There are 7 stored owner reports matching the steering leading-label group for the 2004 Kia Optima in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 7 of 7 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, AN ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE WHEELS SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND IT CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE EMITTED INTO THE CONTACTS EYES. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BURNS TO THE BODY AND LACERATIONS TO BOTH EYES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 09/23/16*LJ *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED. ALSO, THE SUBFRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,700.
THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 09V183000 AND THE COMPONENT IS SUSPENSION. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL PORTION FOR MY VEHICLE WAS PERFORMED BUT ONLY AS AN INSPECTION BY GLASSMAN KIA, SOUTHFIELD MICHIGAN, IN JULY 2009. I EXPERIENCED THE ACTUAL CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUB-FRAME BUT THANK GOD I DID NOT HAVE A CRASH. I AM TOLD BY KMC THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THEY MAY NOT FIX THE CAR. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT GLASSMAN TOMORROW, JULY 17, 2014. *TR
EVERY TIME MY CAR GO THROUGH A MUD PUDDLE I LOSE MY POWER STEERING DEALER CANT FIND ANY PROBLEMS SOMETHING IS WRONG. *TR
WHEEL MISALIGNMENT AND OTHER NOTICEABLE STRESS IN STEERING, OR ACCELERATED ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR. RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM LEFT FRONT END AREA, NOT CV AXLE OR STRUT. *TR
IRREGULAR OCCURRENCES OF STEERING PROBLEM, LEAKING POWER STEERING RACK. *BF SINCE THE INITIAL REPAIR OF THE POWER STEERING RACK, THE CONSUMER HAS CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING, HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONSUMERS CONCERN. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IN THE MORNINGS, THERE WAS A SECOND DELAY IN THE TRANSMISSION. *JB
BOUGHT KIA OPTIMA ON JUNE 22, 2004 VIN# [XXX] AND HAVE SINCE HAD SEVEN SERVICE APPOINTMENTS, REPLACED TWO SETS OF DRIVE BELTS, REPLACED A LEAKING POWER STEERING RACK, REPLACED A LEAKING FUEL REGULATOR, MACHINED THE FRONT ROTORS, LOST TIME FROM WORK, LOST PRODUCTIVITY FROM WORK AS WELL AS JEOPARDIZED MY WIFE'S WORK FROM CAR POOLING FOR FIVE MONTHS, COMPLETED SCHEDULED ARBITRATION WITH THE BBB WITHOUT SUCCESS FOR FOUR PROBLEMS: ACCELERATION DELAY, LOW GRINDING BRAKE NOISE, LOW VIBRATION STEERING NOISE, AND LOUD SQUEALING NOISE FROM THE DRIVE BELTS. *JB UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.