2023 Kia Recall: Blank LCD Display/FMVSS 101 & 138

A 2023 Kia Sportage, Niro, Soul or Telluride with the 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster can start up with that screen blank, leaving the driver without the tire-pressure display, warning messages and warning lights.

Recall 23V298 covers 108,936 vehicles built from September 2, 2022 through March 8, 2023: the Sportage, Sportage Hybrid and Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, the Niro Hybrid and Niro Plug-in Hybrid, the Soul and the Telluride. Dealers update the cluster software free of charge under Kia campaign SC270.

The Issue

Voltage fluctuates while these vehicles start. Kia's Part 573 report says the electrical noise from that instability, combined with the cluster's software, can cause booting errors that leave the screen blank, and the telltales and indicators required by federal safety standards vanish with it. That breaks the visibility and illumination rules of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 101, which governs controls and displays, along with illumination requirements in FMVSS 138 for tire-pressure monitoring and FMVSS 208 for occupant crash protection. NHTSA's campaign summary names 101 and 138; Kia's report and owner letters add 208.

TYW, a supplier in China, makes the cluster assemblies, and the Part 573 report lists eight part numbers across the seven models; the Telluride's is 94051-S9000. Kia's factories switched to improved cluster software between February 14 and March 9, 2023, depending on the model and plant, and each production range ends the day before its switch.

A technician links Kia's diagnostic tablet to the OBD-II port and loads updated software, with no parts replaced, taking the Telluride cluster from ROM ID 1.01 to 1.02 and the Soul's from 1.04 to 1.05. Kia says the new version keeps the screen from going blank. Some cars on the VIN list need no upgrade, and on those the dealer records an inspection only.

Affected Models

Vehicle	Model Year	Production Dates	Estimated Units
Kia Sportage (built in South Korea)	2023	September 16, 2022 to February 13, 2023	4,851
Kia Sportage (built at Kia Georgia)	2023	September 20, 2022 to February 28, 2023	25,873
Kia Sportage Hybrid and Sportage Plug-in Hybrid	2023	September 19, 2022 to February 13, 2023	10,866
Kia Niro Hybrid and Niro Plug-in Hybrid	2023	September 14, 2022 to March 8, 2023	12,132
Kia Soul	2023	September 15, 2022 to February 13, 2023	30,113
Kia Telluride	2023	September 2, 2022 to February 22, 2023	25,101
Total			108,936

Only cars fitted with the 4.2-inch LCD cluster are included. Kia built these vehicles out of VIN order and drew the list from vehicle and supplier production records, so a lookup by individual VIN is how an owner confirms coverage.

Chronology and Investigation

On February 17, 2023, Kia Corporation's headquarters gave Kia North America's Safety Office preliminary information about blank 4.2-inch cluster screens on the seven models, and the office began monitoring. Between March 10 and March 30, headquarters supplied suspect production ranges and more detail on screens going blank at start-up. The Safety Office's analysis found 71 incident VINs, reported from November 11, 2022 through March 24, 2023, and rated both the current and projected incident rates as low. Six more reports arrived between March 25 and April 11.

Kia North America concluded on April 19 that a driver unable to see the telltales and indicators put the cars out of compliance with FMVSS 101, 138 and 208, and it chose a noncompliance recall. The Part 573 report was filed April 26, dealers were notified May 1 and owner letters were mailed May 26. A revision on June 8, 2023 corrected the date of the Soul's production fix, which the first filing had printed with the year 2022.

Two earlier campaigns dealt with blank cluster screens on 2022 Tellurides, each with a separate cause: 21V577, a welcome animation that loaded too slowly on the 3.5-inch screen, and 22V344, excess adhesive on a circuit board inside the cluster.

Reported Incidents

Kia's chronology records 77 field incidents by my count, the 71 from its March analysis plus the six that followed, and lists no crashes, injuries or fatalities. The count is not broken down by model.

What Owners Should Do

If the cluster goes blank before the recall work is done, Kia's owner letter says to call Kia Roadside Assistance at 1-800-333-4542, or request help at kia.rsahelp.com, and have the car towed to the nearest Kia dealer.

Run the VIN at Kia's recall page or NHTSA.gov, or call Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 and cite recall SC270. Anyone who paid for a related repair before the recall can claim reimbursement under Kia's General Reimbursement Plan, uploading receipts through the Owners section of kia.com or mailing them with the form enclosed in the letter; Kia aims to answer within 60 days.

Kia's annual report filed April 20, 2026 counted 99,596 vehicles as remedied, a total that also takes in cars inspected and found not to need the update. Another 2,305 were listed as unreachable and 530 as scrapped, stolen or exported. By my arithmetic, 6,505 reachable cars still had the recall open.

Symptoms to Watch For Before the Cluster Fails

A blank cluster screen at start-up. The 4.2-inch display stays dark after the car is started, without the tire-pressure readout, warning messages or warning lights, and the Part 573 report identifies no earlier warning sign.

How Long Will the Recall Repair Take?

Expect about one hour at the dealer, the estimate in Kia's owner letter. The warranty labor allowance is 0.4 hours for the inspection plus software upgrade and 0.2 hours when the tablet shows no upgrade is needed. The reflash calls for a battery at 12.3 volts or higher, or a charged jump pack, connected throughout.

Bottom Line

Kia estimates that 1 percent of the 108,936 vehicles have the defect, about 1,089 by my arithmetic. An open recall stays with the vehicle when it changes hands, so a buyer of a used 2023 Sportage, Niro, Soul or Telluride should check the VIN before assuming the cluster software was updated.

Find your Kia recall information: https://www.kia.com/us/en/recall

Recall 23V298 (April 2023) covers 108,936 2023 Kia Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul and Telluride models with the 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster, built September 2, 2022 through March 8, 2023. Cluster software combined with electrical noise at start-up can leave the screen blank; dealers update the cluster software under Kia campaign SC270.