This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third generation (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) Kia Sorento SUV in changing a burnt out vanity mirror light bulb located in the housing attached to the headliner above the sun visor.

Owners of other Kia, Hyundai and Genesis vehicles such as the Soul, Seltos, Sportage, Niro, Telluride, Forte, Rio, Optima, Stinger, Cadenza, K900, Sedona, Kona, Venue, Santa Fe, Elantra, Sonata, Accent, Veloster, Ioniq, Nexo, G70, G80 and G90 may also find these instructions to be helpful.

The compatible replacement festoon style light bulb is part number DE3175 which is available from various manufacturers such as Sylvania, GE, PIAA, Eiko, Bosch and Philips.

If you would like to have brighter vanity mirror lights, install some DE3175 LED light bulbs.

The only tool needed to access and replace the light bulbs is a flat head screwdriver or a plastic pry bar tool.

To prevent from scratching the plastic pieces or tearing the headliner fabric, I recommend either using a plastic trim panel removal tool or cover the tip of your screwdriver with a thin micro fiber cloth.

Insert the plastic pry bar tool in between the inner edge of the light housing and the headliner.

Carefully push in the metal retaining clip and pull down the light housing out of the headliner.

Gently pull the power plug straight off the base of the housing.

On some Kia / Hyundai models, you have to push in a release tab on the electrical connector before sliding the power plug straight off the base of the light housing.

The procedure to remove the driver side light housing is the same as the passenger side.

Pry out the inner edge of the driver side housing (located close to the center of the vehicle).

Lift the old light bulb straight out of the housing.

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) festoon style light bulb was marked as part number KHA12V5W 27L19J.

If you would like to have brighter vanity lights, install some compatible replacement DE3175 LED bulbs.

Make sure the new bulb is securely in place.

I recommend testing the new light bulb before you re-install the housing into the headliner.

Slide open the vanity mirror cover to activate the "On / Off" switch.

Tip - If you installed an LED bulb and it doesn't work, try removing it from the socket, rotating it 180 degrees and pushing it back into the socket. Some LED bulbs are "polarized" and will only work when the "+" positive and "-" negative electrical contacts are in the correct orientation.

First, re-insert the wires and electrical connector on the outer edge of the housing into the opening in the headliner.

Then firmly snap in the metal retaining clip

To test the new light bulb, slide open the vanity mirror cover.

Be sure to write down the bulb change in your vehicle's service records.

Please take a look at all of my 2016-2020 Kia Sorento DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.