The Seat Won’t Stop Moving
Kia is recalling 462,868 Telluride SUVs. A second time.
It is the seat motors. They catch fire.
The problem is the power seat switch. If it gets hit, even slightly, it can go out of alignment. Then the seat keeps moving. It doesn’t stop. The motor runs until it overheats. Heat turns to fire.
This affects the first generation Tellurides, model years 2020 through 2024.
If the switch fails, the seat runs continuously until the motor burns out or catches fire.
The First Fix Didn’t Hold
Kia already tried to fix this. In June 2024, they issued a recall.
The plan was simple. Add a bracket. Improve the slide knob. Reinforce the switch assembly. They told owners to come in during July.
By October, the fire reports started again.
Kia inspected one vehicle. It had the repair. It also had a burned seat. Upon closer inspection, they found signs of an improper repair. Someone at a dealership hadn’t done it right. Or maybe the part was flawed. Either way, the fire happened.
Kia watched. Between October 2024 and early 2026 (reports indicate a timeline extending this far due to delayed filings), they found seven fires. Eleven melted motors.
No injuries. No deaths. Just charred upholstery.
Owners know if it is happening to them. The seat knob sticks. The air smells like melting plastic. Smoke rises from the seat track.
Why It Failed Again
Here is the messy part.
Kia started X-raying seat assemblies on repaired vehicles. Not just the ones with fires, but the ones that seemed fine.
What did they find?
Workmanship deficiencies. Dealers appeared to be reinforcing the old cover instead of replacing the actual switch mechanism. They were bolting on a fix without fixing the root cause. Misaligned internal switches. Dislodged backplates.
So now, the new fix is an electronic fuse. It cuts the power if the seat runs too long. It prevents the continuous operation that melts the motor.
Is it perfect? Maybe not. But a fuse won’t burn your floor.
We see double recalls all the time. Cars are complex. Humans are prone to error. Sometimes the fix doesn’t fit.
Kia is finally stopping the bleed. But if you own one, check your records. Did you get the bracket? Or just a patch?
The seat might be fine. It might be a ticking bomb.
