South Korean automaker Kia announced on Friday that it is recalling 462,869 2020-2024 model year Telluride vehicles due to a potential fire risk caused by overheating of the front power seat motors. The Telluride is a midsize SUV with three rows of seating.
According to a notification from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, the front power seat motors in the affected Telluride models could overheat due to the power seat slide knob getting stuck, leading to a risk of fire while the vehicle is parked or in operation.
Kia advises owners of the affected vehicles to park them outdoors away from structures until the fire risk recall repairs are completed.
The company has received reports of one seat fire and six seat motor melting incidents, with some reports indicating smoke or burning odors in the cabin, but no accidents or injuries have occurred.
Kia dealers will install a bracket around the rear cover of the power seat switch and replace the seat slide knob to address the issue.
Notification letters to affected owners are expected to be sent out by July 30, 2024, and owners can contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. The recall number for this Kia recall is SC316. Owners can also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa.gov.
Last week, the NHTSA issued multiple recall notices, including one for over 125,000 Tesla vehicles regarding a safety belt warning system issue. Tesla vehicles were recalled due to problems with the safety belt warning system, which may not activate the warning light and sound when the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, potentially increasing the risk of collisions or injuries.
Mercedes-Benz announced a recall of 14,912 vehicles, citing a software issue in the battery management system that could lead to high-voltage battery shutdown, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power and increased collision risks.
Volkswagen announced a recall of 17,797 2022-2024 Q4 E-TRON and Q4 E-TRON Sportback vehicles due to a potential incorrect front light control module software installation, which may cause parking lights, front lights, and turn signals to malfunction, affecting visibility and increasing collision risks.
Jaguar is recalling 22,268 2018-2022 Range Rover Sport vehicles equipped with a surround camera system. The company stated that the rearview camera in the affected vehicles may experience water ingress, leading to a distorted or non-displayed image, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of accidents or injuries.
Toyota is recalling approximately 102,000 vehicles, including around 3,500 Lexus LX 600 SUVs from 2022-2023 and 98,600 Toyota Tundra trucks from the same period, due to debris in the engines that could cause stalling and loss of driving power.