RecallRadar

Home → Kia → Optima → 2003

2003 Kia Optima Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

190 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.35 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical04V180000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

FUEL SPILLAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KIA 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.

Serious09V183000

Suspension:Front

CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME COULD LEAD TO SEPARATION, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

190 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

10Crashes
2Fires
10Injuries
0Deaths

Across 190 complaints. Severity Index 0.35.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Latches/Locks/Linkages49 · 26%Electrical System20 · 11%Structure · Body13 · 7%Structure · Body · Door10 · 5%Air Bags10 · 5%Suspension8 · 4%Unknown Or Other7 · 4%Latches/Locks/Linkages · …4
  1. Latches/Locks/Linkages — 49 reports
  2. Electrical System — 20 reports
  3. Structure:Body — 13 reports
  4. Structure:Body:Door — 10 reports
  5. Air Bags — 10 reports
  6. Suspension — 8 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 7 reports
  8. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch — 4 reports
  9. Air Bags:Frontal — 4 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline — 4 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2001 (3) · 2002 (3) · 2003 · 2004 (1) · 2005 · 2006 (2) · 2007 (2) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (1) · 2010 (1) · 2011 (5) · 2012 (5) · 2013 (9) · 2014 (7) · 2015 (4) · 2016 (5) · 2017 (3) · 2018 (2) · 2019 (1) · 2020

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

From the same data desk

Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.

TireFit
Is that tyre actually right for your car?
2,808 fitment guides
FuelFacts
What that trip really costs in fuel
Live consumption data
CostCompare
What things cost, city by city
2,123 comparisons