463,000 Kia Telluride SUVs recalled due to fire risk: NPR

NEW YORK — Kia America is recalling nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs — and urging owners to park their cars outdoors and away from other structures until an issue posing a fire hazard is resolved.

The front power seat motor in affected Tellurides from model years 2020 through 2024 may overheat due to a stuck slide button, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This could potentially cause a fire when the car is parked or being driven.

Kia made the decision to recall the vehicles on May 29, according to NHTSA documents released Friday, after receiving reports of an under-seat fire and six incidents of localized melting in the vehicle's tilt motor. headquarters between August 2022 and March 2024. No associated injuries or accidents. or deaths were reported at the time.

The recall report states that strong external impact to the front power seat side cover or seat slide button on recalled Tellurides may result in internal misalignment and, with continued operation, may cause overheating. People driving vehicles with this problem may find that they cannot adjust the power seat, notice a burning or melting smell, or see smoke rising from under the seat.

To resolve this issue, dealers will install a bracket for the rear power seat switch covers and replace the seat slide buttons free of charge. While waiting for vehicles to be repaired, owners are asked to park their cars outside and away from buildings.

Notification letters to owners are expected to be mailed beginning July 30, with notification to the dealership a few days prior. Kia America, based in Irvine, California, did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment on why those notifications would not begin until the end of next month.

In the meantime, drivers can also confirm whether their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site and/or Kia's recall search platform.

The recall covers 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Tellurides that were manufactured between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024. Kia America estimates 1% have the defect.

This isn't the only recall affecting Kia Telluride owners. In March, Kia America announced it would recall more than 427,000 2020-2024 Telluride SUVs due to a defect that could cause the cars to roll when parked.

Last fall, Kia and Hyundai announced the recall of 3.4 million other car and SUV models due to the risk of engine compartment fires. Despite long-delayed repairs, many of these vehicles remained on the road months later, raising serious concerns among drivers and consumer safety advocates.

Hyundai owns part of Kia, although the two companies operate independently.