What 875 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

MY DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BULB AND I CHANGED THE BULB BUT IT WAS STILL OUT. I WENT TO MY MECHANIC AND THEY FIXED IT. WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 55MPH THE LIGHT WENT OUT. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY FIXED IT AGAIN. THE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A DAY, THEN WENT OUT WHILE I WAS AGAIN DRIVING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I TURNED THEM ON AGAIN IT CAME BACK ON SO I THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED, THEN WHILE I WAS ON THAT SAME HIGHWAY IT WENT OUT AGAIN AND IT HASN'T COME BACK ON.

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I CONTINUE TO HAVE STARTING ISSUES. SOMETIMES IT STARTS MANY TIMES IT DOESN'T. ALSO I HAVE REPLACED MY HEAD LIGHTS AND BLINKERS SEVERAL TIMES. IT'S AS IF THERE IS A SHORTAGE INSIDE THE CAR SOMEWHERE. I HAVE BEEN READING MANY CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE SAME VEHICLE I HAVE 2012 KIA SOENTO. I'VE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM HANDLED BUT I AM CONVINCED THIS IS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL THAT HAS TO DO WITH MANUFACTURING.

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SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN DECEMBER 2011 I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT WIRING 4 TIMES AND HAVE TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHT BULB AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. EACH TIME I HAVE HAD THE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED AFTER THE THIRD LIGHT BULB CHANGE THE WIRING HARNESS BEGINS TO MELT AND THEN LOSES CONNECTION WITH THE BULB THEREFOR MY HEADLIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENT.

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THE REAR BREAK LIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS FAIL CONSISTENTLY. THEY HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. ON OCCASION, THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT POWERS BACK ON AFTER THE REAR HOUSING HAS BEEN MOVED. IN INCIDENTS WHEN THE LIGHT HAS FAILED, THERE IS A BURN MARK ON THE OUTER CONTACT PORTION OF THE BULB. THIS AFFECTS ALL LEVELS OF DRIVING AS YOU CAN FIND YOURSELF NEARLY INVISIBLE AND GIVE ZERO INDICATION OF STOPPING TO VEHICLES AROUND YOU.

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2012 KIA SORENTO, HAD ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BLOWING. ASKED DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT. THEY SAID PRONGS NEEDED TO BE SPREAD. THE LIGHT BLEW AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK IN AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE HARNESS. THEY FORGOT TO MENTION THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND MADE IT SOUND LIKE THEY DID ME A FAVOR FIXING IT FOR FREE. FAST FORWARD A YEAR AND I START HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THEY TELL ME THAT THEY WILL DIAGNOSE FOR $150 AND IF IT IS THE WIRING HARNESS IT WILL COST ME AN ADDITIONAL $300. IT WAS THE WIRING HARNESSES THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME FOR THE DIAGNOSE BUT IT STILL COST $250. I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE AS THE HEADLIGHT. THEY DIDN'T CARE BECAUSE I DIDN'T BRING IT IN EVERY TIME THE BULBS BLEW TO PAY $20 TO REPLACE THE BULBS. GOT IT REPAIRED 5/2019 NOW THE BRAKE LIGHT IS OUT AGAIN.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO REMAIN IN THEIR HEADLIGHT SOCKETS. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE LOOSE AND HANGING OFF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT'S WIFE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT HEADLIGHT COMPONENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,000. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED. *TR

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I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS SOCKET KEEP BURNING OUT, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MANY TECHNICIAN AND THEY CHANGE THE SOCKET AND AFTER A MONTH OR 2 IT BURNS THE SOCKET AGAIN, THE TECH SAID IT SEEMS LIKE A FACTORY PROBLEM.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. A WEEK LATER, THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TEAM KIA OF EL CAJON (LOCATED AT 541 N JOHNSON AVE, EL CAJON, CA 92020, (619) 444-7200) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING A NEW ENGINE AND LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULB. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE HEADLIGHT FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

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DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT CONTINUALLY BURNS OUT. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE WIRING IN THE HEAD LAMP IS BURNT OUT AND THE ENTIRE HEAD LAMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR.

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HEADLIGHTS SO DETERIORATED THAT AT NIGHT MUST RUN HIGH BEAM JUST TO SEE ROAD.

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HEADLAMP OUT AND UPON INSPECTION THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT SOCKET MELTED. SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A FAILURE OF THE SOCKET AS THE WIRING CHECKED OUT FINE. HAD TO REPLACE WITH NEW SOCKET. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

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THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING ON MY CAR. NUMEROUS BULBS, LENS, ETC... AND THEY BLOW WITHIN 2 DAYS. SO, WE DRIVE AROUND WITH ONE BULB. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS WIDESPREAD ON THESE MODELS, BUT THEY WILL NOT ADMIT. WE DO NOT HAVE $600 TO $1000 TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE ENTIRE WIRING AND ASSEMBLY. FOR WHAT I PAID, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FOR AN ENGINEERING/DESIGN FLAW. THE LACK OF CONCERN KIA HAS SHOWN THIS WIDESPREAD ISSUE SHOWS A DISREGARD FOR CONSUMER SAFETY. THIS WILL BE MY LAST KIA UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE.

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A LITTLE AFTER 100,000 MILES, THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY WENT OUT. THERE WAS NO RHYME OR REASON. I SIMPLY BOUGHT MORE LIGHTS AND REPLACED THEM UNTIL ONE DAY I FOUND THE DRIVER SIDE CONNECTOR HAD MELTED. I WAS ABLE TO BUY A NEW HARNESS AND HAVE IT WIRED IN. THEN, ABOUT A YEAR LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE CONNECTOR LOOKS LIKE IT IS STARTING TO COME APART, WITH THE LOW BEAM LIGHT FAILING ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME NOW - SO I ASSUME THAT THIS ONE IS ALSO ON THE WAY TO MELTING AS IT IS FOLLOWING THE SAME MANNERS AS THE DRIVER SIDE HAD PRIOR TO MELTING.

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HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE LIGHTS WILL WORK ONE MINUTE AND THEN THE NEXT THEY WON'T. OFTEN TIMES, WE'VE HAD TO PULL OVER, LIFT THE HOOD, MESS WITH THE WIRING AND THEN IT WILL WORK FOR EITHER 3 MINUTES OR 30 MINUTES. EACH TIME WE TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WANT TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WITH A FEE AND THEN CHARGE A FEE TO REPAIR.

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FRONT HEADLIGHTS CONTINUALLY SHORT OUT I HAVE REPLACED BULBS CONNECTOR WIRE MULTIPLE

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SRS, AIRBAG MODULE LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY REPLACING BULBS JUNE 2018, 88KMIKES AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WONT GO OUT AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT RESETTING. DEALER STATED IT IS THE AIRBAG MODULE, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST $750-$800 TO REPAIR AND RESET

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MY FRONT "LOW BEAM" HEAD LAMPS GO OUT FREQUENTLY. IT HAS HAPPENED AT NIGHT ON A DARK ROAD, WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! I HAVE JUST CONTINUED TO BUY NEW LIGHTS, REPLACE & DO OVER & OVER. FINALLY IT NO LONGER WORKED. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT & THE CONNECTOR AND SOME WIRING WAS MELTED. I PAID TO HAVE THIS FIXED, ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN 2 - 3 WEEKS LATER. I JUST HAD IT FIXED AGAIN, BUT AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR! 1ST ENGINE FAILED WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD @ 45 MPH... IT COULD HAVE ENDED FAR WORSE. THAT HAS BEEN FIXED, BUT MY WIRING/HEADLAMPS ARE A HUGE PROBLEM & CONCERN. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE MY BRAKE LIGHTS MORE TIMES IN THE PAST 5 YEARS THAN I HAVE IN 20 YEARS I'VE OWNED MY 1998 CAMRY. THIS HAS TO FALL UNDER A RECALL TO BE FIXED BY KIA. IT'S DEFECTIVE PARTS & ASSEMBLY AND COULD BE FATAL! THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING LATE AT NIGHT AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO SLAM INTO A DEER. I HAVE EVEN RENTED A CAR WHEN DRIVING ON VACATION FOR FEAR OF MY CAR HAVING THIS MALFUNCTION OR WORSE. PLEASE HELP ME. MY FAMILY IS SURVIVING ON BASICALLY 1 INCOME & THIS NEWEST HURDLE IS THAT " PROVERBIAL STRAW"... DATE LISTED BELOW IS TODAY'S DATE OF THE MOST RECENT REPAIR. I CAN GET THE DATE ABOUT 3 WEEK'S AGO IF YOU NEED IT. I HAVE ALSO BOUGHT ALL OF THE HEADLAMPS AND BRAKE LIGHTS THAT I HAVE REPLACED FROM THE SAME AUTO SUPPLY STORE TO MY KNOWLEDGE. SO I CAN GET THOSE RECORDS AS WELL IF NEEDED.

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MY LEFT HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF AND ONE. REPLACED IT AND IT FLICKER ON AND OFF. I HAVE TO MESS WITH THE HEADLIGHT TO COME ON EVERY MORNING. UGH,

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HEADLIGHT FAILURE, REPEATED PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM FAILURE FOLLOWED BY DRIVERS SIDE FAILURE. HEADLIGHT CONNECTOR MELTED & WAS HALF MISSING. FAILURE FREQUENCY INCREASING OVER TIME. WE HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT BULB MANUFACTURES BUT FAILURE REOCCURS WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF REPLACING REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURE

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ISSUE #1: THE LF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON MY VEHICLE EVEN AFTER BEING REPAIRED AND THEN REPLACED CONTINUES TO STOP WORKING. IN AUGUST 2017, MY LF HEADLIGHT STARTED INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT AND BY SEPTEMBER 2017 FAILED PERMANENTLY. I CHECKED THE LIGHT BULB WHICH WASN'T THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THE CONNECTOR TO THE BULB WAS BURNT OUT WITH ONE OF THE PRONGS MELTED. I CUT OFF THE END AND REPLACED IT WITH A NEW SOCKET (A H8/H11 HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS SOCKET - DORMAN# 84783). AFTER REPLACING THE SOCKET, I DROVE MY VEHICLE A COUPLE DAYS AND LF HEADLIGHT FAILED ONCE AGAIN. FIRST SHUTTING OFF INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN COMPLETELY. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, DARCARS LANHAM KIA, 9020 LANHAM SEVERN RD, LANHAM, MD 20706. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLE HAD A SHORT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME, ORDERED A NEW HEADLIGHT, INSTALLED IT AND THEN DROVE MY VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS. ONCE AGAIN, THE HEADLIGHT STARTED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THE NEW HEADLIGHT FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOW ASKING ME TO BUY ANOTHER HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WHILE THEY REACH OUR TO KIA TO IDENTIFY ANY OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THE FAILURE. ISSUE #2: IN SEPTEMBER 2017, BOTH THE LF AND RF FOG LIGHTS STARTED ALSO FAILING INTERMITTENTLY. AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAY THAT PIECES OF THE HOUSINGS FOR BOTH FOG LIGHTS HAVE FALLEN INTO THE LIGHTING AREA AND ARE HITTING THE LIGHT BULBS CAUSING THEM TO INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. AND, OF COURSE MY EXPENSE EXTENDED WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER THE LF HEADLIGHT NOR THE FOG LIGHTS! MY VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 85,000 MILES AND THE PREMIUM WARRANTY WHICH LAST UP TO 100,000 MILES IS COMPLETELY USELESS. SO NOW, MY VEHICLE NOW ONLY HAS ONE WORKING HEADLIGHT AND ITS A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE!

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ONE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I REPLACED BOTH BULBS. IT APPEARS, WHEN STANDING IN FRONT OF MY CAR, THAT THE LIGHTS ARE ON, BUT THEY ARE VERY DIM. WHEN I AM DRIVING, IT IS NOT LIGHTING MY PATH. MY PASSENGERS HAVE NOTICED, AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC OFTEN FLASHES THEIR LIGHTS AT ME. I NEED IT FIXED IMMEDIATELY, BC I DRIVE UBER/LYFT FOR EMPLOYMENT. I WAS DRIVING IN A DIMLY LIT AREA, WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THAT I COULDN'T SEE WELL IN FRONT OF ME. LATER, THAT HOUR, AN UBER CUSTOMER, INFORMED ME MY LIGHTS WERE OUT. AFTER THE BULBS WERE REPLACED, I WAS DRIVING WHEN I STILL NOTICED THE ROAD WAS DARK. THE NEXT DAY FRIENDS WERE IN THE CAR WITH ME & SPONTANEOUSLY INQUIRED ABOUT WHY MY HEADLIGHTS WEREN'T WORKING. MY RESEARCH SHOWS A RECALL RE HEADLIGHT CONNECTORS WHICH CORRODED, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY CAR'S YEAR YET.

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ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS AND WIRING ECT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR OWNERS WITH THESE VEHICLES FOR YEARS. NOT ONLY IS IT EXPENSIVE FOR THE OWNERS BUT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN IT IS DOCUMENTED. LOOK AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS WHY KIA HAS NOT BEEN MADE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. INSTEAD OF LETTING THEM CONTINUE MANUFACTURING VEHICLES WITH THE SAME HEADLIGHTS. MY LOW BEAM PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. I PURCHASED A NEW BULB BUT WHEN MY HUSBAND INSERTED THE NEW BULB IT WOULDN'T WORK. MY HUSBAND DOES ELECTRICAL WORK AND SAID THIS HAS TO BE A SHORT OR SOMETHING IN THE WIRING. WHY DOES THE OWNERS HAVE TO CONTINUE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE AND SUBJECTED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO NO WORKING LIGHTS OR POSSIBLE FATALITIES. IF WE HAVE SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES THEN WILL YOU RECOGNIZE HUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM. LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS. THESE GO BACK FOR YEARS. AND STILL OCCURRING ON NEWER VEHICLES. OWNERS ARE BEING FORCED TO PAY OUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FREQUENTLY FOR REPAIRS THAT DO NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM IT IS ONLY A BAND AIDE UNTIL THE NEXT TIME

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WE ARE CHANGING THE 3RD HEAD LIGHT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN A MONTH. WE HAD A STORM KNOCKING OUT ALL STREET LIGHTS AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE..ANSMD I KEEP GETTING PULLED OVER. I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO CARRY A BACK UP. PLUS MY PLASTIC POS DOOR PANELS DETACH AND TRAP MY KIDS IN THE CAR..WE HAVE TO BEAT THEM DOWN SO SO WE CAN OPEN DOORS. OH AND WE HAD TO CUT THE GAS COVER OFF CAUSE IT WOULDNT OPEN...AND THE SEATS WONT GO DOWN ANYMORE, HATCH WONT STAY UP..AND MY BLUTOOTH SYSTEM ONLY WORKS ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF TIME! NEVER AGAIN KIA!

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER, COOPER KIA 5056 COMMERCIAL DRIVE, YORKVILLE NY, 13495, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LIGHTING HOUSING UNIT MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS UNDER THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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