Kia America is initiating a recall of nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs and advising owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from structures until a potential fire hazard is resolved.
The issue stems from the front power seat motor in Tellurides from the 2020-2024 model years, which may overheat due to a stuck slide knob, as indicated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This overheating could lead to a fire while the vehicle is parked or in operation.
The decision to recall the affected vehicles was made by Kia on May 29, according to NHTSA documents released on Friday. This action follows reports of one instance of an under-seat fire and six incidents of localized melting in the seat tilt motor between August 2022 and March 2024. Fortunately, no injuries, accidents, or fatalities have been reported thus far.
The recall report highlights that significant external impact on the front power seat side cover or seat slide knob of the affected Tellurides can cause internal misalignment, leading to overheating with continued operation. Symptoms of this issue may include an inability to adjust the power seat, the detection of burning or melting odors, or the observation of smoke emanating from beneath the seat.
To address this concern, Kia dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs at no expense to the owners. Until these repairs are completed, owners are advised to park their vehicles outdoors and away from buildings.
Notification letters will be sent to owners starting July 30, with dealers being informed a few days prior. Kia America, headquartered in Irvine, California, did not provide immediate comment on why notifications would commence at the end of next month, according to The Associated Press.
In the interim, drivers can verify if their vehicle is included in the recall and access additional information through the NHTSA website or Kia’s recall lookup platform.
The recall affects 462,869 Tellurides manufactured between January 9, 2019, and May 29, 2024, for the model years 2020-2024. Kia America estimates that only 1% of these vehicles have the defect.
This is not the sole recall impacting Kia Telluride owners, as in March, Kia America announced a recall of over 427,000 2020-2024 Telluride SUVs due to a flaw that may cause the vehicles to roll away while parked. Additionally, Kia and Hyundai previously issued “park outside” recalls for 3.4 million other car and SUV models last fall due to the risk of engine compartment fires. Despite ongoing repairs, many of these vehicles remained on the road for several months, prompting concerns from drivers and consumer safety advocates.
While Hyundai owns a portion of Kia, both companies operate independently.
