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2018 Kia Sorento Lights Problems

27 owner-reported lights complaints from NHTSA data

27
Complaints
Feb 2024Dec 2019
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (27)

highEXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Filed: Mar 2026

Your car's engine lost significant power on the highway starting around 65,000 miles, making it difficult to keep up with traffic. Since then, you've been adding oil weekly due to rapid oil loss, and your mechanic found an engine oil leak causing burning and smoke from the engine. The power loss has returned, and while similar turbo engines have recalls, yours wasn't included.

NHTSA #: 11723974
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to function as intended. The contact, who was a retired certified mechanic, inspected the headlights and determined that the passenger's side headlight bulbs were blown. The contact then noticed a burning odor in the circuit board inside the headlight. The contact stated that the front passenger's side headlight bulbs were replaced twice within three months due to failure. In addition, the contact stated that an unknown manufacturer's recall was performed approximately two years prior, and the multi-function switch knob was replaced. The contact stated that the headlights were not replaced at the time. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA #: 11683420
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2025

My lights are set to auto but when driving they randomly switch off. The dash shows the switch from auto to off but the control is still set to auto. I have to manually switch the control off and then back on for the lights to come back on. I’ve also noticed a few times in the morning my lights are on. My switch is set to auto and my car is completely off but the lights are on. This is very unsafe as it happens at night and I can’t see the road.

NHTSA #: 11679947
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2025

The headlights will randomly turn off while driving, mostly when turning on the right blinker. This has been happening a few times a month since I got the vehicle in 2017. More recently, the bottom brake lights and running lights have been shorting out.

NHTSA #: 11678060
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Oct 2024

file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/00/00/8030235A-F1B0-40D7-BDF6-CAB347299F91/MC-10235412-0001.pdf Recall on lights should be added. Mine did this. Had it fixed

NHTSA #: 11619451
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Oct 2024

All exterior lights and interior lights are turned off while driving. Exterior “running” lights turn on by themself.

NHTSA #: 11619194
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Filed: Aug 2024

Oil leak was diagnosed as bad oil pressure switch that is under extended warranty for certain Kia Sorento models with GDI system, but not my car.

NHTSA #: 11607486
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Filed: Jun 2024

On multiple occasions our headlights will turn on by themselves without the car being on: for example while we are sleeping in the middle of the night we get a call from our neighbor that our car lights are on. Also while driving at night they will turn off by themselves. On all occasions the light are in AUTO mode, meaning the lights should turn on/off themselves when necessary but only when the key is in the car and the car is on

NHTSA #: 11596299
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Feb 2024

My lights keep going out as I`m driving at night time so i can not go any where at night time I was almost hit head on this the second time this happened when I called Kia 3 times now the dealer i purchased it at they keep giving me a run around I have the extended warranty also electrical warranty which i paid extra for they still want to tell me these things aren`t covered.My vehicale has not had any of the software updates. I have tried calling a Kia dealer closer to my home I get told i have to go were i purchased my Kia

NHTSA #: 11572974
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Nov 2023

When using my blinkers my headlights go out while the lights are in Auto mode. This is very dangerous as my headlights have gone out several times while driving in the dark.

NHTSA #: 11555258
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Oct 2023

Headlights will shutoff completely when driving at night in auto mode after using the turn signal. Then turn back on a.couple of seconds later. Which has created some dangerous situations.

NHTSA #: 11551254
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Oct 2023

My lights turn on and off randomly while driving or while parked in my driveway hours after parking while my car is in auto lights

NHTSA #: 11547688
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2023

When the heads lights are in Auto Mode and driving at night, the head lights will just go out. This has happened 4 times now and is very dangerous. I need KIA to fix this problem. I have a 2018 KIA Sorento and I've seen where others have had the same problem with 2017 & 2018 Sorento's. The lights going out at night while my wife is driving is extremely dangerous. This just happens with no warning. Please Fix.

NHTSA #: 11539746
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Jul 2023

Headlight automatic sensor is failing. When lights are switched to auto mode, the headlights will randomly turn on and off while driving, regardless of outside lighting conditions. Alternatively, the lights will come on without prompting when the car is turned off & parked in a driveway at night.

NHTSA #: 11531953
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Feb 2023

The headlights turn off randomly when in Auto mode. There are a lot of other people reporting the same issue. https://sorentoforums.com/threads/lights-shutting-off-in-auto-mode.16/

NHTSA #: 11508449
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Nov 2022

While driving at night with headlights set to "auto" the car will (without moving the physical switch) change the headlights to "off" for approximately 2 seconds, after which it will change them back to "auto". This causes a momentary loss of vision to the driver. The drivers display shows the change from "auto" to "off" as though the switch had been turned. I am unaware if this also happens in lighted conditions, as It is only noticable when you are driving in the dark. It appears as though this has happened to multiple drivers of different vehicles

NHTSA #: 11495255
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Oct 2022

Headlights and daytime running lights turn on and off at random

NHTSA #: 11488560
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Sep 2022

Driving down a dark highway tonight and headlights just randomly went out completely. Had to switch them on and off several times to get them back on. Safety risk is obvious for myself and other cars on the road. Has not been inspected, just happened tonight. I have noticed my lights cutting on and off during the day randomly lately but I just assumed it was the auto mode picking up shady areas but it appears to all be related based on the thread I just read online and sounds like an issue with this year Sorento.

NHTSA #: 11485950
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Sep 2022

In the last month, I've started noticing issues with my headlights/icons. My lights are always set to auto in my 2018 kia sorento. First issue: when driving during the day, the dashboard will show the icon that appears when you turn on the lights manually. I'm assuming the lights actually come on as well, but it's daylight so I can't actually see if this is happening or not. Once when this happened, I was sitting at a red light with my turn signal on, and I was able to get a picture of the manual icon light showing and my switch was still in the auto position. This has happened about half a dozen times. 3 weeks ago I woke up to my lights being on, even though the switch was still set to auto. The back red lights were on and the front lights were on. I know the lights were out the night before and I double checked that the switch was as I left it in the auto position. Tonight 9/14 and last weekend, my lights turned off for a few seconds while driving at night. The lights had been on for a while and it was completely dark outside so there was no way they should've turned off. I was in an unlit area both times without any head on traffic, so it was extremely obvious that the lights went out and very dangerous not being able to see in front of me. It's also dangerous for any approaching traffic to not be able to see a vehicle at night until they get close enough to hit it. I've attached a picture of the auto setting when the icon light indicated it was set to manual during the day. I've also attached another picture of my vehicle the way I found it one morning when the lights were set to auto and they came on at some point in the middle of the night. I had to unlock the vehicle, and flip the light switch off, then back to auto, for them to go off. This instance my vehicle was not even on, and it was daylight outside.

NHTSA #: 11484539
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2022

While vehicle is set to AUTO on the headlights, they will randomly shut off while driving.

NHTSA #: 11482132
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2022

Last year my headlights melted & had to be ordered & replace because the melted in their encasements. I have problems with headlights again & have reported it to my Kia dealership. I’ve been driving sometimes with one headlight or none or using my brights to drive at night. I currently have no headlights again & dealership has had to order parts for them again. It’s been more than two months already. It’s unsafe for me to drive at night with NO Headlights!!

NHTSA #: 11481472
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Dec 2021

Having intermittent issues with the headlights turning of while driving at night. The headlights were set on "Auto". I have had this happen multiple times! Went to local dealer to report the problem & was told that they would have to drive it at night to replicate the issue. I asked if I would be charged for this & was told that if the technician could find anything that I would be charged for the technician's time. I found online that Kia had this same issue with 2015-2015 K900 vehicles & issued a recall to replace the multi-functional light switch. Losing headlight rumination can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash. Kia dealerships should replace this multi-function switch free of charge to the owners of Kia vehicles. There should be a recall issued for this issue because it is a huge safety issue.

NHTSA #: 11444581
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Aug 2021

Headlights completely turn off on their own at random times at night. Has happened twice when entering into a curve at night. I have to frantically turn the knob off and then back on to make them function again. Extremely dangerous! Took into Bulldog Kia Athens Ga. They "verified concern, found open short in multifunction switch" Kia will not cover the cost of repair. Total needed to repair $495.78

NHTSA #: 11427615
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Jul 2020

7/23/20 20:30, WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN A CITY STREET, JUST BEGAN DRIVING FROM STOPPING AT A LIGHT, AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF BY THEMSELVES. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, MY WIFE ROTATED THE LIGHTS SWITCH TO OFF THEN BACK TO AUTO AND THEY CAME BACK ON. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN AUGUST OF 2019.

NHTSA #: 11341934
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Jul 2020

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2018 KIA SORENTO RANDOMLY TURN OFF. IT'S HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TIMES IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. IT HAPPENS BOTH DAY AND NIGHT. THE LIGHTS ARE SET TO AUTO. ALTHOUGH THE EVEN APPEARS TO BE RANDOM, IT IS WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND HAS HAPPED WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOTS AS WELL AS MAJOR HIGHWAYS. IN ORDER FOR THE LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON, I HAVE TO USE TURN THE KNOB TO OFF THEN BACK ON. WHEN THE LIGHTS TURN OFF AT NIGHT I CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING AROUND ME NOR CAN ANYONE ELSE SEE ME. I DID CONTACT KIA AND THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA #: 11337949
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Dec 2019

CAR HEADLAMPS SHUT OFF WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION, FIRST NOTICED WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AS LIGHTS WERE IN AUTO SETTING AND THE DASHBOARD SHOWS THE LIGHT SETTING CHANGE AND THE LIGHTS OUTSIDE CHANGING AS WELL WITH NOTHING BEING TOUCHED. LIGHTS HAVE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ABOUT 5 TIMES WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA #: 11292183
mediumEXTERIOR LIGHTING
Filed: Jun 2018

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2018 KIA SORENTO. UPON ACTIVATING THE HEADLIGHTS, THEY FAILED TO PROPERLY ILLUMINATE AND CAUSED A LACK OF VISIBILITY. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *TT *TR

NHTSA #: 11102667

Other 2018 Kia Sorento Issues