Got a Kia Telluride Recall Letter? What to Do Now — and Your Lemon Law Rights

If you own a 2020–2024 Kia Telluride, check your mail. Kia began mailing owner notification letters on August 13 for the "park outside" recall covering 462,869 Tellurides whose front power-seat motor can overheat and start a fire — even while the SUV is parked and unattended (NHTSA campaign 26V430000; Kia's number is SC374). The letter isn't a formality: it confirms your vehicle is affected, and the free repair is already available at Kia dealers.

What to do when the letter arrives

• Call a Kia dealer and schedule the free remedy right away — a dealer installs an electronic fuse assembly that cuts power to the seat motor if the switch is dislodged or misaligned. You don't need to wait for anything else.
• Until the repair is done, keep parking outside, away from your garage, your home, and other vehicles. Kia has reported seven seat fires and 11 melted seat motors, and the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is off and parked.
• Keep the letter, and keep the repair order the dealer gives you afterward. That dated paper trail is exactly what a lemon law claim is built on if the problem ever comes back.
• Didn't get a letter but think you're covered? Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call Kia at 800-333-4542 or NHTSA's hotline at 888-327-4236.

Already repaired under the 2024 recall? You still need this one

This campaign replaces the 2024 Telluride seat recall (NHTSA 24V407), which covered the same fire hazard. Kia has said an improper repair performed under that earlier campaign can itself cause the seat motor to overheat — so a Telluride that already went in once still needs the new fuse-assembly remedy. If your letter is telling you to bring the SUV back a second time for a fire risk that was supposedly fixed, that's worth more than a sigh: a defect that returns after repair is the core of California lemon law.

If the fix doesn't hold, California's Lemon Law steps in

A recall letter by itself doesn't make your Telluride a lemon — Kia is paying for the repair. But if the new remedy doesn't resolve the problem, your SUV goes back for the same seat issue more than once, it sits at the dealer for an extended time waiting on parts, or it has other substantial warranty defects that can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, California's Lemon Law may entitle you to a buyback, a replacement, or a cash settlement — with Kia paying your attorney fees. Save every repair order and note the days out of service. We offer free case reviews for California Telluride owners.