NHTSA warns owners of 462,869 Kia Tellurides to park outside before recall repair
Owners of 462,869 Kia Telluride vehicles from model years 2020 through 2024 are being told to park outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until a recall repair is completed, after a power-seat motor was linked to a possible fire risk.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the consumer warning on July 9, 2026, after Kia America announced the park-outside recall. The safety action affects Tellurides sold and operated across the United States.
What owners should do
NHTSA says owners should keep affected Tellurides outdoors and away from structures and other vehicles until the remedy has been performed. The instruction changes how owners should park the vehicles while they wait for the repair, but it does not mean that every recalled vehicle is expected to catch fire.
Kia planned to begin notifying owners on August 13, 2026. Dealers are expected to install an electronic fuse assembly at no cost to vehicle owners. The approved notice does not state how many vehicles had received the new remedy, and it does not establish that the repair campaign was already complete or universally available before notifications began.
Owners can use NHTSA’s recall and safety-issue database to search records by vehicle, manufacturer and date-based safety information. The agency directs consumers to search recall information using vehicle and equipment details.
How the fire risk can occur
The risk involves the front power-seat motor. According to the recall information, the motor can overheat and potentially cause a fire if the seat-slide cover or knob is struck, dislodged, misaligned or damaged.
NHTSA said Kia knew of seven seat fires and 11 seat motors that had melted. Those figures were reported to Kia and are included in the agency’s notice; the notice does not independently verify the incident count.
The recall follows an earlier 2024 recall involving the same issue. The new park-outside instruction means owners of the affected vehicles need to follow the interim safety measure even while they are waiting for the new repair and notification process.
Why the recall matters
The number of vehicles covered makes the warning a nationwide consumer-safety issue. A recall affecting nearly half a million vehicles can reach owners in every region of the country, and the interim parking instruction may be especially important for people who normally keep their vehicles in attached garages, enclosed parking areas or near other cars.
The notice identifies a specific component and a specific remedy rather than announcing a general safety concern. The electronic fuse assembly is intended to address the power-seat motor risk, and dealers will perform the work without charging owners.
Until the repair is completed, however, the practical direction remains to park outdoors and away from buildings and other vehicles. Owners should watch for Kia’s notification beginning August 13 and use NHTSA’s safety database to review recall information for their vehicle.
NHTSA’s July 31, 2026, recall database guidance provides an additional way for consumers to search safety records. The approved notice does not provide a separate deadline for completing the repair or say how many recalled Tellurides have already been repaired.
Sources
- Consumer Alert: Urgent Park Outside Recall Issued for 462K Kia Tellurides, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Search Safety Issues, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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