Kia Tells Nearly 463,000 Telluride Owners to Park Outside Over Seat Fire Risk
A power seat motor that can overheat and ignite has triggered Kia's second recall of the same fix in two years, covering 2020-2024 Tellurides after 18 reported seat fires.
Kia is recalling 462,869 Tellurides from the 2020 through 2024 model years and telling owners to park outside and away from structures until their vehicle is repaired, after identifying a front power seat motor that can overheat and catch fire. The recall, filed with NHTSA as campaign 26V430, covers vehicles built between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024 — a production window covering the better part of the Telluride's first generation.
The defect starts with the power seat's slide knob. Kia says it can become stuck, sometimes after an external impact to the seat's side cover or the knob itself, which can dislodge or damage the switch underneath. A stuck switch keeps current flowing to the seat motor, and if the motor overheats far enough, it can smolder, melt, or ignite while the vehicle is parked or being driven. Kia's safety office documented 18 such incidents between October 2024 and April 2026 — localized seat fires or motor melting — though the company reports no injuries or crashes tied to the defect so far.
This isn't Kia's first attempt at fixing it. The company says some vehicles that went through an earlier related recall, 24V407, came back from dealers with workmanship issues that left the underlying problem unresolved — part of why a second, broader campaign was necessary. The new remedy is a dealer-installed electronic fuse assembly, provided at no cost, designed to cut power to the seat motor before it can overheat regardless of switch condition.
The fix isn't available yet. Kia expects the electronic fuse assembly to reach dealers in early August 2026, with owner notification letters going out starting August 13. Until then, both Kia and NHTSA are telling Telluride owners in the affected range to keep the vehicle parked outside and clear of structures — standard guidance for any recall involving an active fire risk, and worth taking seriously given how many Tellurides are still waiting on parts.
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