Kia Recalls 75,000 SUVs Over Dangerous Light Defect

We often take some of the most important features in our cars for granted until they fail. Most modern cars have the option to have your headlights and taillights turn on automatically, further moving them to the back of your mind. But when they fail, it can be downright dangerous. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) just announced a recall of tens of thousands of their SUVs due to a light-failure risk. Here, we break down the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall brief so you know the important details and you can act accordingly.

Why Are These Kia SUVs Being Recalled?

The NHTSA brief warns that the affected Kias have “a software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC),” which “may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights.” Not only is this dangerous-the brief warns that “a loss of headlights and taillights can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash,” but it also puts the vehicles out of compliance with important safety standards.

Which Kia Vehicles Have This Light-Failure Risk?

Nearly 75,000 Kia SUVs have this software error and are therefore considered a light-failure risk. If you own any of the following vehicles, you may be impacted:

• 2024 Sorento
• 2025 Sorento
• 2025 Sorento Hybrid
• 2025 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid

Kia has said that they will mail out owner letters to the affected owners in February 2025, so if you own an impacted vehicle, you’ll have instructions for the fix. But until you can get this light-failure risk remedied, avoid driving the vehicle as much as possible, especially after dark. Failing lights mean that other drivers can’t see you or react nearly as quickly.

What To Do If You Own an Impacted Kia

Kia has announced that it will remedy the problem by updating the BDC software at no cost to the owners. Your owner letter will have the important information about how this will work, but if you have further questions or don’t want to wait, you can call the NHTSA or Kia customer service. The NHTSA hotline is 1-888-327-4236, and their recall number for this issue is 25V006000. If you’d prefer to call Kia directly, you can call their customer service line at 1-800-333-4542. If you opt for Kia, then you’ll need to cite that you’re inquiring about recall number SC331.

Source

Loss of Headlights and Taillights/FMVSS 108, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.

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