2023 Kia Sportage electrical system problems

Related recalls

• Recall 23V298000Apr 26, 2023108,936 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

  Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen.  The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

  Risk: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.

• Recall 22V651000Aug 29, 202219,701 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

  Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The alternator battery positive terminal nut may loosen, which can result in an engine stall or an electrical surge.

  Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and an electrical surge increases the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the alternator battery positive terminal nut, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC248.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 12, 2026OKElectrical System

   My daughter’s 2023 Kia Sportage SX Prestige has an instrument cluster that intermittently goes completely black while the vehicle is being driven. When this occurs, the driver cannot see the speedometer, warning indicators, or other critical vehicle information. Ferguson Kia inspected the vehicle and documented that the “cluster side of screen [is] INOP.” The technician reset the screen, performed variant coding, verified systems were up to date, removed and inspected the…

   NHTSA complaint #11763798 · source
2. Filed Jul 29, 2026KYElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   I was driving the vehicle yesterday, had no problems and then when making a right hand turn the vehicle completely locked up. The brakes and steering column locked and the vehicle completely shut done. The dashboard lit up and the windows still worked but there was not power to the engine. Attempted to JUMP the car, unsuccessful, ultimately called a AAA who used a battery box and the car started. This happened once previously when the car was 6m-1year old and it…

   NHTSA complaint #11753463 · source
3. Filed Jun 11, 202648,000 miNCElectrical SystemEngine

   The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon coming to a stop at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond, and the infotainment screen was turned off. The contact stated that the vehicle became operable after approximately two minutes. The contact stated the failure was recurrent. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…

   NHTSA complaint #11743585 · source
4. Filed Apr 7, 2026ILElectrical System

   When driving the cluster screen goes black and remains black until like 24hours later when buttons on the screens reappear. When it happens the odometer reading, speed reading does not appear. This issue started happening when I passed 40000 miles on the vechile

   NHTSA complaint #11729781 · source
5. Filed Mar 18, 2026NCFireElectrical SystemSeats & Seat Belts

   Vehicle caught fire while idling unattended with seat warmers activated. The driver seat ignited and fire spread across the seats to the headrest in the backseats and sunroof area. No one was inside the vehicle at the time. Multiple eyewitnesses confirm no one was near the vehicle. Surveillance footage captured the incident. Police report confirms no arson or external cause. A campus officer noted the fire may be related to the seat heater system. Vehicle is currently…

   NHTSA complaint #11725134 · source
6. Filed Mar 17, 2026IDElectrical System

   The instrument cluster software on this 2023 Sportage Hybrid EX AWD was never updated prior to sale. Software version USA.S5W_M.V008.001.220504 (dated May 2022) was confirmed via the vehicle system information screen on March 17, 2026. A Kia Consumer Affairs supervisor confirmed on a recorded call the same date that this version predates recall SC270 by approximately one year, and that the vehicle is missing all software updates from fall 2022 through 2024. The supervisor…

   NHTSA complaint #11725114 · source
7. Filed Feb 5, 2026MOElectrical System

   My dash and infotainment system shuts down and restarts as I'm driving. It's only happened twice so far 4 days apart. There's no error code and my diagnostics check out fine.

   NHTSA complaint #11715865 · source
8. Filed Jan 15, 2026PACrashElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   Incident Date: [XXX] Vehicle: 2023 Kia Sportage Component(s): Power Train (Automatic Transmission Shifter), Electrical System (Instrument Cluster/Display), Back Over Prevention (Rearview Camera) Description of Incident: On [XXX], while performing a low-speed maneuver in Pittsburgh, PA, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic Shift-by-Wire (SBW) logic failure resulting in a collision. After shifting the rotary gear selector from Reverse to Drive, the transmission failed to…

   NHTSA complaint #11711230 · source
9. Filed Jan 14, 2026PACrash1 injuredTowedDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemEngine

   I was parked in a spot outside the Service Department of John Kennedy Ford, waiting for my son, who was getting his car serviced. I couldn't see the door of the Service Department, so I decided to move to a position in which I could see my son exit the Department. I put the car into Reverse to exit the spot and it accelerated at an uncontrollable rate of speed backwards, striking two cars parked outside the Service Department, pushing them into other vehicles in the parking…

   NHTSA complaint #11710944 · source
10. Filed Dec 31, 2025NYElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    Frequently while driving my 2023 Kia shortage Hybrid will accelerate on its own. This happens randomly while driving straight as well as making turns. My suv also has a vary hard time driving uphill. If im driving at 25 mph when approaching the hill, my car then gradually drops down to 10-15 mph.This is extremely scary especially when driving with my children in the car. I haven’t owned the vehicle for a year and don’t know why it’s performing this way.

    NHTSA complaint #11708121 · source
11. Filed Dec 6, 2025ILElectrical System

    Three occurrences where electrical system glitched. 1st- driving vehicle and dashboard warnings all lit up. Pulled over and ran system check. System fault indicated do not drive and all vehicle alerts where red. Shut car off allowed time for system reset and it started right back up with no system warnings, no dash warnings on. Drove perfectly fine. Two weeks later went to start car and car began to flash dash lights, head lights and overhead lights while car made clicking…

    NHTSA complaint #11703489 · source
12. Filed Nov 18, 2025PABrakesElectrical SystemEngine

    Initially in May 25, my Sportage started accelerating on its own, unprompted, up to 4500 RPMs many times and also hesitated. In 6/25 the info screen, (whole dash) went black 4-5 x’s for about 3minutes while driving 60 mph on bypass. Beginning of July, Siri didn’t work and said it was inaccessible, and also the navigation said it was not updated however, when I pulled into the dealer, all of a sudden it worked? On 7/23 I was turning into apt complex and had no brakes! I had…

    NHTSA complaint #11700174 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology