Approximately 30,000 model-year 2020 Kia Telluride SUVs are being recalled for seat belt assemblies.
The 2020 Telluride, Kia’s stylish new large SUV released earlier this year, has now been recalled due to a problem with the seat belts that may prevent child safety seats from being properly secured.
The recall affects 30,168 Kia Telluride SUVs, produced between January 9, 2019 and August 5, 2019 – this covers almost every Telluride that is currently on the road in the United States.
Kia has said that they believe only 1% of vehicles actually house the defect, and that no injuries or fatalities have been associated with the issue!
What exactly is the defect?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belt parts designed for vehicles in the Middle East have been mistakenly installed in the U.S. vehicles – specifically, these incorrect parts may have been installed in the driver, front passenger, second-row, and/or third-row seats of the affected vehicles.
Due to the different regulations of the two regions, the components designed for vehicles sold in the Middle East do not meet the U.S. safety requirements.
For vehicles that have this defect, the driver’s-side seat belts do not comply with U.S. specifications, according to NHTSA, while the front passenger, second-row, and third-row seat belt assemblies do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, due to the absence of an automatic locking retractor (ALR).
Without the ALR, the lap belt portion of the seat belt will not be able to sufficiently lock into place to secure a child’s seat. As a result, the occupant of the child seat faces increased risk of injury should a crash occur.
What is the solution to the issue?
In order to resolve the issue, owners will need to take their vehicle to your local Kia dealership for inspection. The dealer will inspect the driver, front passenger, second-row, and third-row assemblies.
If they find that an incorrect assembly has been installed, they will replace it with the correct one, free of charge!
Affected owners can expect to receive a letter in the mail after August 30, which is when the recall will commence.
More information on Kia Telluride recall
Kia Telluride owners can contact Kia Motors customer support on 800-333-4542 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline on 888-327-4236 for more information.
Alternatively, you can visit the NHTSA website here to find out if your vehicle is affected by a recall –simply enter your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN).
Kia’s number for this recall is SC181, and the NHTSA campaign number is 19V594.
