Airbag wiring recall and blank dashboard recall on 2023-2025 Niro PHEV. Repeat safety issues may qualify for a California buyback. Free case review.
The 2023-2025 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid was redesigned from the ground up on the second-generation DE2 platform and marketed as a smarter, safer daily driver — a car whose hybrid powertrain and suite of SmartSense safety technology were supposed to work quietly in the background, keeping you and your passengers protected. Instead, Kia has had to issue a federal safety recall (NHTSA 25V024 / SC332) covering 8,811 Niro PHEV vehicles because the floor wiring harness beneath the front passenger seat can be damaged by something as ordinary as sliding the seat back and forth. Once that wiring degrades, the airbag system — including the front passenger airbag, side curtain airbag, and seatbelt pretensioner — can fail to deploy in a crash, fail to suppress itself when a small occupant is detected, or deploy unexpectedly while you are driving. On top of the safety recall, many 2023 Niro PHEV owners have experienced the unsettling sight of an entirely blank instrument cluster the moment they start the car — no speedometer, no warning lights, no tire pressure reading. Kia's own recall documentation (NHTSA 23V298 / SC270) confirms this is a software defect triggered by voltage instability at startup, and that it violates two federal safety standards: FMVSS 101 (Controls and Displays) and FMVSS 138 (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems). California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act was designed for situations like this: a safety defect that persists after a repair attempt, or a pattern of failures across multiple systems that collectively impair your ability to use the vehicle safely. If your Niro PHEV has been to the dealer for either of these issues — or for the EGR check-engine-light or auxiliary water pump problems also documented in Kia's own service campaigns — you may already have the repair record foundation for a lemon law claim.
The issues owners report most, ranked by severity — each one verified against a cited NHTSA source.
Airbag warning light illuminates; front passenger airbag fails to deploy in a crash; passenger side curtain airbag deploys unexpectedly while driving; seat-belt pretensioner fails to activate in a collision.
Entire instrument cluster screen goes black when vehicle is started; no speedometer, warning lights, or tire pressure information is shown; driver has no visibility into critical vehicle status on dashboard.
Check engine light illuminates; vehicle may fail emissions inspection; dealer diagnoses excessive intake manifold pressure fluctuation; EGR-related fault codes stored.
Check engine light (CEL) illuminates; active air flap (AAF) warning message appears; in advanced cases, reduction of drive power; coolant smell or visible leak near pump.
Malfunction indicator lamp (check engine light) illuminates; transmission engages 2nd gear instead of 1st gear when accelerating from a stop; hesitation or lurch on low-speed acceleration.
A settled Margarian Law case on this exact model, published with the actual settlement math.
Open any defect for the symptoms and why it matters for a California lemon-law claim. Each is tied to a cited NHTSA source.
Airbag warning light illuminates; front passenger airbag fails to deploy in a crash; passenger side curtain airbag deploys unexpectedly while driving; seat-belt pretensioner fails to activate in a collision.
Safety-critical restraint failure. If airbag/seatbelt warning persists after attempted SC332 repair, multiple repair attempts qualify for lemon-law consideration.
Inspect floor wiring assembly under the front passenger seat; replace damaged wires and reroute the harness; install protective wiring covers. Free dealer repair.
Entire instrument cluster screen goes black when vehicle is started; no speedometer, warning lights, or tire pressure information is shown; driver has no visibility into critical vehicle status on dashboard.
FMVSS 101/138 non-compliance creates a strong safety argument. If blank cluster recurs after SC270 software update, constitutes repeat nonconformity.
Dealer updates instrument cluster software. Free repair under SC270.
Check engine light illuminates; vehicle may fail emissions inspection; dealer diagnoses excessive intake manifold pressure fluctuation; EGR-related fault codes stored.
Recurring check engine light despite SC305 repair, or dealer inability to source EGR components promptly, extends the vehicle out-of-service period relevant to lemon law.
Dealer replaces EGR control valve pipe and hose under Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign SC305. Free repair.
Check engine light (CEL) illuminates; active air flap (AAF) warning message appears; in advanced cases, reduction of drive power; coolant smell or visible leak near pump.
Drive-power loss resulting from coolant intrusion is a substantial impairment. Multiple repair visits for check engine light plus junction block replacement support a lemon law nonconformity pattern.
Inspect AEWP wiring connector for moisture or coolant residue; replace AEWP if leak confirmed; replace control harness wiring and/or engine room junction block if coolant has migrated. Free repair under SC325.
Malfunction indicator lamp (check engine light) illuminates; transmission engages 2nd gear instead of 1st gear when accelerating from a stop; hesitation or lurch on low-speed acceleration.
Drivetrain MIL on with abnormal gear engagement constitutes a functional nonconformity. If check engine light returns after software flash, lemon law out-of-service days apply.
Dealer updates DCT software logic under TSB_TRA110 to correct gear engagement learning function. Free repair.
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The floor wiring assembly beneath the front passenger seat may become damaged by repeated sliding of the seat for fore-and-aft adjustment due to variation in wiring routing. Damaged wires control the restraint systems.
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The instrument cluster software, combined with electrical noise caused by voltage instability during startup, can cause the cluster to experience a boot error, resulting in a completely blank 4.2-inch LCD display.
Every item below comes from this vehicle's documented defects. The more you recognize, the more a free case review is worth your time.
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act — the lemon law — protects buyers and lessees of new vehicles that cannot be repaired to conform to the manufacturer's warranty after a reasonable number of attempts. The law creates a rebuttable presumption that your vehicle qualifies as a lemon if: (a) the same defect has been subject to repair two or more times when it is a safety defect that could cause death or serious bodily injury (such as a restraint-system failure), or four or more times for other substantial defects; or (b) the vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more calendar days (not necessarily consecutive) during the warranty period due to repair. For the Kia Niro PHEV, the floor wiring recall involves a safety defect — airbag and seatbelt non-deployment — that satisfies the two-attempt safety threshold if the airbag warning light or a related symptom persists or returns after the SC332 repair. The blank cluster is a FMVSS violation (federal safety standard non-compliance) and may also reach that threshold if it recurs. Days spent at the dealer for any covered repair, and any days where the vehicle is not drivable due to a defect, count toward the 30-day presumption even if the issue spans multiple repair visits. If your vehicle qualifies, you may be entitled to: a full repurchase (the amount you paid, including down payment, monthly payments, and taxes, minus a mileage offset calculated from first delivery); a replacement vehicle of substantially similar value; or a cash settlement. Kia — not you — pays your attorney fees if you prevail, which is why many California lemon law cases cost the owner nothing out of pocket. The above is general information only and is not legal advice; whether your specific situation qualifies depends on the exact facts, dates, and repair records.
“Could not duplicate” doesn't mean the defect isn't real. Here's exactly what to do to protect a potential California lemon-law claim.
Document the moment it happens. Photos, video, and screenshots of any warning lights — with the date and the mileage.
Get a repair order every visit — even “found nothing.” That paperwork is the foundation of a claim.
Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Note any recall that has no available remedy yet.
Track your out-of-service days. California law counts the cumulative days your vehicle spends in the shop.
Keep loaner & rental records. Alternate-transport paperwork during long repairs matters.
Save everything in one place. Symptoms, dates, repair orders, and every repeat visit — the intermittent ones especially.
Dealers sometimes close repair orders with 'unable to duplicate' (UTD) or 'no trouble found' (NTF), particularly for intermittent warning lights that clear themselves between the time you notice them and the time the technician hooks up the scan tool. Here is how to protect your rights if that happens: 1. Photograph and note every symptom before the visit. If the airbag warning light is on, photograph it. Write down the exact date, time, mileage, and what you were doing when the symptom appeared (for example, 'passenger seat was moved forward; airbag light came on '). If the cluster went blank, note whether it cleared on its own or required a restart. 2. Ask for stored fault codes even if the light is off. Historical diagnostic trouble codes can confirm a restraint-system fault even after the indicator lamp has cleared. A dealer who closes a UTD ticket without pulling stored codes has not done a complete diagnosis. 3. Reference the open recall by number. For the airbag wiring issue, ask your service advisor specifically about NHTSA recall 25V024 (Kia internal SC332). For the blank cluster, ask about 23V298 (SC270). If your VIN is on the affected list, the recall inspection itself is a required service event, not something the dealer can decline to perform. 4. Keep every repair order, including UTD and NTF visits. Under California's Song-Beverly Act, a repair attempt counts whether the dealer found anything or not. The date and odometer on the repair order — and the total days the vehicle was out of your possession — matter for the lemon law presumption. 5. Request a loaner or reimbursement for alternative transportation. If the dealer must keep your Niro PHEV to perform the floor wiring inspection and harness repair, California law requires the manufacturer to provide a loaner vehicle or cover reasonable transportation costs.
Both of the primary defects on the 2023-2025 Niro PHEV — the floor wiring that puts your airbags at risk and the blank dashboard that leaves you driving blind — are confirmed by Kia's own federal recall filings. These are not owner complaints that a dealer can dismiss as 'normal operation.' When a restraint-system recall is open on your vehicle and the airbag light comes back on after the repair, or when the cluster goes dark again after the software update, you have documented evidence of a repeat safety nonconformity. If your Niro PHEV has been to the dealer more than once for either issue, gather your repair orders and speak with a California lemon law attorney. The consultation is typically free, and the law puts the manufacturer on the hook for your legal fees if the case succeeds.
— The Margarian Law team
Has your 2023-2025 Kia Niro PHEV shown an airbag warning light, experienced an unexpected airbag deployment, or had the dashboard go completely blank on startup? If your vehicle falls under recall 25V024 or 23V298 — or if you have visited the dealer more than once for either issue — your repair history may already support a lemon law claim under California law. The consultation is free. Find out what your records show.
Likely yes, if you own a 2023, 2024, or 2025 Niro Plug-In Hybrid. NHTSA recall 25V024 (Kia internal campaign SC332, issued January 16, 2025) covers 8,811 Niro PHEV vehicles with build dates from July 11, 2022 through December 16, 2024. The defect: the floor wiring assembly beneath the front passenger seat can be damaged by ordinary fore-and-aft seat sliding because of variation in how the wires are routed. Once damaged, the wires that control the front passenger airbag, side curtain airbag, and seatbelt pretensioner can fail — meaning those systems may not deploy in a crash, or a side curtain airbag could deploy unexpectedly while you are driving. To confirm your vehicle's recall status, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov. If the recall is open, contact your Kia dealer to schedule the inspection and harness repair at no charge.
Yes. A completely blank instrument cluster display at startup is a documented safety recall defect on 2023 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. NHTSA recall 23V298 (Kia internal campaign SC270, issued April 25, 2023) covers approximately 108,936 vehicles across multiple 2023 Kia models, including the Niro PHEV equipped with the 4.2-inch LCD instrument cluster. The cause: the cluster software, combined with electrical noise from voltage instability during startup, can produce a boot error that leaves the entire display dark — no speedometer, no warning lights, no tire pressure reading. Kia acknowledged this violates FMVSS 101 (Controls and Displays) and FMVSS 138 (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems). The dealer remedy is a software update to the instrument cluster, free of charge. If your cluster goes blank again after that update, document the recurrence — a repeat failure after a recall repair is exactly the pattern that supports a lemon law nonconformity claim.
A returning airbag warning light after the SC332 repair is a strong indicator that the wiring defect was not fully resolved — or that additional wiring damage exists. This matters for your rights under California law. Return to your dealer and request that they document the returning airbag warning light on a new repair order, referencing recall 25V024 / SC332. Ask the technician to pull stored diagnostic trouble codes from the airbag/SRS module even if the light is off by the time you arrive. Keep every repair order, including this new visit. Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, a safety defect subject to two or more repair attempts — and an airbag non-deployment defect is a safety defect — may trigger the lemon law presumption. The days your vehicle spent at the dealer for the original recall repair and this follow-up visit both count toward the 30-day out-of-service threshold as well.
It is a documented issue on certain early-production 2023 Niro PHEVs. Two separate Kia service campaigns cover check-engine-light complaints on the 2023 Niro PHEV. First, voluntary emissions campaign SC305 (announced August 12, 2024) addresses an EGR control valve pipe and hose failure that causes excessive intake manifold pressure fluctuation, triggering the check engine light and pushing emissions above Federal and California standards. SC305 covers 2023 Niro PHEV units built through March 17, 2023. Second, voluntary campaign SC325 (announced February 2025) addresses an auxiliary electric water pump (AEWP) that may crack and allow coolant to intrude into its circuitry — also capable of triggering the check engine light and, in advanced cases, an active-air-flap warning and reduction of drive power. If your 2023 Niro PHEV has a recurring check engine light, ask your dealer specifically whether SC305 and SC325 inspections have been performed and documented on your repair order. Repeat check engine light appearances after a campaign repair, or an extended dealer stay while parts are sourced, can count toward the out-of-service days relevant to a lemon law claim.
It may. California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act creates a rebuttable presumption that a vehicle qualifies as a lemon when, during the warranty period, one of the following is true: (a) a safety defect — such as an airbag non-deployment risk or a blank instrument cluster that violates federal safety standards — has been subject to two or more repair attempts; (b) any substantial defect has been subject to four or more repair attempts; or (c) the vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more calendar days cumulatively due to repair. For the Niro PHEV, the floor wiring recall (25V024 / SC332) and the blank cluster recall (23V298 / SC270) both involve federal safety standards. If either defect required more than one repair visit, or if the airbag warning light or blank cluster returned after a recall repair, you may be at or past the two-attempt safety threshold. Days waiting for the floor wiring harness inspection and repair, or for the cluster software update, all count. If you also experienced recurring check engine lights from the EGR or water pump issues, those visits add to the overall pattern. Gather every repair order you have and speak with a California lemon law attorney — the consultation is typically free, and Kia pays your legal fees if the case succeeds.
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