KIA Sorento Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 845 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the KIA Sorento across 22 model years. The 2017 model year has the most (125). The words owners use most often: “low beam” (16% of reports).
- 845exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $650typical repair cost reported by owners
- 49%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Low beam: mentioned in 135 of 845 complaints (16%)
- High beams: mentioned in 44 of 845 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the KIA Sorento at $650, and half of them between $470 and $1,050.
Based on 23 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 454 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 845 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 16 a fire, 3 an injury.
KIA Sorento exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sorento | 2 | 3% | 530 |
| 2024 Sorento | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Sorento | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Sorento | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Sorento | 3 | 1% | 55,839 |
| 2020 Sorento | 5 | 4% | — |
| 2019 Sorento | 22 | 5% | 8,500 |
| 2018 Sorento | 41 | 16% | 43,450 |
| 2017 Sorento | 125 | 16% | 37,100 |
| 2016 Sorento | 67 | 5% | 43,594 |
| 2015 Sorento | 91 | 12% | 76,000 |
| 2014 Sorento | 86 | 9% | 74,459 |
| 2013 Sorento | 70 | 7% | 94,187 |
| 2012 Sorento | 60 | 7% | 95,500 |
| 2011 Sorento | 102 | 7% | 98,000 |
| 2009 Sorento | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2008 Sorento | 13 | 6% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Sorento | 12 | 8% | 98,432 |
| 2006 Sorento | 56 | 23% | 50,000 |
| 2005 Sorento | 53 | 17% | 45,400 |
| 2004 Sorento | 14 | 6% | 55,500 |
| 2003 Sorento | 16 | 5% | 36,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Exterior lighting:tail lights; electrical system:body control module:software; exterior lighting:headlights
Model years: 2024, 2025
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Sorento, 2025 Sorento Hybrid, and 2025 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. A software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: A loss of headlights and taillights can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the BDC software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 21, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC331.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Model years: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Model years: 2006, 2007
Problem: Huyndai-kia is recalling 139,844 my 2006-2007- sedona, sportage, sorento and my rondo and amanti vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A stop lamp switch malfunction may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission shifter would not be able to be shifted out of the park position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.
Risk: Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 17, 2009. Owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The headlights are so dim that I could not see at night. I am forced to drive with the fog lights on for any amount of visibility. I recently replaced the headlights with factory replacements and now the connectors going into the back have failed and power only makes it to the lights when Mercury…
See attached document for complaint.
My high beams and low beams are starting to shut off randomly while driving. They are burning out weekly and having to be replaced. 1 of my tail lights is doing the same exact thing. I replace it. It works for a couple weeks and then goes out. When the headlights shut off my dash shows that i am…
Rear passenger taillight assembly, specifically the turn signal light failed. Currently unable to utilize the right signal light when turning causing a safety issue for others. This taillight assembly is a sealed unit with LED lights that cannot be replaced. To fix you must purchase a new taillight…
The car gets stuck and will not shift out of park. I've had to use the manual override. And when the ambulance came to my house, I could not move my car out of the way fast enough and this delayed emergency response team. I thought it was a one time fluke, but it started happening again this week…
Frequently asked questions
Do all KIA Sorentos have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 845 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the KIA Sorento. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the KIA Sorento exterior lighting?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the KIA Sorento?
Owners report a typical cost of $650 (half paid between $470 and $1,050), from 23 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the KIA Sorento?
The most frequent phrase is “low beam”, in 135 of 845 complaints, followed by “high beams” (44).
Other KIA Sorento problems
- Engine problems (3,847)
- Electrical System problems (1,396)
- Power Train problems (1,187)
- Structure problems (936)
- Air Bags problems (717)
- Steering problems (542)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (409)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (398)
See all KIA Sorento problems.