engine light came on and stayed on. This has been repaired three times by replacing a main fuse. Each time it has been repaired, the problem has reoccurred. In connection with this problem, the door will lock after the driver exits…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Optima
“Drivers side door will not unlock with key or inside door look switch. This is a real safety hazzard.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Optima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 143 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 84,226 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 109,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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,…
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.
SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE WITH A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED WERE TO ROLL OVER, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Technical service bulletins
22 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2003 Kia Optima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 Optima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Kia Optima reliable?
The 2003 Kia Optima drew 190 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 9/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2003 Kia Optima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Kia Optima are latches & locks (53 complaints), electrical (28), and body & structure (26).
At what mileage do 2003 Kia Optima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Kia Optima problems around 84,226 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 109,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Kia Optima have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Kia Optima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.