Denver, Colorado – Kia is urgently recalling nearly 50,000 SUVs in response to reports of power seats potentially catching fire. The affected models include 462,869 Telluride SUVs manufactured between 2020 and 2024 due to safety concerns.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has highlighted that the front power seat motor in these vehicles is at risk of overheating, primarily due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which could lead to a fire. As a precautionary measure, Kia has advised customers to park their vehicles outside if their seat shows any signs of overheating.
Owners have been urged to be vigilant and lookout for warning signs such as the inability to adjust the seat, burning smells, or visible smoke. The company has announced that once the affected vehicles are returned, dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs at no additional costs.
Notably, complaints regarding burning smells and issues with the seats were reported, including incidents where the power seat slide knobs were stuck or dislodged. One owner even reported their driver’s seat catching fire while driving in March 2024. The dealer documented the incident and identified that the fire originated from the driver’s side seat tilt motor.
This recall is not the first for Kia’s Telluride SUVs. Earlier this year, about 400,000 SUVs were called back due to a separate issue that could cause the vehicles to roll away while in park. The recall, submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, affects various Telluride models with model years ranging from 2020 to 2024.
The company has identified problems in the driveshaft assembly, leading to unintended vehicle movement when the parking brake is not engaged. To address this issue, Kia is offering a software update to ensure the driveshaft engages correctly. Owners of affected Telluride models are advised to visit a Kia dealer for the necessary updates.