Kia Urgently Recalls Nearly 50,000 SUVs Over Fire Risk
Car manufacturer Kia has issued an urgent recall for nearly 50,000 SUVs after warnings emerged of power seats in the vehicles potentially catching fire. The company has called back 462,869 Telluride SUVs between the model year 2020-2024 due to risks. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front power seat motor is susceptible to overheating due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which may ignite a flame.
Kia has advised its customers to park their vehicles outside in case their seat spontaneously catches fire. Owners whose vehicles are at risk will be notified by mail starting July 30. Dealers will be installing a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs for no additional cost.
This recall comes after multiple complaints about burning smells from the seats and incidents of the slide knob found stuck in the upward position. Notably, a 2023MY Telluride owner reported that their driver seat caught on fire while driving in March 2024.
Additionally, this is not Kia’s first recall for the Telluride SUVs. In March of the same year, the manufacturer called back about 400,000 SUVs in America to fix a problem that can let the vehicles roll away when in park. The recall involves various Telluride models with affected vehicles from the model years 2020-2023 manufactured from January 9, 2019, through October 19, 2023.
The issue with the driveshaft, due to suspected improper assembly, can lead to unintended vehicle movement while in park if the parking brake is not engaged. This poses an increased risk of a crash. However, the problem can be fixed with a software update, and affected Telluride owners should take their cars to a Kia dealer for the update.