Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.
Chart based on 5 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2004 Kia Optima 4dr Sedan
138-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD
83000 mi
US $800
Flywheel broke. Newer "dual mass" type flywheel is very expensive ($1000) but was covered under warranty along with labor ($350). Failure damaged the clutch and pressure plate which were not covered ($350). Clutch pressure plate! I drive 95% freeway miles - hardly any shifting.
65000 mi
Finally after 6.5 years and 65,000 miles, the first non-maintenance repair -- a split CV joint boot. Shop spotted a small hole in the other and replaced it, too. Work done under warranty.
See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how
frequently 2004 Kia Optima problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.