10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,453 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #85

Mar 012020

Sorento

  • miles
I-??m tired of replacing my headlight bulbs every month!!! Both high and low beam go out all the time! It-??s expensive. Also it is a safety concern. The low beams are dim to begin with and having one go out I have to drive with high beams on due to inability to see. I even upgraded bulbs in hopes of brightening but they also go out all the time.

- Freeburg, PA, USA

problem #84

Feb 042026

Sorento

  • miles
Formal Complaint on Seized Headlight Sockets and Kia-??s Obstruction of Essential Safety Maintenance 1. Incident & Discovery of Defect: I am the owner of a 2015 Kia Sorento. Recently, one of my headlights failed. Upon attempting a routine bulb replacement, I discovered a critical hardware defect: the bulb socket is physically seized. It cannot be rotated or removed by any standard manual force. This is not a simple wear-and-tear issue; it is a mechanical seizure of a component that must remain accessible for safety maintenance. 2. Kia-??s Refusal of Technical Guidance: To resolve this without damaging the entire assembly, I contacted Kia America (Case #[XXX]) specifically requesting technical instructions or any written explanations to safely disengage the seized unit. Despite multiple attempts via phone and email, Kia explicitly refused to provide any technical guidance, flatly stating they are "not technically trained" or authorized to share such information. 3. Obstruction of "Right to Repair" & Safety Risk: I firmly believe that a vehicle owner has a fundamental "Right to Repair, " especially for essential safety components like headlights. By withholding basic maintenance instructions, Kia is intentionally obstructing my ability to maintain a street-legal, safe vehicle. Driving with a non-functional headlight is a Critical Safety Hazard that severely impairs visibility and creates an immediate risk of fatal accidents-?"yet Kia has chosen to leave me in this dangerous situation. 4. Exploitative Business Practice & Systemic Failure: This appears to be a deliberate and Exploitative Business Practice. By failing to provide a manual and refusing technical support for a defective, seized part, Kia is effectively forcing consumers into a "forced monopoly" where we must pay for expensive replacements at authorized dealerships for what should be a low-cost, simple bulb change. 5. Request for Investigation: I request that the NHTSA initiate a formal investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I

- Frisco, TX, USA

problem #83

Aug 242020

Sorento

  • miles
Yes there was a recall in a module control panel which still is messed up. It-??s been replaced a couple x. Also the dim lights since I bought the car have a very low light were you can hardly see at night. And this SUV drinks gas on long/short trips. I-??ve taken it in several times but they keep saying nothing-??s wrong and I know there is I have driven my boyfriend vehicle which is a V6 and went the same exact distance and didn-??t have to get any fuel until I was about half way back. Something has to give. I love my Kia as I have owned 2. But something is really wrong. Please help. Thanks

- Laurel Hill, NC, USA

problem #82

Jan 222026

Sorento

  • miles
The low beam headlights do not illuminate the highway sufficiently to drive safely. I lowered the aim of my high beam to be able to drive at night and not blind approaching drivers. This is unacceptable for a modern vehicle to be permitted to be sold in this condition.

- Powder Springs , GA, USA

problem #81

Mar 122025

Sorento

  • miles
Low beam headlights would work and some times not work and then one day they stopped working completely. We've had everything checked out and there is no explanation as to why this is happening. Replaced headlights, relays, and checked wiring.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #80

Jun 012022

Sorento

  • miles
My problem is with the headlights, in that the condenser lens for the low beam lights has clouded so badly that driving at night has become so dangerous. I have changed the bulbs twice in an effort to correct the problem to no avail. And with the sealed unit not able to be disassembled to clean the lens, my only option is to replace the units at approximately $800 each. This condition in my opinion should not have occurred.

- Cedartown, GA, USA

problem #79

Nov 012023

Sorento

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on various occasions while driving at night, the front low-beam headlights failed to properly illuminate and was very dim. The headlight bulbs had been replaced approximately four times, but the failure returned after replacing the bulbs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000.

- Reston, VA, USA

problem #78

Mar 192025

Sorento

  • miles
In the last year I have had to replace my headlight bulbs at least 3 times on each side. My yearly mileage is only around 9,000-10,500. The body shop has tried different brands of bulbs, tried not having the automatic light setting on and only turning on when needed, etc. Nothing seems to correct the issue and once I had them both go out within the same week. They go out so frequently that the shop has an extra set on hand now for when I call. I'm worried if I don't notice one out because I don't drive at night every day that I'll be without either headlight until I can get into the body shop yet again to have changed out.

- Stewartville, MN, USA

problem #77

Jan 232025

Sorento

  • 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on several occasions the front low-beam headlights failed and were no longer illuminated. The headlight bulbs were replaced but the failure eventually reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions and the driver-??s and passenger-??s side headlights failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that on one occasion there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the front passenger-??s side headlight had failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the passenger-??s side headlight assembly had melted. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.

- Springboro, OH, USA

problem #76

Nov 142024

Sorento

  • 101,064 miles
The lights dim way too quickly. HID basically is garbage. Major safety issue since most people can-??t afford to be constantly replacing their headlight assemblies.

- Easley, SC, USA

problem #75

Jan 012024

Sorento

  • miles
Overtime the low beam headlights have become very dim. The bulbs have always blown a lot but I have recently replaced both bulbs and they are still very dim. I ordered high powered LED bulbs and still the low beams are very dim. So dim you can barely see 10 feet in front of you when driving at night. I have to drive with the high beams on to see where I am going. Research online shows this is an issues with the projector type headlights on these vehicle but no recall is there. The headlight are over $600 to replace for an off brand set. Not something that should be going bad on a 2015 car.

- Loganville, GA, USA

problem #74

Dec 292023

Sorento

  • miles
Low beams have completely gone out and will not work. High beams and all other lights work fine. Car Burns oil regularly. 2 quarts every 2 weeks is required now ro operate the car. I have only had the car since 2020.

- Middletown, OH, USA

problem #73

Oct 302023

Sorento

  • miles
The low beam headlights are very dim even after replacing bulbs. Have replaced 2 sets in less than a year. Not sure if issues are related but I have seen multiple people have posted about dim headlights on this model

- Washburn, TN, USA

problem #72

Jul 092023

Sorento

  • miles
Driving at night on an unlit rural road with the high beam lights engaged, a car was coming in the opposite direction, at which point the headlights were switched to low-beams to not impact the visibility of that driver. The headlights and lighting of the cluster turned completely off for a few moments before the low-beam headlights re-engaged and remained on for the remainder of the trip. The headlights throughout the trip were turned on by having the auto function engaged. This has happened a few times before, but the possibility of having reduced/no vision while driving prompted taking it to a mechanic to be checked out. The issue has not been replicated by a mechanic, and to date has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning signs had been present before this and other instances where the lights cut out as headlights are switched from high to low beams or vice versa. The vehicle has also been experiencing a battery drain that has yet to be identified. This has occurred within the last month, and two batteries have been drained within a month.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #71

Dec 212022

Sorento

  • miles
Hi my vehicle is very dangerous and unsafe when driving at night. I can't see at all when I drive at night. The factory headlight bulbs has not burn out but they was so dim. I replaced them with new ones and still could not see. I WANT AND GOT THE BRIGHTESS headlight bulb for my car and still are dim. I clean the headlight and still did not fix the problem. I drive at night with my high beams on and i still can barley see I and thousands of others have the same problem with a kia sorento and ask the dealership for help and nothing hibings nothing was done I'm afraid to drive my car when the sun goes down I cannot see at all I can't even see when I have my bright lights on I looked online and I see there's thousands of people complaining about this issue and nothing has been done. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR at night I am a single parent kia is putting my life my family and others in danger because they don't want to fix the problem but they know they have one but don't care please help me and others kia sorento is a very popular car and the more on the road with dim headlights the more people or at risk

- Gretna, LA, USA

problem #70

Jul 022022

Sorento

  • miles
I bought this car used and never thought to check any problems associated with headlights. The first time I drove it at night, I stopped to see if the lights were even working. I took it to my local garage who has taken care of all my vehicles from Chevrolet S10 to BMW X5. They changed out the bulbs and made no difference. He then contacted various auto parts companies to order the housing for both headlights. The part is priced approximately $600 to $700 each plus his labor. I don-??t take this car on the road at night unless absolute necessity. I planned to drive this car for a short period and then give to my grandson. Now, not a chance. He would be safer on the road with a skateboard and a flashlight and he lives in the city of Atlanta. Never have I driven a vehicle that felt more unsafe than this car. In the past, I had a commercial drivers license so I am capable of driving day, night, rain, and shine. Not in this car! This is a problem identified and reported for many years and appears no action has been taken to require Kia to make the cars safe for drivers of their cars as well as the risk to other vehicles and drivers on the road.

- Greenville, GA, USA

problem #69

Feb 112023

Sorento

  • miles
Engine seized while I was driving

- Philly , PA, USA

problem #68

Feb 182023

Sorento

  • miles
The headlights on this vehicle you can-??t even tell they are on after dark even after kia of Cape Coral florida tried adjusting them it-??s so bad I ended up installing a light bar on there just to be able to drive this after dark if I get in a accident because of this who is liable I just think there should be a repair they should have to

- Cape Coral , FL, USA

problem #67

Feb 102023

Sorento

  • miles
The low beam headlights on the 2015 Kia Sorento has made it very difficult in viewing the road at night. It is hard to visualize objects within short distance. The socket to install the headlight bulbs point more to the ground instead of outwards. Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

- Meridian, MS, USA

problem #66

Dec 222022

Sorento

  • miles
Lights are very dim, had to put in a brighter lightbulb. All of the sudden today the radio FM/AM Satellite and blue tooth stopped working. 12/22/22 - Driving home the lights stopped working and I was driving in the dark with no lights.

- Southfield, MI, USA

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