RECALL: Seats Could Spontaneously Catch Fire in Popular Car

Makers of this brand of vehicle are urging owners to park it outside in case the seat spontaneously catches fire.

The popular car company Kia America has announced a recall of approximately 463,000 Telluride SUVs telling owners that they should park their vehicles outside (not in the garage) just in case the seats in the SUV spontaneously catch fire.

Kia Recall Over Seat Fire Risk

The recall is being issued after Kia discovered that the motor that controls the power seats in Kia Tellurides built between January 2019 and May 2024, with the model years 2020-2024 could potentially overheat which could lead to a fire according to CBS News. The affected Tellurides have front power seats equipped with tiny motors that allow passengers to adjust the seat position. The seat adjustment function is controlled by a switch that's wrapped in a cover and that's where the issues began.

Kia explained the recall saying that if the seat is hit forcefully it can dislodge the adjustment switch on the power seat locking in the position of the seat while the seat motor is still running.

"A misaligned seat motor control switch with a stuck seat slide knob can lead to continuous operation of a seat motor, over time, this can result in overheating of a seat motor, thereby increasing the risk of a fire while driving or while parked."

One Telluride owner reported an under-the-seat fire so far, along with six other owners reporting that the seat motor melted in their vehicles. No crashes or injuries have been reported related to the power seat issue according to Kia. Kia America also said they estimate that 1% of the SUVs have the defect.

How to Get Your Kia Fixed

Kia said that Telluride owners can recognize if their vehicle is at risk of fire if the seats won't adjust, if they smell burning under a seat, or if they see smoke coming from that area. Kia is planning to fix the seat issue by installing a bracket for the seat switch which should eliminate the fire risk. Kia said they will notify owners by mail on July 30th and will offer eligible owners the chance to have the bracket installed at all Kia dealerships for free.

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If you have questions about this recall owners can contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542 and use the recall number SC316.