New York and Pennsylvania owners and lessees of 2023–2025 Kia Telluride SUVs with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster may be covered by a proposed class action alleging Kia sold the vehicles with displays that can go completely blank at startup or while driving. No class has been certified and there is nothing to file yet.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. Kia America, Inc. and Kia Corporation have not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
Five Telluride owners, four in New York and one in Pennsylvania, filed a proposed class action against Kia America, Inc. and its South Korean parent, Kia Corporation, on May 22, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The case is O’Connell v. Kia America, Inc., No. 8:26-cv-01291.According to CarComplaints.com’s report on the complaint, the suit says the 12.3-inch panoramic digital instrument cluster in 2023–2025 Tellurides can fail completely and go black. That screen carries the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, warning lights and driver-assistance displays, and the complaint says there is no analog or mechanical backup. Kia has not responded to the claims on the merits, and none of them have been proven.
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What the Owners Say Happened
According to CarComplaints.com, each of the five owners says the cluster failed more than once. One says he took his 2023 Telluride to the dealer three times. Others say the problem did not appear while the SUV was at the dealership, or that the dealer could not reproduce it, so nothing was repaired. One owner of a certified pre-owned 2024 Telluride says the dealer told her a technician would need to see the failure happen.The complaint alleges Kia knew about the defect before the SUVs were sold, through consumer complaints, dealer repair records, complaints to NHTSA, warranty claims and its own durability testing, and did not warn buyers on window stickers or through salespeople. In a press release, the plaintiffs’ law firm said the complaint also alleges that at least one driver crashed after the cluster went blank and the Telluride’s Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to activate.
The Earlier Kia Cluster Recall
Kia has recalled a blank-cluster problem before, on different hardware. In April 2023 it recalled several 2023 models, including the Telluride, that were equipped with a 4.2-inch LCD cluster that could fail to display anything when the vehicle was started (NHTSA campaign 23V298). Kia said those vehicles did not comply with federal safety standards 101, which covers controls and displays, and 138, which covers tire pressure monitoring, and dealers updated the cluster software for free.The new lawsuit concerns the larger 12.3-inch cluster. According to the plaintiffs’ law firm, the complaint alleges the affected Tellurides also fail to comply with standards 101 and 138. OCA checked NHTSA’s recall database on October 11, 2026, and found no recall for the 12.3-inch cluster in 2023–2025 Tellurides. Owners can look up any open recall for a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA’s recall site.
Who Is in the Proposed Class?
According to CarComplaints.com, the proposed class is all persons in New York and Pennsylvania who bought or leased, and still have, a 2023–2025 Kia Telluride with the 12.3-inch panoramic digital instrument cluster. Owners in other states are not part of the proposed class.What Happens Next?
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge David O. Carter. The court docket shows Kia America appeared through counsel in June 2026, and the judge gave it until August 20, 2026 to respond to the complaint. OCA could not confirm later filings. There is no settlement, no certified class and no claim form.Questions
Which Kia Tellurides are in the lawsuit?
2023, 2024 and 2025 Kia Telluride SUVs equipped with the 12.3-inch panoramic digital instrument cluster. Tellurides with a different cluster display fall outside the proposed class.
Has Kia recalled the Telluride for a blank instrument cluster?
Not for the 12.3-inch cluster. In 2023 Kia recalled several 2023 models, including the Telluride, equipped with a 4.2-inch LCD cluster that could fail to display at startup (NHTSA campaign 23V298), and fixed them with a software update. As of October 11, 2026, NHTSA lists no recall for the 12.3-inch cluster at issue in this lawsuit.
Who is covered by the Kia Telluride lawsuit?
The proposed class is people in New York and Pennsylvania who bought or leased, and still have, a 2023–2025 Telluride with the 12.3-inch cluster. Owners in other states are not in the proposed class. No class has been certified.
Is there any money to claim from the Kia Telluride lawsuit?
No. There is no settlement, certified class or claim form. If the case settles or a class is certified, class members would be notified of any way to take part.
Sources
• Docket for O’Connell v. Kia America, Inc., No. 8:26-cv-01291 (C.D. Cal.), via Justia: Justia Docket• CarComplaints.com, “Lawsuit Says Kia Telluride Instrument Panel Clusters Not Working” (June 1, 2026): CarComplaints.com
• McCune Law Group press release on the filing (June 9, 2026): PR Newswire
• NHTSA recall 23V298, Kia 4.2-inch instrument cluster: NHTSA Recall Document
