Half A Million Kia Telluride Drivers In The Hot Seat

Kia has issued a “park outside” directive for 426,869 Telluride vehicles produced between 2020 and 2024 due to the risk of a fire while parked or driving. According to the NHTSA report, the issue has to do with the front power seat motor becoming overheated due to a stuck power seat slide knob, potentially leading to a fire that could result in injury. A recall has also been announced, but until it’s been completed at your local dealer, the company wants all owners to take the utmost precautions when it comes to their homes.

This is the second time this year that the Telluride has been recalled, with the previous one only affecting a few hundred more models that could potentially roll away when the intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft won’t engage correctly. This new issue is much more worrisome, as it could lead to serious damage or injury if parked in your garage at night or when you’re away, bringing back flashbacks of the Chevy Bolt fire recall from a couple of years ago.

Details Of The Recall

While it’s always concerning to hear your vehicle could catch on fire, the NHTSA recall report indicates this is only likely to happen after an “external impact with excessive force to the front power seat side cover and/or seat slide knob” occurs. There will also be warning signs like the inability to adjust the seat or a burning/melting smell being detected. Smoke may also be seen.

Add CarBuzz to your Google News feed.

From December 2022 until March 2024, the company received six complaints that aligned with the warning signs above, while a seventh reported that a driver experienced a fire while driving, though no injuries were reported. Over the next month, the issue was discovered and the defective part was identified. The fix is that the dealer will “install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs, free of charge.”

Many Kia/Hyundai Recalls As Of Late

Kia plans to notify owners of the vehicle starting July 30th, but we implore that you contact your local dealer ASAP to get the problem resolved before then if you can. As we said before, this is the second Telluride recall in recent months, but Kia and its parent company Hyundai have had a few other high-profile callbacks, including Kia Stinger and K900 sedans also recalled due to fire risk, and both brands’ EVs being recalled due to loss of power.

Last year, the companies had more fire recalls that affected millions of vehicles, granting Kia third place on the list of most cars recalled in 2023. While that’s never a great badge to wear, the Hyundai was only number 9 on the list of the automakers with the most recalls overall. The top three there in order were Ford with 54, Chrysler (which includes Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram) with 45, and BMW with 29.

Related

More Than A Million Hyundais & Kias At Risk Of Spontaneously Combusting

And the brand is telling owners to park outside as a result.