Genesis is recalling 83,877 luxury cars and SUVs in the United States after a software defect was linked to instrument panels that can suddenly go dark while driving, cutting off critical information like speed and warning lights. The campaign affects nearly 84,000 G‑badged vehicles built for the 2025 and 2026 model years, and owners are being urged to check their vehicle identification number immediately and schedule a fix.
Regulators and the company describe the blackout as a serious safety risk, with at least one crash and multiple injuries reported in connection with the failure. While the remedy is a relatively simple software update, the scale of the recall and the nature of the defect turn a sleek digital dashboard into a potential hazard if owners do not act quickly.
What is going wrong with Genesis dashboards
At the heart of the recall is a software error that can cause the digital instrument cluster to stop working without warning, leaving drivers staring at a blank screen instead of a live speedometer, gear indicator, or warning icons. Investigators say the failure can occur while the vehicle is in motion, which means a driver may suddenly lose access to basic information needed to judge speed, follow posted limits, or notice alerts about engine or brake problems, a risk that federal regulators say increases the chance of a crash. Technical summaries describe how a glitch in the cluster’s control software can trigger the display to shut down, a problem that has now been tied to a recall covering 83,877 Genesis vehicles.
Owners have described the experience as a “dead dash,” a phrase that captures the sudden stress of driving at highway speeds with no visual feedback from the car’s primary display. Reports compiled in recall documents note that the failure can last for the remainder of a trip, and in some cases the screen may not return until the vehicle is restarted or the software is updated, which is why safety advocates are warning drivers not to ignore any flickering or intermittent blackouts. One detailed account of the defect explains that the issue is rooted in the code that manages the instrument panel’s boot and communication sequence, and that the same bug can affect multiple Genesis models built on a shared electronics architecture, prompting the company to treat the problem as a broad software error rather than a hardware flaw.
Which Genesis models are affected
The recall covers a specific slice of the Genesis lineup, focused on newer sedans and SUVs that rely heavily on fully digital clusters. According to federal filings, Genesis issued a safety recall for 83,877 vehicles after confirming that the instrument panel defect could appear across several nameplates. The affected group includes the 2025–2026 Genesis GV80, the 2025–2026 Genesis G80, the 2026 Genesis GV70, and the 2026 Genesis GV70 Electrified, all of which share a common digital display platform that can be tripped up by the same faulty code. Regulators in WASHINGTON describe the scope as “Nearly 84,000” Genesis vehicles under recall from Hyundai, the parent company, a figure that matches other references to 84,000 G units.
Several reports use slightly different shorthand to describe the size of the campaign, with some calling it “Genesis Recalls Nearly 84,000 Vehicles Over Dashboard Scare” and others emphasizing the precise count of 83,877 vehicles, but all agree that the defect is confined to Genesis branded cars and SUVs sold in the United States. In CLEVELAND, officials note that Hyundai Motor Co is recalling nearly 84,000 G Genesis vehicles in the United States because their digital screens can fail, reinforcing that this is not a global campaign but a targeted action in one of the brand’s most important markets. For owners, the key takeaway is simple: if you drive a late model GV80, G80, or GV70, you should assume you are affected until you confirm otherwise.
How serious is the safety risk
Instrument clusters are not cosmetic, they are the primary way a modern car communicates with its driver, and regulators treat any failure as a serious safety issue. In this case, recall documents and independent summaries state that the blackout problem has already been linked to at least one crash and multiple injuries, although there are no confirmed deaths tied to the issue according to reporting attributed to Brian Iselin. Safety analysts point out that losing the speedometer and warning lights at night or in heavy rain can be especially dangerous, because drivers may not realize how fast they are traveling or whether systems like anti lock brakes or stability control are trying to intervene. The risk is compounded on highways, where a moment of confusion can quickly translate into a rear end collision or a loss of control.
Regulatory summaries from WASHINGTON describe how Nearly 84,000 G Genesis vehicles are being recalled by Hyundai because the dashboard display can fail while driving, a scenario that federal safety officials say “increases the risk of a crash.” Technical notes from another analysis echo that conclusion, explaining that a software error may cause the instrument panel display to fail, preventing the driver from viewing critical information such as the vehicle’s speed, warning lights, and gear position, a combination that clearly raises the odds of an accident according to safety investigators. I see this as a textbook example of how a seemingly small software bug can have outsized consequences once it is embedded in a core safety system.
How to check your VIN and get the fix
For Genesis owners, the most important step now is to confirm whether their vehicle is covered and, if so, to get the software update installed as soon as possible. Genesis has set up online tools where drivers can enter their vehicle identification number and see if their car is part of the recall, including a dedicated service portal that also helps schedule appointments. Owners who prefer to call can reach the Genesis Recall Center at the hotline listed in recall notices, which one summary identifies as 844 340 9741, and can reference recall number 031G when speaking with an advisor, a detail that appears in federal filings cited in recall documents.
Owners are already sharing their experiences with the notification process in online groups, where one post labeled OCR notes that On January 23, 2026, Genesis issued a safety recall for 83,877 vehicles due to a software defect that can cause the instrument cluster to go dark, and advises drivers to contact their dealer or the Genesis Recall Center. Another discussion cites a television segment from COM WHTM that says owners should receive letters by March 16, 2026, and references “More than 80,000” affected vehicles, a figure that aligns with the broader “Nearly 84,000” framing. I would not wait for a letter if you suspect your car is involved, especially if you have already seen the dash flicker or go dark.
What Genesis and Hyundai are telling drivers to do now
Hyundai Motor Co, which owns the Genesis brand, has been explicit that the defect is software based and that the remedy will usually be a simple update installed at the dealer. In CLEVELAND, company representatives explain that Hyundai Motor Co is recalling nearly 84,000 G Genesis cars and SUVs in the United States because their digital screens can fail, and that the fix will usually be a software update performed free of charge. Another technical briefing notes that the company has traced the problem to the instrument panel’s control software and is rolling out updated code that prevents the display from shutting down unexpectedly, a solution that is consistent with other modern recalls where a patch can be applied without replacing hardware, as described in key points shared with owners.
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