Dive Brief:
- Kia America has recalled nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs due to a fire risk from front power seat motors that can overheat due to damaged switches, superseding a June 2024 recall of the same population of Telluride models for the issue, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recall includes certain model year 2020-2024 Telluride SUVs produced between January 2019 and May 2024. Just 1% of the recall population is estimated to have the defect. But all of the vehicles repaired under the 2024 recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
- Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly to prevent continuous seat motor operation, even if the switch becomes dislodged or damaged. Kia plans to mail owner notification letters beginning Aug. 13.
Dive Insight:
The front power seat motors for the driver and passenger positions can overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob causing the circuit to fail to turn off. The seat motor typically runs continuously if the power seat switch is damaged or misaligned, per the report.
Owners may notice sticking seat slide knobs, a burning smell or smoke coming from underneath the front seats. The fire risk is present whether a vehicle is being driven or powered off, so the recall includes a park outdoors warning until the repairs are completed.
Kia received the first report of an overheated motor in December 2022 with a complaint of smoke coming from beneath the driver’s seat in a 2021 Telluride. As a result, Kia’s North America Safety Office in California began monitoring the issue, which eventually led to the first recall in 2024.
According to the recall report, switch damage can occur if excessive force hits the power seat side cover or seat slide knob — or it may stem from faulty repairs related to the previous recall.
The recall remedy in 2024 attempted to prevent damage to the switch by installing reinforcement brackets on the power seat switch back covers and replacing the slide knobs. However, in October 2024, Kia received a report of a fire underneath the passenger seat of a 2020 Telluride that had received this remedy. An inspection of this vehicle by Kia suggested the recall repair may not have been completed properly, according to the company’s chronology of the recall investigation. The automaker’s North America Safety Office continued to monitor the issue.
The affected power seat switch assemblies were sourced from South Korea-based supplier Duck-il Industry, and reinforced power seat switch mechanisms were introduced into production on May 30, 2024.
After two additional reports in April 2025 and May 2025 of fire underneath Telluride passenger seats that had received the first recall repair, x-ray tests and tear-down analyses by the Kia North America Quality Center found different failure modes. Investigators continued to inspect parts, finding sporadic dealer workmanship issues, per the report. Kia also noted that passengers entering the vehicle could strike the seat slide knob and cause misalignment or dislodgement.”
In June, Kia’s Safety Office conducted a field data analysis and identified 18 incidents related to suspect seat motors that had occurred between October 2024 and April 2026. These incidents included seven reports of fires beneath seats and 11 incidents of melted seat motors. As a result, the safety office approved the recall on June 25.
