Kia Tells Telluride Owners to Park Outside After New Fire Risk Found in Nearly 500,000 SUVs

Kia is back in the recall spotlight, this time telling owners of nearly half a million Telluride SUVs to keep them parked outside and away from buildings. The recall covers 462,869 vehicles from the 2020 through 2024 model years. The problem? A seat motor switch that can get stuck and possibly start a fire, whether the SUV is parked or on the road.

The issue centers on the power front seat slide knob, the large switch that moves the seat forward and backward. If the side cover of the seat takes a hard hit, Kia calls it "an external impact with excessive force", the switch can get knocked out of alignment. Once misaligned, it can stick in the "on" position, causing the seat motor to run nonstop.

That continuous operation can overheat the motor and lead to a fire. Kia says you'd likely notice the problem if you're in the car, since the seat would move or make noise. But if the switch gets jammed as you're climbing out, the motor could churn away unnoticed.

This isn't the first time Kia has tried to fix this. The automaker issued a similar recall in 2024 for the same issue, adding a bracket to reinforce the switch cover and replacing the switch. But after dealers started installing that fix, new fire reports surfaced in vehicles that had already been repaired.

Kia's investigation found "sporadic dealer workmanship issues", some dealers may have reinforced the cover without swapping out the switch. The company also discovered that a person hitting the knob while getting in could twist the switch out of place.

This time around, dealers will install a fuse in the seat motor system. If the switch sticks and the motor keeps running, the increased current draw will blow the fuse and stop the fire risk. All Tellurides built after May 30, 2024, already have a reinforced switch. Kia will mail recall letters to owners starting August 13, and the fix will be available then.

The company says it knows of seven fires under the seat and 11 cases of seat motor melting, but no injuries or deaths have been reported. Owners can check their Vehicle Identification Number starting July 17 or call Kia Customer Care.