Kia Recalls 463,000 Telluride SUVs Again Due to Fire Risk

Kia America has initiated a new recall for approximately 463,000 Telluride SUVs, advising owners to park their vehicles outside and away from buildings due to a persistent fire risk. This recall supersedes a previous one from 2024.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced this week that the recall affects certain Tellurides from the 2020-2024 model years. The front power seat motor in these vehicles may overheat if the slide knob becomes stuck, potentially leading to a fire while the vehicle is either in motion or parked. Despite a remedy previously offered by Kia, customer complaints of fires originating beneath the passenger seat have continued.

Kia's investigation into vehicles that had received the earlier repair identified "sporadic dealer workmanship issues." This led to the decision to issue a new recall. Between October 2024 and April 2026, Kia North America's safety office documented 18 incidents involving localized seat fires or melting of the seat motor. No injuries or crashes have been reported in connection with these incidents.

To address the hazard, dealerships will install an electronic fuse assembly free of charge. This component is designed to prevent the seat motor from operating continuously if the switch becomes dislodged or damaged. The remedy is expected to be available in early August, according to an advanced dealer notice from NHTSA. Owners are scheduled to receive notification letters starting August 13.

In the interim, NHTSA is strongly advising owners to "park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete." The affected vehicles include 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Tellurides manufactured between January 9, 2019, and May 29, 2024. Kia America estimates that 1% of these vehicles have the defect.

Owners can verify if their specific vehicle is part of this recall and find additional information through the NHTSA website or Kia's recall lookup platform.