Kia America has issued a recall for approximately 463,000 Telluride SUVs, urging owners to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until a fire hazard issue is resolved. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified a potential problem with the front power seat motor in Tellurides from the 2020-2024 model years, which may overheat due to a stuck slide knob.

According to NHTSA documents published on Friday, Kia made the decision to recall the affected vehicles on May 29, after receiving reports of one under-seat fire and six incidents of localized melting in the seat tilt motor between August 2022 and March 2024. Fortunately, no injuries, crashes, or fatalities have been reported in connection with this issue.

The recall report explains that strong external impact to the front power seat side cover or seat slide knob could cause internal misalignment. Over time, this misalignment can lead to overheating, potentially resulting in a fire while the car is parked or being driven. Drivers experiencing this issue may find that they cannot adjust the power seat, notice a burning or melting smell, or observe smoke coming from underneath the seat.

To address the problem, Kia dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs free of charge. Until the necessary repairs are made, vehicle owners are advised to park their Tellurides outside and away from buildings to minimize the risk of fire.

Owner notification letters will be mailed out starting on July 30, with dealer notification taking place a few days prior. However, Kia America, based in Irvine, California, has not provided a comment on why these notifications will not begin until the end of next month.

Affected owners are encouraged to visit the NHTSA website or Kia's recall lookup platform to confirm if their specific vehicle is included in the recall and for more information on how to proceed. The recall covers a total of 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Tellurides manufactured between January 9, 2019, and May 29, 2024. Kia America estimates that approximately 1% of these vehicles may have the defective front power seat motor.

This is not the first recall affecting Kia Telluride owners. In March, Kia America announced a separate recall for more than 427,000 2020-2024 Telluride SUVs due to a defect that could cause the vehicles to roll away while parked. Additionally, last fall, Kia and Hyundai issued a recall for 3.4 million other car and SUV models due to the risk of engine compartment fires. Despite these recalls, concerns have been raised about delayed repairs, leaving many of these vehicles on the road, which continues to be a serious concern for drivers and consumer safety advocates.