2017-2026 Genesis G90 Problems: 23 Known Issues

On the 2023 G90, the front driver, front passenger, and rear seat-belt pretensioners can over-pressurize when they deploy in a crash. The micro-gas-generator pretensioner pipe may rupture, causing abnormal deployment that sprays metal fragments into the cabin and risks injuring occupants. This is the same defective pyrotechnic pretensioner family behind a broader Genesis/Hyundai action; the G90-specific slice is NHTSA recall 23V210 (Genesis campaign 013G), covering roughly 575 units built April 21, 2022 through February 21, 2023. It is a restraint-system safety defect entirely separate from the electrical, fuel, and drivetrain issues catalogued elsewhere. At filing, Genesis was not aware of any real-world abnormal deployment incidents.

On second-generation G90s, the driver and front passenger seat belts attach to the seat frame through a snap-on anchor that can break, so the anchor does not securely fasten the belt to the structure. If the anchor separates in a crash the belt cannot restrain the occupant, which defeats the restraint entirely at the moment it matters. This is a different defect from the earlier pretensioner over-pressurization problem - nothing ruptures or fires here; the load path simply comes apart at the seat-frame end. Hyundai and Genesis covered roughly 294,000 vehicles across several nameplates in this action, with the 2023-2026 G90 among them, so late-model and current cars are in scope.

On G90s painted in Savile Silver (paint code SSS), the aluminum content in the bumper-cover paint reflects the front corner-radar signal, which then passes through the front bumper beam and is registered as an object. Highway Drive Assist (HDA) interprets it as a vehicle cutting into the lane and applies sudden, unintended braking — reported at low speed (below ~12 mph) and when Lane Change Assist is active. Only Savile Silver cars are affected. Covered by NHTSA Recall 25V833 (Genesis campaign 030G, 483 U.S. vehicles).

A software bug supplied by LG Electronics in the digital instrument cluster causes the entire IP display to go blank at startup on 2023-2025 G90s built Apr 21, 2022 - Apr 7, 2025. With no speedometer, warnings, or system status visible, the condition violates FMVSS 101. Genesis recall 027G (NHTSA campaign 25V474) covers 2,345 G90 units (part of a 4,754-vehicle total with GV60).

Water can enter the starter solenoid and cause an electrical short, which may lead to an engine-compartment fire while the vehicle is parked or being driven. Genesis instructed owners to park outside and away from structures until repaired. Covered by NHTSA Recall 24V107 (Hyundai/Genesis campaigns 018G and 254(H)); owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024.

First-generation G90 owners, including HTRAC all-wheel-drive cars, report a rhythmic highway-speed vibration felt through the steering wheel and seat between roughly 60 and 80 mph that survives new tires, road-force balancing, new rotors and alignment. One 2017 G90 AWD owner on the Genesis forums traced it to an electronic root cause distinct from the usual wheel-balance story: the combined yaw rate / lateral / longitudinal G-sensor module mounted under the front console (part 95910-D2000, which is labeled as an airbag control unit) drifts and feeds false motion data to the ESC and HTRAC controllers. The stability system then pulses individual brakes and continuously shuffles front-to-rear torque to correct a yaw that isn't happening, and the driver feels that as a steady vibration. The tell is that the shake persists after every mechanical remedy and is speed-dependent rather than tire-dependent. This is a distinct failure from ordinary wheel imbalance and from the body's own resonance, and dealers frequently chase tires for months because the sensor throws no stored fault code.

Owners across model years report the 12V battery going flat after the car sits a few days. A common documented culprit is the radio/head unit continuing to draw current after shutdown, along with other parasitic draws that exceed the normal <50 mA key-off current. Leaving the key fob near the car can compound it. Frequent deep discharges shorten battery life and can leave the car unable to start.

The DIS infotainment/navigation head unit intermittently freezes, becomes unresponsive, or displays a blank screen — including a 'Navigation Activation in Progress' message that leaves the map unavailable. It can also drop Bluetooth/connectivity. Distinct from the second-gen instrument-cluster software recall; this is the center-stack head unit on first-gen cars.

On the second-generation 3.5L twin-turbo G90, the retention fasteners on the fuel crossover pipe at the fuel-rail connections were tightened during assembly with an insufficient concentration of thread/torque stabilizer (thread retainer). Over time the fasteners can gradually loosen, allowing gasoline to seep from the crossover pipe joints. Fuel leaking near hot engine components creates an engine-fire hazard. This is a manufacturing/assembly-torque defect covered by NHTSA recall 26V229 (Genesis campaign 033G). It affects 4,231 G90 units within a larger ~94,760-vehicle Genesis action (G80/GV80/GV70 also covered), part of a combined ~235,000-unit Kia-Genesis fuel-leak action. It is a fuel-delivery-rail failure distinct from the low-pressure fuel-pump impeller recall and the turbo oil-feed-pipe fire recall.

Per NHTSA Recall 24V282000 / Genesis 022G, low-pressure fuel pump assemblies in ~1,364 G90 sedans (2022-2023 MY, built Jun 2, 2021 - Sep 14, 2022) may contain impellers that deform under high ambient/underhood temperatures, causing mechanical interference with the pump housing and shutdown. Affects both 1st-gen (3.3T Lambda / 5.0L V8) 2022 G90s and 2nd-gen (3.5T Smartstream) 2023 G90s. The recall lists two G90 pump part numbers: 31110-D2000 and 31110-T1050.

A small batch of 2018 Genesis G90 sedans left the plant with the wrong primer applied during windshield and backlight installation. The wrong primer chemistry does not properly activate the urethane bond, so the adhesive never reaches full bonding strength to the glass or the pinch weld. Over time, and especially under body flex, thermal cycling or a crash load, the windshield or rear window can separate from the body. Because the bonded windshield is a structural member on a unibody sedan (it supports the roof in a rollover and backs up the passenger airbag), a weak bond is a crashworthiness defect, not just a leak risk. Genesis identified the affected build window by VIN; the population is very small (approximately 37 G80 and G90 vehicles combined), which is why almost no owner ever hears about it, but any 2018 G90 should be VIN-checked because an unremedied car has rear glass that can detach at speed.

The G90's power soft-close doors use a motorized cinching latch that pulls a door held at the first detent fully shut. On first-generation cars this system fails one door at a time: the cinch motor stops running, so the door sits visibly proud and the ajar warning stays lit until the door is slammed manually, or in the worse version the latch actuator sticks and the door will not open at all from inside or out. Owners on the Genesis forums report it appearing intermittently on a front passenger door, being fixed under warranty, then reappearing on a different door - which points to a component-level failure of the latch/actuator assembly rather than a one-off. A dead cinch motor is an annoyance, but a latch that will not release is a genuine egress problem for a rear passenger.

Distinct from the panoramic sunroof rattle, first-generation G90 owners report a whistle or roar entering the cabin at the front driver's door - typically from the lower or forward edge of the door glass and the A-pillar area - that becomes obvious above roughly 60 mph. It is glaring on this car precisely because the rest of the cabin is so quiet. The causes documented by owners are the frameless-feel door glass sitting slightly proud in its run channel so it does not fully compress the seal at speed, and door weatherstrip and A-pillar molding that seals inconsistently from the factory. In one documented case a Genesis field representative measured the A-pillar as 10-20 decibels louder than the rest of the car and the company replaced every seal on the vehicle plus an exterior mirror.

Owners of the power-operated trunk on the first-generation G90 report intermittent failures where the decklid will not fully close and latch when lowered, or will not release and rise when commanded (some report a stick roughly every few openings). The trunk uses a power latch (cinch) module and a power drive (raise/lower) module, either of which can fail or fall out of calibration. Owner and dealer reports indicate lid misalignment is a frequent root cause - striker, rubber stopper and trim adjustment often resolves it - and that replacing the drive unit alone does not always help. Low 12V battery voltage can also cause the symptom. This is a body/closure electromechanical issue distinct from the general parasitic battery-drain complaint.

On G90s equipped with the 3.3L twin-turbo V6, the original left-hand turbocharger oil feed pipe was made from a material that is susceptible to cracking after prolonged exposure to high engine-compartment temperatures. The pipe cracks and leaks pressurized engine oil directly onto the hot exhaust manifold, dramatically increasing the risk of an under-hood fire. This drove NHTSA Recall 24V191 (Hyundai/Genesis campaign 019G), which expanded and replaced earlier campaign 19V-538. Vehicles repaired under 19V-538 still need the new 019G remedy.

The 5.0L Tau V8 is gasoline-direct-injection only (no port injectors to wash the valves), so intake valves accumulate carbon deposits over time, which can cause rough idle, misfire and reduced performance at higher mileage. Some 2018+ owners also report elevated oil consumption (adding oil between changes), though rates are often within Genesis's acceptable spec.

With the car stationary and the brake firmly applied, the driver selects R and the transmission momentarily engages, then the gear indicator flicks to N and the car will not move. It typically clears by cycling back to P and reselecting, but it recurs and it happens in exactly the situation - reversing out of a parking space or driveway - where an unexpected loss of drive is dangerous. Owners on the Genesis forums describe it as intermittent, and a Genesis service bulletin covers 2017-2018 G90s whose Shift By Wire system can slip into Neutral when shifting between Reverse and Drive. The behavior points to the shift-by-wire selector rather than to internal hydraulic damage, since the transmission otherwise shifts normally.

Owners report harsh, jerky 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 upshifts, hesitation and a low-speed lurch/jerk on the 8-speed automatic. A subset of 2018 V6 cars reported the transmission slipping toward Neutral from Drive/Reverse. For 2017-2018 G90s, Genesis TSB 19-AT-014HG gives a harsh and/or delayed shift diagnosis that times each shift solenoid; the solenoid-replacement bulletin (21-AT-010HG) covers only early-build 2017 G80s, not the G90.

The wrapped leather dash top on first-generation G90s separates from its substrate and puckers into visible ripples and bubbles. The mechanism is adhesive failure: the leather is stretched over a foam-backed panel and glued, and repeated heat soak breaks down the adhesive until the stretched hide relaxes and lifts. Wrinkles concentrate where the panel has cutouts and edges that concentrate stress - around the head-up display window, over the center and A-pillar speaker grilles, and along the defroster vents. Owners in the community describe it as extremely common on 2017-2019 cars, particularly those parked outdoors in hot or high-UV climates, and note that cold snaps make the wrinkles suddenly obvious. It is cosmetic rather than safety-related, but on a car of this class it is expensive and it materially hits resale.

On rear-seat-package G90s - the Ultimate rear entertainment/executive rear seat configurations, and the second-generation 2023-plus cars - a rear screen and the rear seat adjustment controls on the same side can stop responding together. In a reported 2020 G90 Ultimate case, the left rear screen and left rear seat controls died while the right side kept working, with the harness running through the seat back and rear armrest; the cause was not confirmed (water from an earlier sunroof-frame leak or a connector left unplugged after headliner work were suspected). A 2023 owner reported the rear LED screen and UV lights failing and the repair taking three weeks because the technicians had to remove both rear seats, the tunnel and the rear console. It is not a safety defect, but it disables the feature set that most justifies the trim's price.

Coolant weeping/leaks are frequently reported and seen by technicians on first-gen G90s — commonly from the water pump and thermostat housing on the 3.3T, plus O-ring/gasket seepage on the 5.0. On 2017-2018 G90s, Genesis TSB 19-AT-004HG documents a coolant leak between the ATF warmer connector and the engine-side heater pipe, fixed with new O-rings. Left unaddressed, slow coolant loss risks overheating and cylinder-head damage on the Lambda/Tau V6/V8 family.

G90 owners report a pronounced pedal and steering-wheel pulsation under braking from highway speed, appearing at mileages where a luxury sedan's rotors should still be flat. Owners on Genesis forums report the shudder on a 2017 3.3T AWD at about 40k miles and a 2018 at 9,500 miles, often after long downhill braking. Two mechanisms are argued in the community and both are real: uneven friction-material transfer from the soft, comfort-biased OEM pad compound laying down patchy deposits that read as disc thickness variation, and rotors that do not seat flush on a corroded or debris-contaminated hub face, which forces measurable runout the moment the wheel is torqued. The car's mass and the low-dust, quiet pad choice make it unusually prone to the deposit version. Genesis ran a dealer-stock-only brake pulsation campaign on 2019 G70/G80/G90s (T06G) and issued a brake service best-practice bulletin for 2017-2018 G80/G90s (21-BR-002HG, normal warranty applies).

Water vapor accumulates inside the sealed headlamp assemblies and condenses on the inside of the lens, most often on one side only and worst after rain or a car wash. Genesis's own lamp-condensation bulletin (TSB 23-BD-002G, which applies to all Genesis models) treats light fogging that clears with the lamps on as normal, but water pooling at the bottom of the lamp, water streaks, or condensation that remains after the lamps have been on for about 30 minutes points to a leaking assembly. Owners worry that moisture left standing can pit or discolor the reflector over time. Owners across the Genesis forums report the same behavior on multiple models, and dealers frequently deflect it as normal venting behavior until it is documented as persistent.