2018 Kia Sorento Exterior Lighting Problems
NHTSA component category: EXTERIOR LIGHTING · data through 07/12/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How exterior lighting ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 248 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2018 Kia Sorento overview page.
What owners report
“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…”NHTSA complaint 11531953 — filed 07/13/2023
“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 complaint 11508449 — filed 02/21/2023
“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…”NHTSA complaint 11495255 — filed 11/29/2022
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Exterior Lighting complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2018 Kia Sorento have exterior lighting problems?
Exterior Lighting is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2018 Kia Sorento: 38 of 248 complaints on file (15.3%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2018 Kia Sorento have in total?
248 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 11 involved a fire, 11 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's exterior lighting category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the EXTERIOR LIGHTING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
