Problems · by component

2006 Kia Sorento exterior lighting problems

56 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Kia Sorento cite exterior lighting, 23% of all 242 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
56
23% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2006 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to illuminate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V130000 (Exterior Lighting) and associated the recall with the failure. The contact contacted an unknown dealer and was awaiting a call back. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V130000 (Exterior Lighting) because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 26, 2022Exterior lightingODI 11462253
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR BRAKE LIGHT WAS REPLACED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V130000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) WHICH SHE LINKED WITH HER FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 16, 2020Exterior lightingODI 11299762
“I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP BACK IN 2013.IT HAD 53000 MILES ON IT I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO USE IT DUE TO WHEN THE ISSUES DEVELOPED. WITHIN THREE MONTHS I HAD TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE THEN DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHTS AND THE FRONT AND REAR TAIL LIGHTS. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. I HAD TO DO THIS ABOUT ONCE A YEAR. I RECENTLY JUNE 2016 CHANGED THE PASSENGER SIDE BULB LOW BEAM AGAIN. NOW I HAVE NOTICED I HAVE NO TAG LIGHTS. I ORDERED REPLACEMENT BULBS FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM INSTALLED AND THEY STILL DO NOT WORK. YET NO FUSES ARE BLOWN AND THERE IS NO SMELL OF BURNING WIRES OR MELTED WIRES ANYWHERE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 25, 2016Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10918940
“MY 2006 KIA SORENTO HAS HAD A FEW PROBLEMS THAT I FEAR MAY BE VERY DANGEROUS. A FEW MONTHS AGO I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND IT FELT LIKE IT WAS SPEEDING UP ON ITS OWN. AS I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY ON AN S CURVE THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. THE BATTERY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT STARTED BACK UP AND I GOT TO WORK. THE NEXT MORNING ON THE WAY TO WORK IT DIED AGAIN AT THE SAME SPOT ON THE OFF RAMP. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AND MISSED A DAY OF WORK BECAUSE OF IT. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE SHOP AND MECHANIC SAID THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS LOOSE AND HE FIXED IT. HOWEVER ITS HAPPENED SINCE NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I TURN THE CAR OFF AND TRY TO START IT AGAIN THE CAR WONT START AT ALL FOR 20 MINUTES TO A COUPLE HOURS. NOW RECENTLY IT WILL SHUT OFF AS I'M DRIVING AND STEERING WHEEL IS VERY HARD TO TURN. IT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AND IS EFFECTING WORK. KIA DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO FIX IT AT COST EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG PROBLEM THAT MANY KIA CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH. OTHER MECHANICS SAY THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO TOUCH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE REVIEWS OF PROBLEMS ON THE INTERNET. PLEASE INFORM ME AND ANYTHING I CAN DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 23, 2016Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10870298
“DEAR SIR; AT THIS TIME I'M REQUESTING THAT YOUR OFFICE SEND TO ONE A COMPLAINT FORM TO BE FILE AGAINST THE COMPANY CAR CORRAL 11 IN COLONIAL HEIGHT VA 23834 FOR RIGHTFULLY AND KNOWINGLY SELLING A USED CAR WITH THE DEFECTED EMERGENCY BRAKES, DRY ROTTEN TIRES, ROTORS SCORNED, DIMMED HEAD LIGHT CANNOT BE SEEN AHEAD OF DRIVER, NEED ALIGNMENT OR THAT WHEN DRIVING THE CAR THE CAR VIBRATE FROM SIDE TO SIDE, ODOROUS SMELL OF BURNING WIRES AND GAS, BELT LEADING TO AIR CONDITIONER IS CRACKED AND WORN OUT, REFUSED TO PRESENT ME WITH A CAR FAX AND WHEN SUBJECT REQUESTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB OF VIRGINIA, ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE OF VIRGINIA AND ESPECIALLY FILLING OUT THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY FORM, ALL MEMBERS OF THE SALES TEAM AND OWNER BECAME HIGHLY UPSET AND BLUNTLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ON OR AMOUNT 2/10/16 I SPOKE PERSONAL WITH THE OWNER ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THE CAR AND HE DID SAY "I WILL WORK WITH YOU TO REPAIR OR FIX CERTAIN ITEMS ON THE CAR, BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE IT TO A NEW CAR." HE REFUSES TO FIX THE ITEMS FROM THE INSPECTION ON 2/6/16 FROM MERCHANTS TIRE AND AUTO CENTERS BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY WAS TRYING TO MAKE MONEY, I AGREE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 11, 2016Exterior lighting, Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 10825667
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE WAS CAUSING THE LOW BEAMS TO FAIL PREMATURELY. THE LOW BEAM BULBS WERE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 15, 2015Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10810219

Showing 6 of 56 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Exterior lighting: switch

Free remedy

HUYNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 139,844 MY 2006-2007- SEDONA, SPORTAGE, SORENTO AND MY RONDO AND AMANTI VEHICLES. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A STOP LAMP SWITCH MALFUNCTION MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.

Exterior lightingReported Apr 17, 2009NHTSA 09V130000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.