Burning smell on the seat: why Kia fears that almost 500 thousand SUVs will catch fire

Kia has recalled in the United States the recall of 462,869 units of the Telluride, one of the South Korean brand’s most successful SUVs in recent times, due to the risk of fire originating in the front seats. The campaign covers examples from the 2020 to 2024 model years and replaces a previous action that, according to the automaker’s documents, did not solve the problem definitively.

Launched at the end of the last decade, the Telluride helped redesign Kia’s image abroad and became one of the manufacturer’s most praised SUVs — which gives dimension to the size of the problem, since the recall reaches almost half a million cars. The model, it is worth remembering, is not sold in Brazil.

According to records sent to NHTSA, the US road safety agency, the fault is in the electric bank switch. An impact on the side seat cover or adjustment knob can displace or misalign the component, which then continuously sends energy to the seat motor. The result is overheating — and, with it, the possibility of fire both with the vehicle in motion and parked. Kia further acknowledges that botched repairs during the previous recall (identified as 24V407) can reproduce the exact same condition.

Given the risk, the manufacturer’s recommendation is emphatic: until the definitive repair is made, owners should park the SUV outside garages, away from homes and other cars. Among the warning signs, Kia lists the adjustment knob that locks or keeps moving after it is released, the smell of burning or melted material coming from under the seat, and smoke coming out from under the front seats. The brand’s guidance is not to wait for the most evident symptom to take precautions.

To correct the failure, the utilities will install a set of electronic fuses designed to cut off the continuous operation of the bank’s motor if the switch is damaged or goes out of alignment. Examples produced from May 30, 2024 onwards have already left the factory with a reinforced switch mechanism, which leaves them out of the recall.

The schedule is also already defined. According to Kia, notifications to dealerships began on July 6, the query by chassis number (VIN) should be released on July 17 and letters to owners are scheduled for the period between August 13 and 19. As usual in campaigns of this type, the repair will be free, and the owners of the models involved should look for the authorized network to schedule the service.