NEW YORK – Kia America is recalling nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs and urging owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from other structures until the fire hazard problem is corrected.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the power front seat motor in a 2020-2024 Telluride may overheat due to a stuck slider. This could potentially cause a fire when you park or drive your car.
Kia made the decision to recall the vehicles on May 29, according to NHTSA documents released Friday, after receiving reports of one underseat fire and six incidents of local seat recline motor meltdowns between August 2022 and March 2024. There were no associated injuries and accidents or fatalities were reported during this time.
The recall report noted that severe external impacts to the recalled Telluride front seat power cover or seat adjustment knob could cause internal misalignment, and with continuous operation, overheating could occur. People driving vehicles with this problem may find that they cannot adjust the power seat, may notice a burning or melting odor, or may see smoke coming from under the seat.
To resolve this issue, dealers will install the rear power seat switch cover bracket and replace the seat shift knobs at no charge. Until vehicles are repaired, owners are asked to park their cars outside and away from buildings.
Notification letters to owners will be mailed from July 30, and dealers will be notified a few days in advance. Kia America, based in Irvine, California, did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment on why notifications were not expected to begin until overdue next month.
In the meantime, drivers can also confirm whether their specific vehicle is included in the recall and find more information using NHTSA website and/or Kia reminder search platform.
The recall covers 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Tellurs manufactured between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024. Kia America estimates 1% are affected.
This isn’t the only recall affecting Kia Telluride owners. In March, Kia America said it would recall more than 427,000 2020-2024 Telluride SUVs due to a fault that could cause the car to roll away when they stand.
Just last fall, Kia and Hyundai announced the withdrawal of vehicles from the “outdoor parking” campaign. 3.4 million other passenger car and SUV models due to the risk of fire in the engine compartment. Due to long-term repairs, many of these vehicles a month later he remained on the roadwhich raises stern concerns among drivers and consumer safety advocates.
Hyundai owns part of Kia, although the two companies operate independently.
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