RoadVitals

2015 Kia Forte Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Dec 21, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 258 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Kia Forte submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

EngineExterior lighting
Filed Dec 21, 2024

Engine issues constantly

NHTSA ID
11631986
Incident
Oct 31, 2024
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Feb 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Forte. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the rear driver's side brake light failed. No warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that she previously replaced the rear driver’s side brake light three times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear driver’s side taillight brake wiring failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ID
11508413
Incident
Nov 22, 2022
Mileage
68,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Oct 23, 2022

Car has an electrical problem battery keeps draining changed alternator fuel pump starter and battery and still something draining the battery

NHTSA ID
11490482
Incident
Sep 29, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 13, 2021

THE TAIL LIGHTS THAT SURROUND THE BREAK LIGHTS CONSIST OF FOUR LED LIGHT BARS. IT IS ALWAYS RANDOM WITH OF THE LED ACTUALLY WORK. THE

NHTSA ID
11407869
Incident
Apr 10, 2021
Mileage
75,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jan 21, 2021

AT NIGHT WITH THE LIGHTS ON AND DRIVING OR NOT, WHEN YOU USE THE TURN SIGNAL THE HEAD LIGHTS WILL GO OFF. IF YOU WIGGLE THE BLINKER ARM, THEY WILL COME BACK ON. BUT YOU ARE DRIVING WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE BECAUSE THE LIGHTS GO OFF. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME.

NHTSA ID
11389332
Incident
Jan 21, 2021
Mileage
45,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 5, 2020

ALL OF THE HEADLAMPS / ALL TAIL/PARK/MARKER / ALL I/P ILLUMINATION LAMPS GOES OUT WHEN TURNING ON THE TURN SIGNALS WHILE DRIVING & SIGNALING FOR AN UPCOMING TURN. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY & IS GETTING WORSE BY THE DAY. THE LAMPS USUALLY RETURN TO NORMAL WITHIN A SECOND OR TWO.

NHTSA ID
11378044
Incident
Dec 5, 2020
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 22, 2020

THE KIA HEADLIGHTS REGULARLY AND SUDDENLY TURNED OFF AND FLICKERED BACK ON WITH VARYING DURATION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION UNDER NORMAL USE. THIS WAS NOTICEABLE AT NIGHT WHEN EVERYTHING WAS DARK AND SUDDENLY THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WHEN WE NEEDED THEM AND QUITE OFTEN WHILE MAKING A TURN. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN THE TURNING SIGNAL WAS ACTIVATED WHICH IMPACTED THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE FOR BOTH THE PASSENGERS AND OTHER SURROUNDING CARS AND PEOPLE. DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH NO STREET LIGHTS ON A 2-LANE ROAD WITH INCOMING TRAFFIC, THEN PLANNING A TURN AND ACTIVATING THE TURNING SIGNAL CAUSED SOME CONCERNS TO BOTH THE KIA DRIVER AND THE INCOMING VEHICLES WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF AND CAUSED LOSS OF VISIBILITY AT NIGHT AT THE WRONG MOMENT. IT IS NOT GOOD TO NOT SEE AND NOT BE SEEN. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT INCREASED THE RISK OF ACCIDENT PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT FIXED FOR ABOUT $400 TOTAL (PARTS AND LABOR) BUT I FEEL THIS HEADLIGHT ISSUE IS NOT NORMAL AND SERIOUS ENOUGH TO BE REPORTED TO HELP PREVENT UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ID
11365855
Incident
Sep 14, 2020
Mileage
67,700 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 26, 2020

CONSTANTLY BLOWING BRAKE LIGHT, AND HAVE HAD BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER HOUSING REPLACED IN 3MONTHS DUE TO THEM LITERALLY BURNING UP AND MELTING. FIRE HAZARD AS WELL AS AN EXPENSIVE NUISANCE

NHTSA ID
11351442
Incident
Jun 12, 2020
Mileage
140,000 mi
ElectricalEngineExterior lighting
Filed Aug 18, 2020

PRIOR TO THE ENGINE INCIDENT I WAS EXPERIENCING THE LIGHTS FLICKERING , POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 6/21/2020(FATHER'S DAY MORNING). I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE STORE WHEN MY CARS ENGINE SEIZED SUDDENLY. I RECENTLY HAD MY OIL CHANGED IN 4/03/2020. NO PROBLEMS REPORTED AT THE OIL CHANGE APPOINTMENT. SO THE MORNING OF 6/21/2020. I STARTED THE CAR AND PROCEEDED TO LEAVE MY BOYFRIENDS HOUSE. AS SOON AS I MADE THE LEFT TURN OUT INTO THE STREET I HEARD THIS KNOCKING IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR I'M ASSUMING THAT WAS THE ENGINE THEN SUDDENLY ! THE CAR MADE THIS LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND I IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AS SOON AS I MADE THE LEFT HAND TURN INTO THE STREET THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AS IF THE CAR WAS ABOUT TO CATCH FIRE ! THANK GOD ME AND MY BOYFRIEND WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET INTO A PARKING LOT IN NUETRAL. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TOWED TO A SHOP USING MY INSURANCE AND I HAD TO LEAVE IT AT THE SHOP OVERNIGHT IN THEIR PARKING LOT BECAUSE THEY WERE CLOSED FOR FATHER'S DAY. THE NEXT DAY I GET A CALL FROM THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THEY TRIED TO JUMPSTART IT, THE CHECKED THE BATTERY, OIL LEVEL, AND THEY SAID THE REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOT OIL RELATED THEY SAID IT WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I HAD TO GO AND AND LOOK FOR AN ENGINE TO REPLACE THE FAILED ENGINE. IT COSTS ME ALOOOOOOT OF MONEY ! I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS. I GOT IT AT A DEALERSHIP BUT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED SO I WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR IT THROUGH THE WARRANTY. THE CAR JUST HIT 87,000 MILES ! I GOT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AT 54,000 MILES. I DO NOT DRIVE LONG DISTANCES, I KEEP UP WITH ALL THE MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR AND MY ENGINE SUDDENLY FAILED ! HELP !! THIS PROBLEM IS TOO COMMON AMONGST THE KIA FORTES. I HAVE A 2015 KIA FORTE5.

NHTSA ID
11350161
Incident
Jun 21, 2020
Mileage
87,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 14, 2020

ALL OF THE HEADLAMPS / ALL TAIL/PARK/MARKER / ALL I/P ILLUMINATION LAMPS GOES OUT WHEN TURNING ON THE TURN SIGNALS WHILE DRIVING & SIGNALING FOR AN UPCOMING TURN. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY & IS WORSENING WITH BY THE DAY. THE LAMPS USUALLY RETURN TO NORMAL WITHIN A SECOND OR TWO.

NHTSA ID
11349296
Incident
Jul 1, 2020
Mileage
47,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 31, 2019

BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF. WHEN THE PLUNGER ON THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS MOVED IT WILL GO OUT AND ON AND SOMETIMES IT WILL BLINK. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VEHICHLE IS IN MOTION OR STILL. THERE IS A RECALL ON 2014 KIA FORTES AND 2015 KIA SUVS FOR FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHES. THE PART NUMBER IS THE SAME, SO SHOULDN'T THE RECALL COVER MY 2015 FORTE AS WELL?

NHTSA ID
11240768
Incident
Jul 31, 2019
Mileage
50,000 mi
BrakesElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Feb 19, 2019

TAKATA RECALL: MY BRAKE LIGHTS FROM BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES ARE ALWAYS GONG OUT. I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO REPLACE BULBS. I'VE EVEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND HAD THE ENTIRE LIGHTING WIRES BRAND NEW AND STILL HAVE THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
11181120
Incident
Aug 1, 2016
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 16, 2018

WHEN I TURN ON DIRECTIONAL THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, I THEN HAVE TO TURN THE DIRECTIONAL ON AN OFF TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO COME BACK ON. CITY STREETS WHILE I AM COMING UP TO MY TURN.

NHTSA ID
11151900
Incident
Oct 4, 2018
Mileage
51,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .