2024 Kia Telluride Interior & seats Problems

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious safety concern involving my Kia Telluride and the recalled front power seat motor/fire hazard. We are parents of three children, and this vehicle is used to transport our family. We are extremely concerned about the potential for a vehicle fire caused by the defective seat motor and the fact that the issue has not been adequately remedied. Kia has previously issued a recall addressing the potential for the front power seat motor to overheat, melt, and potentially cause a fire. Despite the previous recall and attempted remedy, Kia has now issued another recall concerning the same or substantially similar safety issue. This raises serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of the original remedy and whether affected vehicles were actually made safe after the initial recall repair. According to information from NHTSA, vehicles affected by this issue have experienced incidents involving melted seat motors and seat fires. NHTSA has also advised owners of affected vehicles to park outside and away from structures because of the potential fire risk. As parents of three children, we find this particularly alarming. A vehicle fire is an extremely serious safety hazard, and the possibility of a fire developing in or around the seating area presents an unacceptable risk to our family. If a fire were to occur while our children were passengers, evacuating three children from the vehicle could be extremely difficult and dangerous. Our concern is not simply that the vehicle requires a repair. Our concern is that a known safety defect has already been subject to a recall and remedy, yet the safety issue has apparently continued or required another recall. Consumers who complied with the original recall should be able to reasonably rely on the manufacturer and its authorized repair facilities to have corrected the safety defect. 2024 Telluride 5XYP3DGC6RG524189

NHTSA ID

11756277

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

SUBJECT: SAFETY RECALL DENIAL APPEAL: Pinched Seat Harness Fire Hazard - 2024 Kia Telluride VIN: [XXX] KIA case #:XXX TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I am filing an urgent safety appeal regarding a refusal by my local dealership to repair a severe fire hazard on my 2024 Kia Telluride. This vehicle is experiencing the exact failure mode detailed in federal safety recalls regarding the front passenger power seat wiring. The dealership has denied coverage by claiming rodent damage. However, the official photograph provided to me by the dealership’s own service department completely disproves the claim and confirms a manufacturing/design defect: 1. CLEAR MECHANICAL FLATTENING: The first wire in the harness is severely flattened and shows distinct mechanical abrasion and rubbing marks across its surface. The insulation is pressed flat, which can only happen under the immense pressure of the moving metal seat frame or track. 2. ELONGATED CUT AND SHEARED: The second wire directly behind it features a clean, continuous one-inch cut where the rubber insulation has been completely stripped away exposing the live circuit. 3. NO BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE: There are no jagged chew marks, frayed insulation fibers, nesting materials, or pest droppings anywhere in the area or vehicle itself. This is an undeniable case of the seat mechanism pinching, rubbing, and exposing the wiring harness during normal operation, leading to a direct short circuit and blown fuses. Leaving a live, exposed wire beneath a moving power seat presents an immediate thermal and fire risk to my family. I requested that Kia Corporate immediately override this dealership assessment and to dispatch a Field Technical Specialist if necessary, and authorize the complete replacement of the damaged wiring harness under the active safety recall and factory warranty. They also wanted to repair this wire by using liquid rubber, which is totally unacceptable and I refused. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (

NHTSA ID

11754602

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle, it was discovered that the doors failed to open electronically while using the key fob. While attempting to use the key to manually unlock the doors, the contact was unable to unlock the doors. The contact indicated that the hatch back door also failed to open. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.

NHTSA ID

11720687

Incident

Feb 24, 2026

Mileage

25,000 mi

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while attempting to open and close the door, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the rear driver’s side door. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed with a stripped bolt. The dealer was unable to replace the bolt and referred the contact to an Auto Body Shop for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

NHTSA ID

11688853

Incident

Aug 22, 2025

Mileage

25,000 mi

The manufactured seat belt and alarm system failed. My seat belt alarm for the 3rd row rear seat fires intermittently while driving when the seat is empty (no one or no items are in the seat) since I purchased the vehicle. I had this issue evaluated at a Kia Dealership, but they ran diagnostics and "no codes" came up so they did not fix anything. The issue persists. Recently, I had my rear passenger side window broken by a thief and they entered my vehicle when it was locked. The manufacturers alarm did not fire at all.

NHTSA ID

11645316

Incident

Feb 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V214000 (Power Train) and 24V407000 (Seats); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the vehicle started rolling backwards while the contact and spouse were standing outside of the vehicle securing their children in the rear seats. The contact’s spouse quickly jumped into the vehicle to activate the parking brake to stop the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted where the vehicle had remained for approximately 2 1/2 months. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11608535

Incident

Jun 21, 2024

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V407000 (Seats); however, the contact was informed by two local dealers that the vehicle could not be taken in for the recall until late fall. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11608459

Incident

Jun 5, 2024

The front passenger power seat folded in on my son while I was driving yesterday without warning. The back rest moved forward causing my son to have to bend over to move with it. At first, the seat would not move but he was able to after a few minutes. I immediately pulled over to ensure there was nothing in the way to cause this to happen, but I did not see anything there. I'm not sure if this is related to the recent recall, but it is a safety risk not only to my passenger but also to me as the driver. I have not had it inspected, and I am available to have it inspected upon request. I called the dealership that I purchased my vehicle from, and they stated that they have no knowledge of this incident happening with any other vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11593694

Incident

Jun 10, 2024