Main 12V electrical system failed completely. The engine stalled, the entire dashboard blacked out, and all auxiliary safety power was lost. The vehicle is currently located at Parkway Family Kia and is fully available for inspection. At rush hour freeway speeds, the engine stalled and total electrical failure occurred. Navigating across active lanes without engine power or power steering was extremely difficult. The total blackout killed my hazard lights, preventing me from warning other high-speed drivers. The dead car blocked an active lane on the feeder road, and an inattentive driver nearly struck my stalled, unlit vehicle. With zero hazards, I had to abandon the car and flee to the roadside to avoid a rear-end collision. Additionally, all passenger doors permanently locked, creating a severe entrapment hazard. Not yet. The vehicle was towed to Parkway Family Kia on Tuesday and is currently awaiting an official manufacturer diagnostic inspection by their service technicians. No advance symptoms prior to the day of the incident. At the moment of failure, the dash suddenly lit up with multiple warning lights. Within a tight 1 to 2-minute window, I completely lost power steering, making the vehicle extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver off the highway. Immediately after those 2 minutes, the dashboard and all electrical components went completely dark.
2023 Kia Sportage: multiple warning lights
5 of the 195 complaints about the 2023 Kia Sportage describe multiple warning lights.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 2
Multiple warning lights by model year
What owners say
I had my 2023 Kia Sportage in the Kia shop in McKinney, Tx about 3 weeks ago for an electrical issue. ALL of my lights on my dash were on. They INSISTED my battery was bad, so they made me buy a battery. (My car isn’t even 3 years old). So, once the new battery was installed, the technician stated all was good, that it was just a bad battery, that was why all the lights on my dash were there. When I started my car this morning, what do you know! All of the warning lights were on my dash AGAIN. They did nothing to fix the issue. There were unsure of what was causing the electrical issues in the first place. I am writing this to you to inform you of the electrical issues among Kia.
At startup or during driving, all safety features will go into warning mode and disable, including lane following assist, forward collision avoidance, electrical parking brake malfunction, electronic stability control malfunction, automatic braking, and downhill brake indicator. All warning lights illuminate on dash until car is stopped and turned off. And even then they may come on again upon restart. This has happened intermittently since I purchased the vehicle and Kia says they don't know the source nor can fix it. Most recently, the car engine stopped while stopped at a traffic light when the warning lights started to cycle on.
Engine Stalling Multiple Times while in Drive. After vehicle stalls, Engine Shuts off, multiple lights start flashing and beeping and Message States- 'Engine Off! Shift to P or N then start engine.' Engine will reengage after following display instructions. This creates a safety risk to driver and others behind driver when error occurs. 2 weeks prior to first failure, Engine light appeared, but was not flashing. Kia informed, but could not schedule for service for 14 days. Dates of Occurrence: 5/17/2023 ( 2 times), 7/28/2023 ( 3 times), 8/23/2023 (1 time) Vehicle with Kia Dealer for repair 5/17 to 5/29, 7/28 to 8/18, and 8/23 to present. No current ETA for repairs. None of the repairs has corrected issue.
A few months after I got the car all of the warning lights randomly came on and I had to turn jt off and on and they went away. Since then around Nov 22 it has happened about 25 times or more and is happening more frequently lately. I called kia and they said they hadn't heard anything yet bc of it being so new. Also the brake assist for Collison is VERY dangerous. You can be a car length and more away and it will take the brake out from my foot and slam on the brakes and about throw me through the windshield with my seat belt on. This has happened too many times and has hurt my chest. I turned it off and it has still done it. Another thing, the lane assistance tries to take the wheel away from you and will jerk the car one way or the other which is scary. Please look into these!!
Service bulletins that may apply
- AVN gen 5.0 wide software update
- Infotainment system software update using update.kia.com
- Infotainment software update procedure
- Itm replacement and ECM logic improvement (CA2509)
- Avnt coaxial cable replacement
- Kia connect modem reset (SA611)
- Display audio 2.0/AVN5WSOFTWARE update (SA569)
- Display audio 2.0V/AVN5W software update
Related recalls
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- 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 number 23V298000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 22V651000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2023 Kia Sportage warning lights
Is multiple warning lights a common problem on the 2023 Kia Sportage?
5 of 195 owner complaints about the 2023 Kia Sportage (3%) mention multiple warning lights. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2023 Kia Sportage?
There are 2 recalls and 23 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2023 Kia Sportage
Stalling 16Sunroof shattered 12Screen failure 11No deployment 10Check engine light 8Collision warning 7Lane assist 7Windshield crack 7Backup camera 6Grinding brakes 6Hesitation 6Loss of power 6Engine failure 5Jerking 5Misfire 5
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