Kia Recalls 462,000 SUVs Over Fire Risk in Seat Motors

Kia is recalling more than 462,000 SUVs in the U.S. due to a potential fire hazard in the power seat motors. The issue, which could lead to fires while the vehicles are parked or in motion, was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Friday. This recall adds to the dozen other recalls initiated by the Korean automaker this year.

The recall affects Kia Telluride vehicles manufactured between 2020 and 2024, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). An inspection of some affected vehicles revealed that they were equipped with defective front seat power motors under the driver’s seat. The problem arises from a stuck power seat slide knob that continuously operates, causing the motors to overheat.

The defect was first reported by a customer in December 2022, who observed smoke coming from underneath the driver’s seat. Subsequent complaints noted a burning smell. Kia confirmed these reports in a separate filing, stating that another customer reported their driver’s seat catching on fire in March while driving. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this incident or any others related to this recall.

This marks the 13th recall for Kia this year, totaling 1,117,482 vehicles recalled. This places Kia third in the U.S. for the most recalls by an automaker, following Tesla with 2.5 million recalled vehicles and Ford with over 3 million recalls, which issued six and 26 recalls, respectively.

In January, Kia recalled over 101,000 cars due to loose roof molding, which could detach while driving. This affected Carnival vehicles from the 2022-2024 model years and Sportage cars manufactured in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, in March, Kia recalled 48,000 EV6 vehicles due to a damaged charging unit that could result in a loss of driving power. Less than a week later, 427,000 Telluride vehicles were recalled for disengaged driveshafts that could cause them to roll away while parked.