2003 Kia Optima: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2003 Kia Optima. The newest campaign is 09V183000. NHTSA received the report on 27 May 2009. The NHTSA record gives the component Suspension / Front. NHTSA has 138 complaints on file for this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 09V183000, in the NHTSA record

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.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 15 May 2019. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

2 campaigns, newest first. 62,341 units in total.

09V183000Received 27 May 2009. 36,538 units.
Suspension / Front
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. Over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Corrosion of the front subframe could lead to separation, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by KIA MOTORS CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number SC075. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 16 Jun 2009.
04V180000Received 12 Apr 2004. 25,803 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began june 25, 2004. Owners should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Report filed by KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.. Manufacturer campaign number SC038. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 25 Jun 2004.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

138 complaints, 184 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2003 Kia Optima
All 2003 vehicles

2003 Kia Optima: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2003 Optima	All 2003 vehicles	Optima, all years	Mentions
Latches/Locks/Linkages	288	12.6	64.2	53
Electrical System	135.9	123.7	95.6	25
Structure	130.4	62	61	24
Air Bags	103.3	82.2	100.8	19
Power Train	43.5	121	54.6	8
Engine and Engine Cooling	38	77.7	22.5	7
Fuel System, Gasoline	38	36.5	10.9	7
Unknown or Other	38	20.2	46.9	7
Suspension	38	57.2	33.8	7
Visibility	27.2	40.1	22	5

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 23.

Complaints that report a crash: 8
Complaints that report a fire: 2
Injuries in the complaints: 6
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 14 Jun 2018

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2003 Kia Optima, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2010, with 16 complaints.

Investigations

The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2003 Kia OptimaThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2003 Kia Optima: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/kia/optima/2003/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 15 May 2019
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2003 Kia Optima?: 62,341 units in 2 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Kia Optima have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 22 recall campaigns for the Kia Optima, model years 2001 to 2019. 2 of them name the 2003 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2003 Kia Optima name most often?: Latches/Locks/Linkages: 53 of 184 component mentions, or 288 per 1,000. For all 2003 vehicles the figure is 12.6 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2003 Kia Optima open?: The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.