This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
High Beams failed with no notice and are non-operational. Took to dealership and was told the issue was a design issue and was told that KIA would not cover the defect. Contacted KIA customer service and they denied to cover the repair. A simple Google search shows there are multiple incidents of this happening.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the high-beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact stated that he was uncertain if the high beam symbol was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the headlight assembly switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
High beams no longer work on the car. No high beams creates an obvious safety risk while driving at night. The problem was confirmed by an independent service provider. The provider tried the bulb and that did not fix the problem. They said it was some kind of mechanical damper in the lighting unit that was likely the issue. I have an appointment Wednesday with Vision Kia East Rochester to get their diagnostics of the issue. There is no warning lights and as far as the dashboard of the car is concerned...the high beams are functioning as they should (though they certainly are not functioning at all).
When I bought the car I wasn-??t aware that the bright light will not come on. This is a huge safety issue as I can-??t use my brights in the dark. I have almost hit multiple deer as I couldn-??t see them in the dark area I was in. Dealership is aware of it.
High Beam lights stopped working at the same time at about 65K miles. I live in a rural area and went to use them and found it odd the light on the dash would come on but lights did not change. Took car in and was told it would be about $1200 - $1500 per headlight to repair. There was no alternative to just changing the bulb the whole mechanism would have to be changed. There were no warnings they were going out, not one at a time just bam! The area I drive in has lots of large wild animals(deer, hog, coyotes) and curves in the road and this makes for a complete driving hazard for me and my family. I try not to drive very late at night when the animals are usually moving due to the fact that I cannot see well with no high beams. This issue is keeping me from doing my normal day to day activities if they happen to go into the night.
- San Antonio , TX, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Complete loss of high beam headlight function without warning. The failure occurred on completely dark rural roads at night. It is a huge safety issues as it compromises navigation and increases the risk of hitting deer or other large animals. The car is dangerous to the occupants of the vehicle in these conditions. The high beam indicator dashboard light illuminates, but the high beams do not engage. This is a mechanical issue with the shutter or headlight assembly not lifting into the high beam position. The mechanic at a non Kia affiliated service and repair location observed that you can clearly see the head light assembly sticking and when it tries to transition from low beam to high beam. Kia dealerships are keenly aware of and clearly informed of this factory defect. They offer no solution other than to replace the entire headlight assembly with the same defective assembly with no assurances it will not occur again. The cost to replace both headlight assemblies is significant and creates a hardship for me as a fixed income retiree. As previously stated, there was no warning and the high beam indicator light illuminates as if the high beams are working.
This is an addendum to NHTSA tracking # 11508192. Please see attached Kia Dealer repair recommendation which is to Replace both Front headlamps with a cost quote of $1,682.54!!!! This vehicle is a 2020 with less than 65,000 miles.
High beams just stopped working and won't turn back on. The bulbs were changed and a new relay was tried out, both did nothing. The dealer is looking into it further but I have read that this is a problem with similar year/make/model. We drive on desert roads every weekend where there is limited visibility and no street lights for very long distances. Our high beams are a critical safety element.
SYSTEM FAILURE: High beam headlights don't illuminate. When switch is activated, the blue dash indicator light illuminates, but the high beams don't come on. Initially a flicker was noted in the low beams when the switch was activated. Problem was first noted some time in Oct 2022. RISK: During mountain driving I am unable to utilize the high beams to help illuminate unlit roadways at night. DEALER: Car was taken to the dealer and inspected 1/31/23. Initially I was told that both headlamp bulbs were defective. I authorized replacement at my expense. Replacement was made, but the problem was not corrected. I was not charged for the bulbs. Kia technical reps apparently approved the warranty replacement of both headlamp assemblies, but one was not in stock. Neither have been replaced yet.
High beams stopped working. When I called with issue the dealership stated that it was a safety issue. Took car to dealership and they stated that the actuator lighting system more than likely has a short. They recommended that it would be $1700 for them to replace the system and then retest to see if that was the issue. Upon further research it was found that other owners with the 2020 model were experiencing the same issue after 60,000 miles.
Loss of high beam function in both headlights at same time - fuses/relay switches are not burned out. Low beams will turn on, but the curtains for the high beams will not activate in both headlights. Lights on the dash show that high beams are on, but the curtains in the assembly will not activate. Had the issued looked at at a sister dealership (Hyundai) as the Kia dealerships couldn't schedule an appointment for several months. They could not diagnose an issue specifically, only recommended that both high beam assemblies had failed, and would need replacement (at an almost $2500 cost, happening just outside of warranty at 70k miles). I live and work in a very rural area with a lot of wildlife, and have nearly hit several animals (deer, elk) because there is not enough light to see them without the high beams.
The vehicle lost both high beams randomly together. Shows indicater on dash but you can see lights do not get brighter. This is a huge safety concern for my wife and children not being able to see well!!!! We went to dealer and they quoted us $1800 for both new headlights and said warranty will not cover this! I-??ve read it-??s an issue across the board with these cats and it-??s time Kia does something to fix it!
The high beams headlights no longer function correctly. Low beams work fine but when toggle the shaft from low to high- there is no change in visibility. I do feel like this is a danger to myself and my growing family because in some rural areas, visibility is very limited at night. Warning lamps did not appear before high beam failure. It began about 3 months ago and still running into issues. I have talked to my local dealership and with my warranty close to running out, I-??m afraid I will have to replace both assemblies out of pocket.
Both high beams suddenly stop working. Kia systems report high beams are functional. Also low beams have reduced brightness resulting dangerous driving conditions at night. Kia claims both headlight assemblies need to be replaced at an estimated repair of $2370
My high beam lights have stopped working. The system says it is working fine as the notifications for high beams come on but the lighting does not change.
High Beam issues. It started out with one high beam out, and I figured the bulb needed replaced. When I looked into it, I learned the low beam and high beam share a single filament bulb. Later on, the high beam seemed to work again. And now it is not working again. Apparently it has to do with the mechanical "curtain" inside the housing that everyone is having issues with.
High beams fail to light No warning lights, H beam indicator light functions but no activation. No codes on OBD2 reader. Have not taken to dealer for this problem because no recall. Very likely to replace on my own if no recall as I am a mechanic.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Centreville, MD, USA