What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Sorento Phev

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she became aware that the headlights were blown, and that the connector to the headlights had detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the HECU fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11620700

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the headlights failed to function properly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 174,000.

NHTSA ODI 11613869

The headlights and taillights are constantly going out on their own. Took car to dealership and they say it's fixed, but you don't leave the lot & the light is out again. Same issue has been happening since 2022. Driving on dark road and the lights just go out. This is definitely a safety issue that several people have complained about, but nothing is being done to rectify the situation. Car has been taken to dealership at least on 5 separate occasions. However, this last time they said there is no record of bringing the car for the lights. I even did a Google review. Why would the dealership not document service problems?

NHTSA ODI 11611634

Coolant, oil compression, runs hot, to over headlights need replaced frequently

NHTSA ODI 11604332

The headlights go out without any warning. The fog lights work fine. I have had signal bulbs replaced many times but the worst complaint is the headlights.

NHTSA ODI 11573917

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, she became aware that the headlamps were extremely dim, severely compromising nighttime visibility. The ABS warning and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11567806

On 06/23/2023 i went to team Nissan located at 70 Keller st . took it in while purchasing new tires from tire warehouse told me about repairs that needed done that was still under warranty with team Nissan. when i took it to team Nissan they refused my warranty by telling me my car issuer was not any issue that they repaired back in July of 2022 for the amount of over 2thousand dollars. team Nissan lied to me let me leave their shop knowing the dangers just because they did not want to grant my warranty which where brakes outta tie Rodes and rear light INOP charged me 45 for en inspection to deny my warranty. I still can't drive my car because team Nissan wanted me to repay for pairs that was still covered under their own warranty my vehicle only has 120 thousand miles i was still in my year frame and way less than the miles. i prefer to bring in my documents if not i must downmload at another time cant take pic ith desktop

NHTSA ODI 11545088

Headlight Dim setting are so weak the vehicle over runs the lighting at speeds over 40 mph. Unsafe to drive vehicle on major highways, and on secondary roads where street lighting is sparse, or non existent.

NHTSA ODI 11501891

Headlights continually need replacing. We must replace headlights every few months. We have tried several brands of lights and regardless they go out. We have had all the lights go out at once while driving at night. Cruise control no longer works. I had the clock spring replaced but this did not fix the cruise. Seat warmer Driver side seat warmer no longer engages. When the button is pressed, the indicator light flashes as if it will come on but never does.

NHTSA ODI 11500444

The paint is peeling super bad bad it to several dealerships & Maaco and was told this is a defect and to report the problem

NHTSA ODI 11500507

I started experiencing miscellaneous electrical issues and occasional poor acceleration. Engine/ABS/tire pressure/etc. warning lights would come and go indicating random problems; transmission solenoid was a common code but I did not initially have transmission problems. Radio/backup camera had intermittent problems with not powering on. Normal headlights stopped working and only high beams would function even after replacing bulbs and checking fuses. Problems got worse and the car would sometimes lurch strongly with a clunking sound and be stuck in 3rd gear "limp mode", but would randomly drive normally when restarted. I brought it to the dealership when I was experiencing sudden loss of acceleration and couldn't match the flow of traffic. The dealership said a new transmission was required. On replacing the transmission they found that there was a problem with the wiring harness and it would also need to be replaced, doubling the cost of an already expensive repair.

NHTSA ODI 11486843

Multiple electrical issues throughout the car that come and go. The door locks will stop operating when using the key FOB and lock/unlock switch on the driver and passenger doors, the only way to unlock them is manually. Window operating switch at all four doors stops working. The control buttons on the steering wheel are malfunctioning (volume up button decreases volume, volume down button activates voice control). The digital fuel range number does not match up analog indicator (digital will read ~150miles range, analog will indicate 1/8 full tank). Low-beam headlight bulbs individually burn out well before expected lifetime, I have replaced each one twice in the last six months. All of these issues are available for inspection. Safety is at risk because multiple fluctuating electrical issues could mean a fire risk. I have not had these problems reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center yet. Vehicle and components have not been inspected. There have been no warning indications prior to or during electrical problems.

NHTSA ODI 11467099

No matter what bulbs you put in the headlights they do not shine bright enough or far enough for you to drive safely at night. We have stopped driving the suv at night because the only way to have enough light to see the road is if they are on bright then they bright light oncoming traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11463560

I have to replace the low beam and high beam bulbs several times a year. The low beams are SO dim, I can’t even tell if they are on- forcing me to drive with my bright lights on all the time. The bulbs blow all the time- I have driven without low beams and not none they were blown. The lights are now constantly flickering while driving. Very dangerous.

NHTSA ODI 11452908

1. My headlights tends to keep going out, I’ve replaced them 3 times since getting the vehicle. The most recent change was a month ago. Also my car keeps making this weird humming/ purring sound which started 3months ago and is very unsettling. I had to get a new engine last February after my car cut off on me and the kids heading to my family out of town.

NHTSA ODI 11449222

The headlights keep blowing. This is not safe nor normal.

NHTSA ODI 11447118

Head lamps stopped working on low beams when driving at night, high beams still work, no warnings were indicated and lights still will not work.

NHTSA ODI 11443590

The lighting (headlights) on low beam are very poor. We live in a rural area and the lighting supplied by the headlights is very poor, making it hard to see items in the road and curves. Turning a corner and staying on the road can be problematic. The lighting forces driver to drive with high beams on to attain minimally sufficient lighting. The bulbs have been replaced with no increase in forward visibility. I should have reported this earlier, but now I feel unsafe in this vehicle at night and we drive it less. These are projector style and they do not go very far in front of the car. A quick check on the web, of Kia Forums show that this is a common complaint, some have the bulbs going out regularly. The Kia forums also mention changing the bulbs to non DOT approved items and other modifications.

NHTSA ODI 11438687

the low beam headlights are so dim it is a safety concern. new bulbs do not help!

NHTSA ODI 11438474

I own a 2014 Kia Sorento LX and a short time ago, on a drive from NC to FL, the headlights started to fail. One day it was the low beam on the driver side and then it was the high beam on the passenger side. It varied and was random. I would have the bulbs replaced or replace them myself. After time, the "eyelash" went out on one side as well. One evening, driving home, all of the headlights went out and I drove the remaining distance with my hazards on. When I pulled into the driveway, some of the lights came back on. After this, I took it to the dealer and they it was a short and it would cost +/- $2,500 to replace the assembly on both sides. Since then, I have had 3rd parties look over the vehicle and it was always the same answer, "we have no idea of what causes this." The lights have only totally went off 2 or 3 times after the initial time. I have been replacing bulbs on a regular basis and the road does not "light up" without the high beams on, even immediately after changing the bulbs. I have even changed a bulb twice in one day.

NHTSA ODI 11437368

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated she received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V519000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the dealer inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle did not need a recall repair. The contact received a second recall notification from the manufacturer and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that the headlights failed to work after the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the headlights would work in low light conditions. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 73,918.

NHTSA ODI 11428433

Approximately 8 months ago noticed while driving that the headlights didn’t appear to be on while driving with normal low beam lights. High beams worked fine. Replaced both low beam light bulbs with Sylvania standard Kia recommended replacement. 1-2 months later after driving at night, lights still dim. Replaced with $90 Halogen set, still not illuminating road. Took to Kia dealership (where purchased) to have them check lights, said that entire headlight assembly for both lights need replacement for $2,489.00. Aftermarket priced at $335/ea!!! Service manager confirmed apparent problems with burned out headlight assemblies.

NHTSA ODI 11427336

The headlights are so dim that it is extremely dangerous to drive at night. I went and bought the $50 bulbs and it still looked like I didn’t turn my lights on. It looks like I drive with candlelight. Also the bulbs burn out about 3-4 months.

NHTSA ODI 11425961

Low beam head lights stop working . Bulb needs replacement every few months.

NHTSA ODI 11426063

My brake lights won’t go off unless I press the brakes and emergency blinking lights. My vehicle is stalling when I’m driving. It will just start decreasing speed like it’s trying to stop and I can only be doing 40mph. I can’t put in in gear from park if the car is still running. I have to cut it off and turn it back on to change gears and I don’t have to press the brake for it to come back on.

NHTSA ODI 11418133