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Kia Forte LED Headlights Aimed Incorrectly

NHTSA campaign 18V771000 · Reported Oct 31, 2018 · Kia Motors America

medium How serious is it? About this label

Reduced visibility from misaimed headlights increases the risk of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	18V771000
Reported to NHTSA	Oct 31, 2018
Manufacturer	Kia Motors America
Part affected	Exterior Lighting:headlights
Vehicles covered	1 model/year combination, model years 2019
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

Some of these Fortes with LED headlights may have left the factory with the low beam aimed incorrectly. When headlights aren't aimed properly, drivers have reduced visibility, which raises the risk of a crash.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
2. Contact a Kia dealer or Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 to have your headlights inspected.
3. Any needed repair is free.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 18V771000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (1)

2019 Kia Forte

Who to contact

Kia — official Kia recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-333-4542

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Kia Headlight and Parking Light Recalls: What Owners Should Know · all 3 Kia recalls in this area

Other Kia Forte recalls

Apr 1, 2024Kia Forte Front Control Arm Weld Failurecritical
Sep 22, 2023Kia Forte Front Control Arm Weld May Failcritical
Dec 8, 2022Kia Forte Front Steering Knuckle May Crackhigh
May 5, 2022Kia Forte and Rio Steering Column Bolt Loosehigh
Jan 25, 2022Kia Air Bags May Fail to Deploy in Crashhigh
Aug 9, 2021Kia Forte and Rio trunk may not open from insidemedium

All 10 Forte recalls

Official notice

Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The headlights may not have been manufactured with the correct low beam aiming. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Safety risk: If the headlights are not properly aimed, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlight aiming and replace the headlights, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC171.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.