Problems · by component
2005 Kia Sorento exterior lighting problems
53 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Kia Sorento cite exterior lighting, 17% of all 307 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
53
17% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the exterior lighting
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“NOTICED THAT I HAD A BRAKE LIGHT OUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE,REPLACED IT WITH PROPER BULB 1157.A DOUBLE FILAMENT BULB. IT APPEARS THAT IS ALSO THE TAIL LIGHT? CHECKED LIGHT AND IT WORKED BUT LATER REALIZED THAT WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT.THE NEXT DAY NOTICED THE DRIVER TAIL LIGHT WAS OUT AND REPLACED IT BUT LATER REALIZED THE BRAKE LIGHT DIDNT WORK,AS WELL AS MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME.WENT TO AN AUTO CARE STORE THEY REPLACED BOTH OF THE LIGHTSAND AGAIN TAIL LIGHTS WORKED BUT WHEN I PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL NO LIGHTS. CHECKED AND REPLACED THE FUSE JUST TO BE SURE AND AT THIS POINT I GOT ON THE INTERNET AND SEEN 285 COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM SAID THERE CRUISE CONTROL HAD STOPPED WORKING AS WELL AS THE SPORTAGE MODEL AND THE KIA SOUL.MOST SUGGESTIONS SAID REPLACE THE BRAKE SWITCH. I ALSO CHECKED FOR FAULTY WIRING AND THAT HAS NOT APPEARED TO BE THE PROBLEM AND MECHANICS 90 % OF THE TIME WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL OR SOME SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM RESEARCHED BY KIA MECHANICS? IM STILL WAITING FOR THE ANSWER AND I SUSPECT MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE…”
“I PURCHASE MY 2005 KIA SORRENTO LX NEW FROM TAYLOR KIA IN TOLEDO OHIO.ALSO PURCHASED EXTRA WARRANTY FOR BUMPER TO BUMPER.A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER I HAD PURCHASE VEHICLE MY HEADLIGHT STARTED GOING OUT I WOULD TAKE IT BACK GET IT FIXED COME BACK HOME AND ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE OUT TAKE IT BACK COME BACK TO WEEKS LATER ANOTHER HEADLIGHT WOULD BE OUT. THEN THE HEADLIGHTS &TAILLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT AND BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT THIS WENT ON WITH EVERY SINGLE LIGHT ON MY VEHICLE.CONTINUE TO CALL TAYLOR KIA TO HAVE THE SERVICE THEN ABOUT THE SIXTH TIME ONE OF MY LIGHTS WENT OUT THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT SERVICE MY VEHICLE ANYMORE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COMPLETELY COVERED EVERYTHING ON MY VEHICLE FROM BUMPER-TO-BUMPER. THEY ALSO RED FLAG TO ME ON THEIR COMPUTER SO THAT I COULD NOT HAVE MY VEHICLE SERVICE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH MY KIA SORRENTO. AT ONE POINT I EVEN HAD THE SERVICE MANAGER TELL ME THAT HIS SERVICE GUYS WERE UPSET WITH ME BECAUSE I DID NOT GIVE THEM A GOOD RATING WHEN MY CAR WAS NOT FIXED TO JD POWERS.I GOT KIA CORPORATE INVOLVED WHICH DID ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD SOMEONE SOMEONE FROM CALIFORNIA TO FIX MY VEHICLE AND ENDED UP NOT…”
“THE VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL ELECTRONIC ISSUES. ONE OWNER WITH A GARAGE PARKED LOW MILEAGE SUV. THE DRIVER SEAT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD. ALL OTHER ADJUSTMENTS WORK FINE. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS BUT NOW SEEMS TO BE A PERMANENT PROBLEM. THE INTERIOR OVERHEAD LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOORS, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN ALARM DINGS FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUALLY BURN OUT.”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR OF WIRES PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED AND THAT THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPRESSOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.”
“INTERIOR ELECTRICAL LIGHTING TURNS ITSELF OFF AND ON. HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY SHUT THEMSELVES OFF. LIGHTS REGULARLY BURN OUT/NEED REPLACING EVERY 45-90 DAYS. DASH LIGHTS HAVEN'T WORKED IN OVER A YEAR - FUSE REGULARLY BLOWS, GAVE UP ON REPLACING IT. *TR”
“FROM THE TIME I GOT THE CAR HEAD LIGHTS HAVE REPEATEDLY BURNED OUT AFTER A MONTH OR TWO, ALSO DASH LIGHTS GO OFF RANDOMLY AND FLICKER AND THEN COME BACK ON WHEN EVER THEY DECIDE,MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT, BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND A/C WENT OUT ALL AT ONCE. STARTED TO OVERHEAT, SO IT WAS DETERMINED THE SERPENTINRE BELT HAD BROKE,REPLACED BELT AND VIBRATION UNDER HOOD WAS NOTICEABLE BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE., BUT SOMEWHERE UNDER THE HOOD. STILL REPLACING HEADLIGHTS EVERY COUPLE MONTHS, THEN POWER STEERING FLUID STARTED TO BE CONSUMED AND CONSTANTLYT REQUIRED ADDING FLUID, THEN HAD A MECHANIC CHECK FOR LEAK AND HE REPLACED SOME HOSES AND CLAMPS BUT VIBRATIION CONTINUED AND EVENTUALLY POWER STEERING BEGAN LOUD NOISE WHEN CAR STARTED AND ONLY WHEN REVED UP WOULD NOISE STOP, AND WHEN A/C WAS ON SOMETIMES WOULD EFFECT THE POWER STEERING NOISE. REPLACED THE POWERSTEERING PUMP, STILL THE NOISE CONTINUED AND RECENTLY THE BELT CAME OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON , I WAS ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD AND DIDNT CAUSE AN ACCIEDENT, BUT VERY CLOSE CALL, BELT HAD COME OFF BUT AFTER MINOR ADJUSTMENT IT WAS PUT BACK ON, VIBRATION NOISE HAS BECOME…”
Showing 6 of 53 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.