What 978 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS APPEARED DIM, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO DRIVE WITH THE HI-BEAMS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS WOULD BURN OUT EVERY 4-6 MONTHS. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOE MYERS KIA (16484 NORTHWEST FWY, HOUSTON, TX 77040) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11408202

MY KIA SORENTO WAS PURCHASED FROM KIA IN 2018 - 1ST - I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO CHECK THE REAR BREAKS DUE TO A SHAKING OF THE CAR THAT HAPPENS WHEN GOING OVER 50MPH. THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHT GOES OUT EVERY COUPLE MONTHS. RECENTLY THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ONE, AFTER THE BATTERY WAS SWAPPED (THE CAR STILL WOULDN'T POWER ON)- THEY RAN A FEW TESTS AND DISCOVERED AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. I HAVE TAN MY VIN FOR THE RECALL BUT MY CAR DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY RECALLS THAT MENTION AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE KIA

NHTSA ODI 11406543

ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2014 KIA SORENTO HAVE GONE OUT AT THE SAME TIME. USUALLY IF I OPEN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING AND TWIST THE LIGHT PLUG THIS WILL CAUSE THE LIGHT TO WORK. BUT OTHER TIMES ONE OF THE TWO LIGHTS WILL BE BURNT OUT. THE ISSUE IS BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP BUT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG.

NHTSA ODI 11400054

MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP BLOWING OUT. I HAVE BEEN CHANGING THEM EVERY 2-4 MONTHS FOR THE PAST YEAR. THEY SUGGESTED I CHECK FOR RECALLS AND NOTHING. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS AND BUYING HEADLIGHTS EVERY 2-4 MONTHS GETS EXPENSIVE

NHTSA ODI 11399219

KEEP HAVING TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT BULBS AND NOW HEADLIGHTS DON'T WORK AT ALL ! HAD TO DRIVE HOME AT NIGHT WITH ONLY PARKING LIGHTS IN FL KEYS, VERY TERRIFYING AND NOT SAFE AT ALL. PRIOR TO THE LIGHTS NOT WORKING I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE A BULB AT LEAST EVERY 3 MONTHS, GOT PULLED OVER ONCE BY THE POLICE BECAUSE A HEADLIGHT WAS OUT AND I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS OUT. I HAD JUST REPLACED IT!

NHTSA ODI 11397714

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS, AND TAIL LIGHTS, BURNING OUT FREQUENTLY, AND AT THE SAME TIME! THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR, AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME, LEAVING MY FAMILY AND I DRIVING IN THE DARK. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE. IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR 3+ YEARS. IT'S VERY SCARY AND A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, RENDERING THE VEHICLE USELESS UNTIL REPAIRED. I SEE ONLINE THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE. KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE (EVEN THOUGH THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP DID) AND BOTH KIA AND THE DEALERSHIP AGREE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION AND KIA NEEDS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. CARS NEED FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHTS AND BREAK LIGHTS.

NHTSA ODI 11387830

NIGHTTIME DRIVING WITH THIS VEHICLE IS HORRIBLE. WHILE A WELL-LIT INTERSTATE MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE AN ISSUE, DARK ROADWAYS (RURAL, DARK INTERSTATES, SOME URBAN STREETS) ARE. THE HEADLIGHTS WILL BLOW RANDOMLY BLOW WITHIN AS FEW AS SOME DAYS AFTER REPLACEMENT TO A MONTH AFTER REPLACEMENT. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY USES PROJECTOR LENSES. HOWEVER, THE LIGHT DOES NOT PROJECT. I HAVE TRIED ADJUSTING THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE HEADLIGHTS RESPOND BY PROJECTING A SCATTERED BEAM THAT BARELY ILLUMINATES THE ROADWAY. CHEAP WALMART FLOOD LIGHTS DO A BETTER JOB THAN THESE PROJECTOR LENSES. I TRIED USING LEDS TO GET MORE LIGHT. WHILE THE MISSION WAS TECHNICALLY ACCOMPLISHED, THE BEAM PATTERN IS STILL SCATTERED. I DETAIL CARS AND THE PLASTIC COVER IS NOT THE ISSUE. MY STATE LAW TELLS ME THAT MY HEADLIGHTS SHOULD ILLUMINATE A PEDESTRIAN 400 FEET AWAY DURING NIGHTTIME HOURS. THESE LIGHTS DO NOT DO THIS. MY FUNCTION AS A POLICE OFFICER IS THAT OF A TRAFFIC CRASH INVESTIGATOR (WITH EXTENSIVE NHTSA TRAINING SPANNING FROM SFST THROUGH ADVANCED TRAFFIC CRASH) AS WELL AND THESE HEADLIGHTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ANIMAL/PEDESTRIAN STRIKES AS THEY DO NOT PROJECT THE LIGHT WHERE IT IS NEEDED. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF KIA FORUMS TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING ACROSS MANY DIFFERENT MODELS. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL THAT REPLACES THE GROUND WIRE AND THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY TO PROJECT THE LIGHT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. THESE LIGHTS ARE DANGEROUS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THESE VEHICLES (SUCH AS THE BRAKE LIGHTS GOING OUT COMPLETELY FOR NO RANDOM REASON OR THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINING ILLUMINATED WITHOUT APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE) BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE WE PURCHASED IT IN 2016. THIS VEHICLE HAS A POOR IIHS RATING FOR SMALL OVERLAP CRASHES. THE LIGHTS DON'T ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY WELL ENOUGH WHEN PASSING ANOTHER CAR ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11387387

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. I HAVE TRIED MULTIPLE DIFFERENT BULBS (LED AND HALOGEN), WITH NO CHANGE. THEY ARE DIM ENOUGH THAT THERE IS A SHADOW OF MY CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN THERE IS ANOTHER CAR BEHIND ME AT NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11374835

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND WERE REPLACED SIX TIMES. ALSO, THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE ACCENT LIGHT LOCATED ABOVE THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND NO LONGER WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES HOWEVER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

NHTSA ODI 11374829

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (ROUGHLY70MPH), WILL NOT SHUT OFF, VEHICLE NOT UNDER RECALL FOR AIRBAGS AT THIS TIME. HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS RANDOMLY COME ON AND OFF, EVEN WITH BRAND NEW BULBS, HAVE CHANGED BULBS ALMOST MONTHLY IN LAST 3 YEARS. BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL DO NOT WORK PROPERLY - INCLUDING CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING, VOLUME BUTTON STARTS VOICE COMMAND, ETC.

NHTSA ODI 11374372

LOWBEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. UNABLE TO SEE PAST 5 FEET IN FRONT. CAN'T TELL WHEN THEY ARE ON MOST TIMES.

NHTSA ODI 11374401

I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, MY HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY, DANGEROUSLY DIM. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS, AND I CAN STILL BARELY SEE IN FRONT OF ME WITHOUT CLICKING ON THE HIGH BEAMS. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE? I AM SO TERRIFIED TO DRIVE AT NIGHT, I ONLY GO FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE IF NECESSARY. I'M ALSO AFRAID I WILL GET A TRAFFIC CITATION FOR DRIVING WITH HIGH BEAMS ON, BUT SOMETIMES IN MY AREA WITH POOR LIGHTING, I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. I'M DRIVING AT NIGHT BUT DEPENDING ON THE CAR BEHIND ME TO GIVE ME MORE LIGHT, WHICH ISN'T GOOD. IF THERE'S NO TRAFFIC BEHIND ME, I'M DEFINITELY FORCED TO PUT ON THE HIGH BEAMS.

NHTSA ODI 11373169

HEAD LIGHTS KEEP BLOWING OUT AND WILL NOT STAY AJUSTED

NHTSA ODI 11366868

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULBS BURN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACE EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS. THIS ISSUES HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS LIKE INTERSTATE 81 OR HIGHWAY 322 AND 11/15 IN PENNSYLVANIA. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BURNT OUT WITH BEING STATIONARY IN PARKING LOTS AT ALL TIMES AND SEASON OF THE YEAR. WHEN ONE SIDE BURNS OUT IT CAN BE A MONTH TO 4 MONTHS BEFORE THE OTHER SIDE BURNS OUT. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN EARLY 2019 AND SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE REPLACE ALMOST 10 OR MORE BULBS SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11366700

HELLO, PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OF KIA SORENTO 2014, THESE ARE VERY DIM AND IN THE DARK YOU CAN SEE LITTLE OR NOTHING AND THIS CAN CAUSE A BIG ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 11366275

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT WAS PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE ON NUMERUS OCCASIONS AND NOTIFIED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WORLD CAR KIA NORTH (12115 INTERSTATE 35, BLDG 1, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78233) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL UNDER THE VIN. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V519000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO CONTACT NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11364660

MY STABILITY LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING AND MY BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION, HAVE BEEN LOOKING ON INTERNET AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF PROBLEMS OF THE EXACT SAME NATURE. YOU WILL BE REAR ENDED IF YOU HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS. MY VEHICLE HAS 33000 MILES ON IT. I THINK KIA NEEDS TO RECALL THE SORENTOS FOR THIS ISSUE

NHTSA ODI 11362821

BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF. BRAKE LIGHTS WILL WORK SOMETIMES WHEN I STOP AND SOMETIMES THEY WANT WORK.

NHTSA ODI 11362533

ALL THE LIGHTS GO OUT SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING. THE DANGER IS WHEN IT DOES IT AT NIGHT. WHILE DRIVING DOWN A DARK ROAD, MY LIGHTS WENT OUT COMPLETELY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. IT HAPPENS IN THE DAY TIME AS WELL, AS I CAN SEE THE LIGHTS BLINK OFF AND ON FROM THE REFLECTION ON VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THEY COME BACK ON AND MAY GO OFF 2 OR 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING MAYBE 5 TO 10 MINUTES. ON THE DAY I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, IT WAS HAPPENING ON MY WAY THERE, BUT THE KIA DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11361913

THE HEADLIGHTS DON'T SHINE ON ANYTHING AND IT'S HARD TO FIND YOUR WAY AT NIGHT. SPEED ​​CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. THE ENGINE HAS A DIFFERENT RHYTHM AT 3000 RPM.

NHTSA ODI 11361224

HEADLIGHTS, ESPECIALLY LOW BEAM ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. I CAN BARELY EVEN SEE THEM SHINING ON THE ROAD WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11360646

MY HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO BLOW OUT EVERY 2 MONTHS, NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF BULB I REPLACE THEM WITH. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT, BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALSO BLOWING OUT EVERY 1.5 MONTH. I BROUGHT IT TO MY DEALER: KIA OF VENTURA,CA ATTENTION BUT THEY KEEP DISMISSING IT AS NOTHING IS WRONG. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER TWICE SO FAR THIS YEAR FOR BOTH BREAK STOP & HEADLIGHTS BLOWING OUT AND NOT WORKING DURING NIGHT TIME ROAD TRAVELS ACROSS STATES. I FEEL THIS IS. VERY DANGEROUS. APPARENTLY, THIS ISN'T AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AS I HAVE COME TO KNOW OF 50+ KIA SORENTO OWNERS FACING SIMILAR ELECTRICAL SAFETY ISSUES. ALSO, EVER I BOUGHT THE CAR THE MILE PER GALLON THE CAR IS SUPPOSEDLY TO GIVE ISN'T CORRECT, IT ONLY AVERAGES ABOUT 12-14 MPG. PLEASE LOOK INTO BOTH OF THESE SAFETY ISSUES AS I DRIVE WITH TWO UNDER 5YRS KIDS AND ELDERLY MOTHER. WHAT IS THE NHTSA WAITING FOR? MULTIPLE DEATH FATALITIES BEFORE YOUR ORGANIZATION TAKES ACTION..DO IT NOW PLEASE. ANY RESULTING FATALITIES WILL MAKE YOU LEGALLY LIABLE FOR FAILING TO TAKE ACTION AFTER SOO MANY COMPLAINTS.

NHTSA ODI 11353317

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS THE BULB AS IIHS HAS RATED THESE LIGHTS ON THIS MODEL AS POOR AS WELL. WHILE DRIVING ON ANY ROAD WITHOUT REFLECTORS OR OVERHEAD LIGHTS IN THE EVENING IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE THE PAINTED LINES. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE ON PAVED COUNTRY ROADS, EVEN ONES THAT ARE STRAIGHT FOR MILES. TURNS FEEL MORE DANGEROUS, AND THIS IS EVEN A PROBLEM ON THE HIGHWAY IN MAJOR CITIES WHERE NO OVERHEAD ILLUMINATION IS PRESENT ON THE ROADWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11342493

I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. THE BULB HAS TO BE REPLACED AT LEAST EVERY THREE MONTHS. WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT COME BACK ON SO BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE I AM FORCED TO LEAVE HEADLIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES AND THEY STILL GO OUT AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS. OWNING THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED TAIL LIGHTS TWICE AND HEADLIGHTS 7 TIMES. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG HERE, NO CAR FROM 2014 SHOULD HAVE REPLACED HEADLIGHTS 7 TIMES MUCH LESS 7 TIMES SINCE 2018!! ON JULY 22, 2020 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT NIGHT, BOTH HEADLIGHTS BURNT OUT AT THE SAME TIME AND I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE HOME WITH MY HIGH BEAMS ON.

NHTSA ODI 11341942

AFTER 5 YEARS OF HAVING MY CAR, WHILE KEEPING UP WITH ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE, I AM CONSTANTLY HAVING ISSUES WITH THE LIGHTS. TO START, THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS BURN OUT AND I HAVE TO REPLACE ABOUT EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. THE LED STRIP OVER THE HEADLIGHT IS A RIP OFF, $700 TO REPLACE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE BULB YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE FIXTURE?! WHY WOULD ANY COMPANY APPROVE OF THAT DESIGN? SO I HAVE A MISSING LED STRIP, BUT THE OTHER ONE NO ISSUE AFTER 5 YEARS. I JUST RECENTLY HAD THE TOP BRAKE LIGHT GO OUT, ANOTHER LED FIXTURE $150 TO REPLACE A 5' STRIP. RIP OFF!! A FEW WEEKS AGO ONE OF MY FOG LIGHTS WENT OUT, COME TO FIND OUT THE BULB FELL OUT. HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN?! HOWEVER THE MOST PROBLEMATIC OF THEM ALL IS THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT! I'VE HAD THE PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHT REPLACED ONE, BUT THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT IS REPLACED AT LEAST EVERY 6 MONTHS OR SO. SOME I HAVE PAID FOR, SOME COMPLIMENTARY BUT SUPER INCONVENIENT TO SAY THE LEAST. ON TOP OF THAT, I'VE HAD THE HARNESS REPLACED, TENSION PIN REPAIRS, AND NOW I AM HAVING TO REPLACE THE HARNESS AGAIN FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 2 YEARS. AND I CONSTANTLY SEE OTHER KIA'S, MAINLY SORENTO'S, WITH THE DRIVER BRAKE LIGHT OUT. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING LIGHTS AND ONE TIME EVEN HAD GUNS DRAWN ON ME (WHEN BOTH OF MY LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS BLEW OUT). THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS THAT I AM ALWAYS PARANOID ABOUT LIGHTS. IN ADDITION THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF SOMEONE CAN NOT SEE ME, OR POSSIBLY GET ME HARMED IF COPS CAN'T SEE MY LICENSE PLATE. KIA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL AND UPGRADE THE LIGHTING TO LAST FOR A NORMAL AMOUNT OF TIME AND/OR REPLACE HARNESSES. LED LIGHTING SHOULD BE REPLACED FOR FREE FOR MAKING IT SO DIFFICULT TO REPLACE THE BULB. OR UPGRADE TO LIGHTING WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO REPLACE THE BULB WITHOUT HAVING TO REPLACE THE WHOLE FIXTURE. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE AND ITS NOT FAIR TO CONSUMERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11328073