Kia Recalls Telluride for Overheating Power Seat Motor, 462,869 Vehicles Affected

Emphasis on motors because both the driver and the passenger-side power seat motors can overheat. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the root cause behind the overheating condition is a sticky knob. An external impact to the seat's side cover or the seat slide knob might dislodge the power seat switch back cover, which may lead to internal misalignment of the seat motor control switch.

Following a dealer techline case with a complaint alleging smoke coming from underneath the driver's seat, Kia America started looking into this matter in December 2022. Three months later, another case involving a 2022 model year Telluride was received with a complaint of a burning smell from the front passenger seat. This prompted the company to collect parts. A further case was reported in December 2023, and by then, Safety Office engineers had found evidence of a melted connector and an overheated seat tilt motor.

Prior to filing the recall documentation with the NHTSA, the manufacturer was aware of seven unique incidents: one localized fire and six cases of melted seat tilt motors. Thankfully for Telluride owners and Kia's legal department, the automaker isn't aware of any injuries caused by the recall condition. The power front left- and right-side seat switch assemblies bear part numbers 88070-S2020 and 88080-S9000, and come from a Korean supplier dubbed Duck Il Industry Co., Ltd.

Vehicles produced from January 9, 2019 through May 29, 2024 are fitted with said assemblies. The remedy comes in the form of a reinforcement bracket for the power seat switch back cover and the replacement of the seat slide knob with an improved component. Said remedy was designed to mitigate damage to and dislodgement of the seat motor control switch from external impact force.

Dealers will be notified about NHTSA recall number 24V-407 no later than July 25, 2024. Owners, meanwhile, will be informed via first-class mail between July 30 and July 31, 2024. It goes without saying that Telluride owners are recommended to park outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the repair has been performed.

Because it's nigh-on impossible to determine the date when any given Telurride rolled off the assembly line at KMMG in Georgia, owners can simply enter the 17-character VIN on Kia's recall portal. Because it's produced in the United States, the Telluride's VIN begins with the number 5.

Twinned with the Hyundai Palisade, which comes from South Korea rather than Georgia, the Telluride also has an electric sibling in the form of the EV9. But obviously enough, the EV9 shares its underpinnings with the EV6 rather than an internal combustion model from Kia's America lineup.

Be it front- or all-wheel drive, the Telluride features naturally aspirated V6 power and eight speeds by default. Pricing starts at $36,190 for the entry-level LX trim, whereas the top-of-the-line SX Prestige X-Pro will set you back at least $53,385. By comparison, the aforementioned EV9 is listed with trim levels ranging from $54,900 to $73,900.