2017 Kia Sorento · symptom sheet

Headlights too dim or fail

101owner reports
35,000median miles
1involved a crash

Newest report Aug 2, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

125 of the 801 complaints on this car are about the exterior lighting. 101 of those describe headlights.

Tick what matches of 101 reports

too dim to see the road

a headlight went out

the beam is too short

the dealer said it is normal

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the headlight assembly (89 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the exterior lighting covers the 2017 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the exterior lighting on the Sorento

PE20-008opened Jun 1, 2020

Exterior Lighting · model years 2011 to 2013

Headlight failure. Closed jan 25, 2022.

NHTSA summary

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) based on seventy-four Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting headlight failures on model year (MY) 2011-2013 KIA Sorento vehicles.In its response to ODI's June 25, 2020, information request letter (portions of which were submitted under request for confidentiality), Kia Motor America (Kia) provided design details of the headlight system showing that each headlight circuit is independently powered by the Smart Junction Box (SJB), a power control module. Kia claimed that the design minimizes the chance of both headlights failing simultaneously due to a headlight connector defect, a component located downstream of the SJB. Kia also advised that the SJB contains a safety feature designed to monitor power consumption for each headlight circuit; if excessive current is being demanded by either headlight the SJB will open the circuit (i.e., stop supplying current). Lastly Kia presented testing showing that the maximum headlight connector temperature achieved prior to the SJB opening the circuit was below the autoignition temperature of the plastic material the connector housing is made of, which Kia maintains eliminates the potential for a fire originating from an electrically overheated headlight connector. In its review of all available data, ODI determined that the majority of both VOQ and Kia customer complaints (1,339 reports in total) involved the loss or dimming of a single low beam headl

None of these investigations covers the 2017 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 63,000 miles, from the 33 reports that gave a mileage.

217

618

1119

1220

721

2422

1623

1624

625

126

What owners wrote

“Headlights go off without warning while in auto driving at night . Has occurred 2 in the month of August 2022. Can be turned back on by twisting the control nob to on. Poses a dangerous situation on the dark county roads that we drive if not quick enough to manually turn back on.”
Filed Sep 6, 2022

“The "auto" headlight function keeps malfunctioning. It will randomly shut off the headlights and not turn back on. Numerous forums have reported the issue. This is extremely dangerous when driving at night.”
Filed Sep 5, 2022

“When driving down the the interstate at night, my headlights just turn off while driving. They are on Auto. This has happened multiple times while driving. I have not took it to be looked at yet. There is no warning light or anything else that lets you know that there is a malfunction. The lights just go off. For them to come back on, I have to manually turn it off and back on again, and they will come back on.”
Filed Jul 20, 2022

“When âautoâ for headlights the lights wonât turn on at night time unless I manually switch it or the lifts will be on and then go off on their own during the night.”
Filed Jul 10, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 101 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.