No Accident just routine maintenance finds that are concerning me . The car is 15 yrs old but over the years have had to replace the brake light bulb harness several times The brake light bulbs get too hot thus melting the bulb receptacle causing the brake lights not to illuminate. Have had vehicles come up behind me several times way too close for comfort because brake lights not working .
2010 Kia Forte lights problems
15 complaints (7% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 77,000.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical mileage
- 77,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Brake lights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Kia Forte lights problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2010 Kia Forte lights
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
- Risk
- Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Recall number 13V114000 · Recall details
What 2010 Kia Forte owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Headlights have become very yellow and cracking formed on them. This effects evening /night time driving and you see ads to purchase cleaners that I have tried and it has done nothing. Not sure why this has not been remedied or made a recall to replace these as defective materials or what one can do to solve this with positive results or recommendations people can do with out equipment. This seems to be a big problem with a lot of vehicles mine included. Thx you for listening and thought I would report this issue as another safety concern
Brake lights are consistently blowing out especially the right brake light. I have replaced the bulb at least a dozen times in the past 2 years. Also the signal lights are going out as well. There is something faulty going on with the connection that I think needs to be recalled. After a quick search on YouTube I realized that I’m not the only person this has happened to. Kia needs to have a recall to fix this issue because I can’t keep spending money on bulb replacements. Today on May 4, 2024 the brake lights weren’t working and when I went replace them they were blown on both sides. And the one on the right the actual bulb glass came off and I noticed that the plastic where the bulb connection locks in at was melted a little and the connector had slight burn marks. The bulb itself won’t stay on without me pushing the bulb in when I connect it.
Low beam headlights are so dim, driving at night is extremely dangerous. There is not enough illumination to detect more than 3 feet in front of the vehicle nor adequately see any potential hazards. After doing some research, it appears that this is a common problem that Kia is aware of, however, they refuse to remedy the situation. It is a manufacturer defect with the chrome that surrounds the bulb in the headlamps. The headlight bulbs burn the chrome that surrounds the cup and leads to severely unsafe visibility, while driving at night time or in the rain.
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving and while at a complete stop, she noticed an abnormal burning odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the third brake light assembly had melted. The mechanic replaced the third brake light assembly; however, the burning odor persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the valve cover gasket was replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made abnormal rattling sounds. The dealer diagnosed that the belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The part was replaced by AAA. The contact stated that the rattling sounds were reduced; however, the burning odor persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she was concerned for her safety. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
As I am driving my car losses speed slows to almost stop. I keep my foot on the gas pedal very lightly pressing acceleration to keep it going.
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear brake lights would not properly illuminate while depressing the brake pedal. After replacing the brake light bulbs, the failure recurred. The contact indicated that while depressing the brake pedal the passenger’s side brake light would not illuminate however, after releasing the brake pedal, the driver’s side brake light would turn off and the passenger’s side brake light would illuminate. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,000.
My car interior lights have been going out intermittently for over a year now, and my stereo bluetooth system is totally out as well. My signal lights intermittently go out. Signaling is a big issue because if people don't know I am coming over it could cause an accident. Also, as a result of my hands free capabilities being gone I am forced to wait for important communications at times because my commute is long.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 kia forte. The contact stated that the back up and brake lights remained illuminated after the vehicle was turned off. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact called jenkins kia of gainesville at 855‑764‑9404 (located at 3345 n main st, gainesville, fl 32609) and scheduled a diagnostic appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 kia forte. The contact was pulled over by the police because the passenger side brake bulb failed, was not properly secured within the holster, and had fallen into the trunk. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the stop lamp switch had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic made the contact aware that the vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v114000 (service brakes, exterior lighting). The vehicle was repaired, but the brake light failed and the vehicle would not maneuver from the park position. A tow company was called, but the vehicle was not towed. The tow driver showed the contact a trick to get the vehicle to move out of the park position. The contact then notified universal kia hickory hollow (5406 target dr, antioch, tn, 37013) and universal kia rivergate (1536 gallatin pike n, madison, tn, 37115) of the failures. The dealers confirmed the recall and stated that the vehicle had already been serviced under the recall, but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Questions about the 2010 Kia Forte lights
Does the 2010 Kia Forte have lights problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the lights of the 2010 Kia Forte, 7% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2010 Kia Forte lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 77,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Kia Forte lights?
Yes, 1 recall: 13V114000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Kia Forte have the most lights problems?
The Kia Forte model years with the most lights complaints are 2017 (44 complaints), 2012 (23 complaints) and 2014 (22 complaints).
Other 2010 Kia Forte problems
Engine 81Airbags 41Tires 23Transmission 23Brakes 19Electrical 19Wheels 17Steering 11Driver assistance 10Acceleration 9Fuel system 9Seat belts 9Body 5Suspension 4Seats 3Visibility 2
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