On Friday, Kia implored those with a Kia Telluride SUV to refrain from parking indoors owing to a concern with a motor in the front seat that could ignite. This recall affects a total of 462,869 Telluride SUVs, which have been in circulation since the vehicle made its debut in 2020 as a favorite in the category of large SUVs with three rows of seating.
This recall is inclusive of all Tellurides produced starting from Jan. 9, 2019 until May 29, 2024, with the exclusion of the standard LX variant, noted for its absence of electrically powered front seats. An electrical fault with the power seat slider switch can lead to its jamming, this keeps the motor activated indefinitely and may cause it to overheat, even if the car is not in use.
“The car manufacturer is recommending that vehicle owners position their cars outside at a safe distance from other automobiles and edifices until the recall maintenance is finalized,” declared the NHTSA in an advisory on Friday.
Vehicle owners may discern a resistance in the power seat control or find that the seat continues to adjust forwards or backwards even after they have ceased engaging the control. Furthermore, a scent indicative of burning or melting, accompanied by smoke from beneath the seat, might also be observed.
Given the risk of fire even when the Telluride is stationary, Kia has advised proprietors to park their SUVs outdoors, well-apart from other vehicles and buildings until all necessary adjustments are made.
Kia North America has reported knowledge of seven occurrences connected to this recall, including a single incident initiating beneath a seat and six instances of localized melting around the seat motor.
The acclaimed Telluride made waves in the segment of mid-size crossover SUVs upon its release in 2020, gaining accolades for resembling Land Rover in appearance and offering significant value. It garnered our recognition as the 2020 Best Car To Buy and remains the top performer among all gasoline-powered SUVs we have appraised.
However, Kia and its parent firm Hyundai have encountered a series of recalls related to fire risks of late, which have extended from powertrain faults to tow hitch connections and now an issue with a seat motor. In September 2023, Kia and Hyundai instigated a recall of over 3 million older models due to a possible short circuit within an engine bay control module that could trigger a fire.
Kia assesses that beneath 1% of Telluride models will be involved. Owners should be on the lookout for correspondence by July 30, and will be instructed to take their Telluride to a repair shop. Technicians will fix a bracket to fortify the power seat button’s rear cover and exchange the current seat slider knob for a superior one.
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