Kia is voluntarily recalling thousands of vehicles due to a possible seat belt defect that could increase the risk of injury in a crash.
According to a notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Kia America, Inc. found that in some Kia Telluride vehicles “the driver seat belt emergency locking retractor (ELR) may lock”, preventing the seat belt belt from extending.
The cause of the malfunction is associated with a “wrong vehicle sensor” that was installed in some driver seatbelt assemblies by one of Kia’s suppliers. As a result, vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standards.
“Not having a seat increases the risk of injury to an unbelted driver in the event of a collision,” the notice reads.
Which Kia models are affected?
The defect is specific to the 2027 Kia Telluride and Kia Telluride Hybrid models. No other Kia or Kia Telluride vehicles are equipped with the faulty retractor.
Kia Telluride and Kia Telluride Hybrid models manufactured from March 24, 2026 to May 12, 2026 were “potentially” included in this recall. The total number of affected vehicles is 6,264.
What should affected owners do?
Affected vehicle owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to a Kia dealer, where the dealer will “replace the seat belt assembly free of charge.”
Vehicle identification numbers (VINs) associated with the recalls will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning Tuesday, June 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be sent on July 31.
Owners can also contact Kia’s customer service team by calling (800)-333-4542, or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171).
Reporting by Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
