Kia vehicles recalled for instrument panel display software failure
Kia is recalling multiple 2025–2026 models due to a software error that may cause the instrument panel display to fail, potentially hiding critical safety information like the speedometer and warning lights.
What this means for you
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: This is a structural vehicle defect affecting critical safety systems (instrument cluster controls and displays required by federal safety standards). No illnesses or injuries have been reported, but the defect creates a documented risk of crash—a risk-of-harm product meeting the rubric criterion for High severity.
Plain-English summary
Kia America, Inc. is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025–2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. The instruments panel display may fail due to a software error, preventing the display of critical safety information such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights.
These vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101 (Controls and Displays) and 138 (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). An instrument panel display that fails to show this information increases the risk of a crash.
Kia will update the instrument panel display software free of charge either over-the-air (OTA) or at a dealer. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's reference number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
The recalled product
- Product
- 2026 KIA SPORTAGE PHEV
- Brand
- KIA
- Manufacturer
- Kia America, Inc.
- Category
- Vehicle
- Hazard
- instrument-panel-failure
- visibility-of-critical-safety-information
- Affected units
- 42,677
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (11)
- SPORTAGE PHEV
- SORENTO
- SORENTO HYBRID
- SORENTO PHEV
- K4
- SPORTAGE
- CARNIVAL
- CARNIVAL HYBRID
- K5
- EV9
- SPORTAGE HYBRID
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.