An Urgent Warning for Hundreds of Thousands of SUV Owners
Kia America has issued an urgent safety recall affecting nearly half a million of its highly popular first-generation flagship SUVs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that Kia is recalling 462,869 Telluride vehicles from the 2020 through 2024 model years due to a severe mechanical defect that poses an immediate fire hazard.
Because these vehicles can catch fire while driving or even when completely turned off and parked, federal regulators and the automaker are urgently warning all affected owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from homes, businesses, garages, and other structures until the necessary safety repairs have been fully completed.
Mechanical Defect: Continuous Operation Causes Melting and Fires
The root cause of the hazard stems from the front power seat adjustment mechanism. According to federal documentation, an external impact with excessive force to either the front power seat side cover or the slide control knob can cause the internal switch to become dislodged, internally misaligned, or structurally damaged.
If this misalignment occurs, the switch can become permanently stuck in an active position, continuously sending electrical current to the seat adjustment motor. Over time, this nonstop operation causes the motor to overheat rapidly. To date, Kia has identified at least 18 unique field incidents related to this defect, including 11 instances of the seat motor entirely melting and 7 confirmed localized seat fires.
Warning Symptoms to Watch For: Telluride owners should stay alert for a stuck or unresponsive seat adjustment knob, seats that continue to slide after releasing the control switch, a strong burning or melting plastic smell emanating from underneath the front seats, or visible smoke coming from the seat base.
Why Previous Repairs Are No Longer Safe
If this safety campaign feels familiar, it is because Kia issued a previous recall for the exact same issue (Recall Number 24V407). Under the initial 2024 remedy, dealership service departments were instructed to install a reinforcement bracket on the switch back cover and replace the slide knob.
However, reports of melting components and under-seat fires continued to surface on vehicles that had already received the dealership fix. Investigators discovered that sporadic dealer workmanship issuesโwhere technicians mistakenly reinforced the switchback cover instead of replacing the underlying power seat switchโleft the fire risk fully intact. As a result, this brand-new recall completely supersedes the older campaign, and all owners must bring their vehicles back to a dealership, even if they already received the original 2024 repair.
The New Remedy and Next Steps for Owners
To address the defect permanently, Kia dealerships will now install a newly engineered electronic fuse assembly completely free of charge. This safety device is designed to cut off electrical current automatically if the switch becomes misaligned or damaged, preventing the continuous operation that leads to overheating.
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VIN Lookup Availability: Owners can input their 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the official NHTSA recall website starting Friday, July 17, 2026, to check their vehicle’s status.
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Notification Letters: Official recall notification letters are scheduled to be sent out to affected registered owners via first-class mail beginning August 13, 2026.
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Contacting Customer Support: For immediate assistance or questions regarding the recall, owners can reach out to Kia America Customer Service directly at 1-800-333-4542 or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
