Due to a technical malfunction, Kia Motors recalls 463 cars in America

The South Korean automaker, Kia Motors, has recalled about 463 Kia Telluride SUVs from 2020 to 2024, due to the possibility of the front seats catching fire.

In this regard, the company invited about 463,000 owners of this popular type of car in the United States to keep their cars parked outside and away from buildings, warning of the possibility of the front seats catching fire and causing fires due to a technical malfunction.

This recall includes models from 2020 to 2024 of the Kia Telluride, an all-wheel drive model that has enjoyed great popularity, especially among Americans since the South Korean company announced it, due to its spacious saloon space with three rows of seats.

According to the recall documents published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the control buttons on the front seats of the car could get stuck and lose their alignment if they were hit by something, noting that “if that happens, a small electric motor responsible for constantly moving the seat could operate.” “This causes the temperature to rise too high and the matter may develop into a fire.”

The Korean company first noticed the problem in 2022 when one of the car owners reported smoke coming out from under the driver’s seat, according to a chronology Kia submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Another customer also complained in 2023 of a smoke smell coming from the seat. The front passenger, who was not working, reported similar incidents later that year.

According to Kia, in early 2024, at least one Kia owner reported that the driver’s seat caught fire while driving the car, and no injuries occurred as a result of the problem. The company also concluded, through an investigation it conducted, that “the problem was with the seat control buttons, which may be seriously damaged.” “It leads to an increase in the temperature of the motor responsible for moving the seat.”

The company informed its customers that it will send advertisements to the owners of the cars in question, starting at the end of July 2024, asking them to bring their cars to Kia centers for repair at no cost, so that it will install reinforcements and upgraded buttons to prevent the seats from igniting.