Kia Is Telling Nearly 463,000 Telluride Owners to Park Outside — the Seat Motor Can Catch Fire

If you drive a Kia Telluride from the last several model years, there’s a recall you should act on this week. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a front power seat motor can overheat and cause a fire — and because it can happen even when the SUV is parked and switched off, regulators are telling owners to park outside, away from homes and garages, until it’s repaired.

Kia is recalling about 462,869 Tellurides from the 2020 through 2024 model years. The repair is free. And there’s an unusual twist: this is the second recall for the same fire risk — an earlier fix from 2024 wasn’t always installed correctly. Here’s what happened, how to check whether your vehicle is affected, and the free steps to take now.

What Was Recalled — and Why

The recall covers about 462,869 Kia Telluride SUVs from the 2020–2024 model years (built between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024). It is NHTSA campaign number 26V430, tracked inside Kia as recall SC374.

According to the recall, a hard impact to the front seat’s side cover or slide knob can dislodge or misalign the seat’s internal switch. When that happens, the switch can keep sending power to the seat motor instead of shutting it off. The motor then runs continuously, overheats, and can ignite a fire under the seat cushion — a risk whether the SUV is being driven or parked.

Kia has reported 18 incidents tied to this defect between October 2024 and April 2026, including seven seat fires and eleven reports of melted parts. According to the recall, no crashes, injuries, or fatalities have been reported.

It’s worth being clear about one thing: a recall is a safety action, not a court ruling or an admission that the company did anything wrong. Kia is recalling the vehicles and fixing them for free. For most owners, the most important thing right now is simply getting the repair scheduled and parking outside in the meantime.

Wait — Wasn’t This Already Recalled?

Yes, and that’s the part worth paying attention to. Kia issued an earlier recall in June 2024 (recall 24V407) for this same seat-fire risk. Under that recall, dealers were supposed to install a reinforcing bracket and replace the seat slide knob to keep the switch from being knocked out of place.

According to the new recall, that earlier repair was not always installed correctly — the bracket didn’t always go in the way it was supposed to, which left the seat switch vulnerable to the very failure it was meant to prevent. In plain terms: the first fix didn’t reliably work, so Kia is recalling the vehicles again with a different remedy.

What this means for you is important: even if your Telluride already had the 2024 seat repair, it still needs this new repair. Don’t assume you’re covered because a dealer worked on your seat before.

How to Check If Your Telluride Is Affected

Only 2020–2024 Tellurides are covered by this recall. Here’s how to confirm:

• Look up your VIN. Enter your 17-character vehicle identification number at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on Kia’s owner portal. The recall database is searchable as of July 17, 2026.
• Recall numbers to reference: NHTSA campaign 26V430; Kia recall SC374.
• Watch your mail. Kia is mailing owner notification letters between August 13 and 19, 2026. You do not have to wait for the letter to take the safety steps or schedule the repair.

How the Free Repair Works

Based on the recall, here’s the remedy:

• Contact a Kia dealer to schedule the recall service. It is performed at no cost to you.
• The dealer installs a new electronic fuse assembly that cuts power to the seat motor if it runs longer than it should — stopping the overheating before it can start a fire.
• Keep your paperwork. Hold on to the repair order and any records, especially if your vehicle had a prior seat repair or if you’ve noticed any problems.

Until the repair is complete, keep parking the vehicle outside and away from structures, as regulators advise.

Why a Parked-Car Fire Risk Is Treated So Seriously

It’s reassuring that no injuries have been reported. But a fire that can start in a parked vehicle is exactly the kind of hazard regulators move on quickly, and it’s worth understanding why:

• It can happen when no one is watching. A fire that starts while the SUV is off and parked — in a garage, next to a house, or on a driveway — can spread before anyone notices.
• The heat source is inside the cabin. An overheating motor under the seat cushion sits right next to fabric, foam, and other materials that can burn.
• The first fix didn’t fully solve it. Because some 2024 repairs weren’t installed correctly, some owners may believe they’re protected when they’re not.

That’s why the safest move is to follow the park-outside guidance and get the new repair done, rather than waiting to see whether your specific vehicle is one of the ones that fails.

Is There a Lawsuit?

As of July 2026, this is a recall, not a lawsuit. For the vast majority of owners, the recall is the whole story: you park outside, check your VIN, and get the free repair.

A legal claim is a separate question. Product-injury claims generally allege that a product was defective and that the defect actually caused harm — a real injury or property damage. The free recall repair addresses the defect itself; it does not, on its own, cover something like a burn injury, medical bills, or a fire that damaged your vehicle, garage, or home. If something like that happened to you, the recall record can be useful, but the repair and a legal claim are handled very differently. And to be fair about where things stand: Kia has not been found liable for anything, and the recall states that no injuries have been reported.

Who May Want to Check Their Options

Most people with a recalled Telluride should simply get the free repair. You may want to look into your options if:

• A Telluride seat caught fire or overheated and injured you or someone else;
• A fire damaged your vehicle, garage, or home; and/or
• You had a close call that led to a medical visit, an insurance claim, or repair costs — especially if your vehicle had the earlier 2024 repair.

Gathering your records — photos of any damage, repair orders, your VIN, and notes on exactly what happened and when — will help a lawyer evaluate whether you may have a case. Checking is free and doesn’t commit you to anything.

What to Do Now

Here are the practical steps, in order:

• Park outside. Away from homes, garages, and other vehicles, until the repair is done.
• Check your VIN. At nhtsa.gov/recalls or Kia’s owner site — reference campaign 26V430 / SC374.
• Schedule the free repair. A Kia dealer installs the new fuse assembly at no cost.
• Save your records. Keep repair orders and photos, especially if there was a fire or a prior seat repair.
• Don’t wait too long to ask. If you were hurt or your property was damaged, every state has a deadline for taking legal action, and the clock can start sooner than people expect.

Checking your options is free, and a real person — not a chatbot — reviews every submission and reaches out only if you may have a case.

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