Owners of some Kia Tellurides will have to return to the dealership. The manufacturer confirmed a new recall campaign involving about 463,000 SUVs from model years 2020 to 2024, after verifying that a previously carried out repair did not completely eliminate a problem that could end up causing a fire.

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The review focuses on the front power seat system. According to the technical information released by the company, there is a possibility that the seat motor continues to run without stopping after certain components are hit or become misaligned.

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This situation can raise the temperature of the mechanism to the point of creating a fire risk, even when the vehicle remains parked.

What causes the failure

The investigation points to the switch that controls the movement of the power seat. If the side cover or adjustment knob is impacted with sufficient force, the internal mechanism may become displaced or damaged.

When that happens, the seat motor can remain activated permanently without the driver noticing. This continuous operation increases the heat progressively and, in certain circumstances, can end up overheating the electrical system.

Kia warned that the problem does not depend on whether the vehicle is running. The risk also exists when the Telluride is parked, as an accidental bump caused by a person or an object can trigger the failure.

The previous repair was not enough

This is not the first time that the model has faced this problem. In 2024, the brand launched a campaign to correct the same defect by installing a reinforcing bracket for the switch and a newly designed adjustment knob.

However, months later a case of fire appeared in a vehicle that had already received this repair. Based on that report, the company opened a new investigation and found seven fires linked to the seat, in addition to 11 completely melted engines. Despite these incidents, no injuries or related accidents were reported.

This will be the new solution

The new intervention incorporates an electronic fuse designed to automatically interrupt the power supply when it detects that the seat motor continues to operate abnormally. With this measure, Kia seeks to prevent the system from reaching dangerous temperatures.

The campaign includes Kia Tellurides manufactured between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024. In addition, the company reported that it will reimburse owners who have paid for repairs related to this defect, as long as they meet the conditions established in its official program.

The sending of notifications to owners will begin on August 13, 2026 and, starting the following week, vehicles will be able to enter dealerships to receive the new repair at no cost.