A previous Telluride seat recall fix can still cause a fire, even while parked.
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It’s never a good sign when you need to recall a recall repair. Unfortunately, that is partially what’s happening with the 2020–2024 Kia Telluride , as the previous repair to the power seat slide switch is creating a fire risk. And because it can happen while the vehicle is parked, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Kia are advising owners of this three-row SUV to park it outside until it is fixed.
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This new recall, 26V430 , and the previous recall, 24V407 , are both related to the slide knob and cover for the front power seats on the 2020–2024 Telluride. Both affect 462,869 units manufactured between January 9, 2019, and May 29, 2024. Any Telluride produced on May 30, 2024, and later is not subject to this recall, as those vehicles were built with a reinforced power seat switch mechanism.
What’s Causing These Potential Fires?
In both recalls, the fire risk exists because the switch could force the seat sliding motor into continuous operation if the cover is impacted, dislodged, or misaligned, or if the switch is damaged by any of those issues. This would cause the motor to overheat and increase the risk of a fire, even when these affected Tellurides are parked and turned off.
Kia’s previous repair was to install a reinforcing bracket to prevent the covers from interfering with the switch, and the seat slide knob was also replaced with an improved version. That fix was ultimately found to be inadequate, and the new repair under 26V430 is to install an electronic fuse assembly.
The Part 573 report related to the recall does not specify where it will be installed, nor is the repair procedure included in the documents on NHTSA’s website. It is also unknown whether the parts from the previous recall will still be included in the new recall for Tellurides that may have missed it. We’ve reached out to Kia for further information, as this will affect how long the repair will take and how long you’ll be without your Telluride.
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How the Repair Will (Probably) Be Done
Based purely on speculation, it’s likely this fuse assembly will be installed between the harness and the seat slider motor. Fortunately, there appears to be a subharness that connects to each motor under the front seat lower track. It also appears those motor connectors are located directly on the motors themselves, rather than on a pigtail harness wired into the motors. That means the fuse assembly harness will likely be simple and should not be difficult for Kia to produce.
Unfortunately, the seat slider motor is located under the lower seat frame, and that means accessing it will require removing the whole seat. A technician will need to disconnect the battery and allow the airbag system to depower itself, usually for around 15 to 30 minutes, since the lower side-impact airbags are part of the seat backs. Once that time has passed, both seats will need to be removed to access the motor and its harness connector. That part will take around 15 to 20 minutes per seat, and the total time will most likely be around one to two hours for both front seats.