Kia Sportage Headlights: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Bulb type, unit part numbers, and the faults that actually cause that flickering or dim light you've noticed.

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — aftermarket LH Van Wezel 8384961 / RH Van Wezel 8384962

Accuracy note: Covers the Kia Sportage (2016-2022) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Headlights are sold by side (passenger / nearside = LH, driver's / offside = RH on a UK car) and by lamp type — halogen, xenon (D1S / D3S) and LED or full-LED units are not interchangeable, and DRL, cornering and levelling options change the part number again. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Check the lamp type and traffic side (UK right-hand-traffic units, not LHD) against your VIN, and expect xenon / LED and adaptive units to need levelling adjustment or coding after fitting.

Passenger side (LH / nearside) headlight — aftermarket	Van Wezel 8384961 (LED, HB3, LED DRL, electric levelling, motor included); Van Wezel 8384963 (LED, HB3, LED DRL, electric levelling, motor not included); Abakus 223-1162L-LEMN2 (halogen HB3 with PY21W and P21/5W, electric levelling); Diederichs 6523881 (halogen HB3, DRL); Alkar 2785655 (halogen HB3 with PY21W, electric); Diederichs 6523981 (LED, LED DRL, facelift)
Driver's side (RH / offside) headlight — aftermarket	Van Wezel 8384962 (LED, HB3, LED DRL, electric levelling, motor included); Van Wezel 8384964 (LED, HB3, LED DRL, electric levelling, motor not included); Abakus 223-1162R-LEMN2 (halogen HB3 with PY21W and P21/5W, electric levelling); Diederichs 6523880 (halogen HB3, DRL); Alkar 2786655 (halogen HB3 with PY21W, electric); Diederichs 6523980 (LED, LED DRL, facelift)
Bulb types	dipped HB3 (P20d) on halogen and LED-design units, indicator PY21W, P21/5W, full LED on the facelift and top-spec units
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order genuine units against your VIN
Fitment notes	Pre-facelift cars have halogen HB3 or LED-design units; the 2019 facelift has full LED units such as Van Wezel 8394965/8394966, which are sold without the control unit. No xenon is listed.

A Genuinely Important UK Rule Worth Knowing Before You Buy — Kia Sportage Headlights

If your Sportage has factory-fitted halogen headlamp housings, converting them to fit LED bulbs is treated as a definite MOT failure under the current inspection manual — this isn't a grey area or a minor advisory, since a housing designed for halogen doesn't distribute an LED bulb's light output correctly, which can genuinely dazzle oncoming drivers. If you want a genuine LED upgrade, the correct route is a complete headlight unit designed for LED from the factory, not a bulb swap into an existing halogen housing.

Before you buy: matrix LED, adaptive, and cornering headlight systems often require electronic coding to the car after a unit swap, even for a genuine like-for-like replacement — a headlight that isn't recognised by the car's electronics can trigger warning lights or fail to auto-level correctly. Check whether your specific trim has one of these systems before assuming a straightforward bulb-in, bulb-out job.

Kia Sportage Headlights: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: How to Replace High and Low Beam Headlight Bulb - KIA Sportage 4 QL (2016-2021)

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QL generation, high and low beam.

Kia Sportage Headlights: What It Does

Inside the Kia Sportage's headlight unit sit the main and dipped beam bulbs, or LED/matrix modules on higher trims, precisely angled to light the road ahead without dazzling oncoming drivers. Many current units also fold the daytime running light and front indicator into the same housing, which complicates both the part number and any repair.

Kia Sportage Headlights: Generations, Derivatives & Headlight Type

4th-gen (2017–2022), LX/EX trims	Halogen Projector — a single replaceable 9005 dual-filament bulb handles both low and high beam
4th-gen, SX Turbo	Full LED or HID/Xenon depending on exact spec — the light source isn't a simple replaceable bulb; the entire LED module or HID ballast/igniter system is integrated into the housing
GT-Line S, LED-equipped	Genuinely uses a single LED "bulb" for low beam with no separate high-beam LED — switching to high beam is done mechanically via an internal shutter that physically moves within the housing, audible if you listen closely, rather than illuminating a second light source
5th-gen (2023–present)	Completely different, non-interchangeable design from the 4th generation — halogen vs LED distinction by trim continues

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Kia Sportage Headlights: Common Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Headlights Guide for the four bulb technologies and how they differ, UK law on aim and modifications, common faults to check for, how difficult this job is to DIY, and confirming fitment against your VIN.

More Kia Headlights

The same part, covered across other Kia models.