Kia recalls 463,000 Telluride SUVs over fire risk, tells owners to park outside

Kia is recalling nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs in the United States and warning owners to park outside because the front power seat motors can overheat and catch fire, according to federal safety documents.

The recall covers 462,869 Kia Telluride vehicles from model years 2020 through 2024. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the fire risk involves the front power seats, where a seat motor can overheat because of a stuck power seat slide knob or a faulty repair under an earlier recall.

Owners are being told to park outside and away from structures until the new repair is completed. Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly at no charge, and owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on August 13.

The new recall replaces a 2024 campaign which was also tied to a fire risk in the front power seats. Vehicles that were already repaired under that recall will need to return to dealers for the new remedy.

Kia began reviewing the issue after receiving reports of fires beneath the seats in Telluride vehicles that had already received the earlier recall repair. In one case, inspections found an overheated passenger seat tilt motor, while another review found misaligned internal seat switches that caused the seat motor to keep operating.

The company later found another possible cause, saying an occupant could strike the seat slide knob while entering the vehicle, creating twisting forces that may dislodge or misalign the seat switch.

Kia said it identified 18 unique incidents, including seven localized seat or under-seat fires and 11 cases involving localized melting of the seat motor. No injuries, crashes or fatalities have been reported.

Vehicle identification numbers included in the recall are expected to become searchable on NHTSA’s website beginning July 17.