New Kia Telluride Lawsuit Filed Over Alleged Front Power Seat Motor Defect

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A proposed class action alleges 2020-2024 model year Kia Telluride SUVs are equipped with a defective front power seat motor, which can overheat and pose a fire risk while a vehicle is parked or in operation.

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The 33-page Kia Telluride lawsuit says that the front power seat motor in the affected vehicles, which were manufactured between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024, may overheat and catch fire due to a slide knob that may become stuck. In particular, the filing says, “[s]trong external impact” to the front power seat side cover or seat slide knob can cause internal misalignment of the component, and the power seat motor can overheat due to continuous operation. 

“People driving the Class Vehicle may find they can’t adjust the power seat, may notice a burning or melting smell or see smoke rising from underneath the seat,” the lawsuit explains, stressing that there is no foreseeable reason why any of the front power seat motor’s individual parts should fail as they’re meant to last the lifetime of a vehicle. 

The filing notes that, on May 29 of this year, Kia recalled nearly 463,000 of the Telluride SUVs at issue due to the apparent front power seat motor problem. The Kia Telluride recall includes a free fix and repair, though the case mentions this will cost the plaintiff, a Michigan driver, and others “hours of their own time.”  

“…[A]t a bare minimum, a thirty-minute repair time means that it will take Defendant 231,500 hours to repair the Class Vehicles,” the proposed class action calculates. “In a more comprehensible term, 231,500 hours amounts to a little more than twenty-six years.” 

As the case tells it, the Kia Telluride recall is “concerning” given that defendant Kia America has not offered any assurance that the power seat motor defect will go away for good once the repairs are implemented. 

“Rather, the Recall mentions installing a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replacing the seat slide knobs,” the suit reads. “The Recall does not give any detail on what causes the front power seat motor to get stuck and overheat in the first place.” 

Ultimately, Kia’s recall over the front power seat motor problem “leaves more questions than answers” concerning the Telluride’s safety and means impacted drivers must expend the time and money necessary to bring their vehicle to a dealer and go without the SUV while it’s being repaired, the complaint contends, adding that the vehicles will also suffer a loss in value. 

“In all, Defendant’s Recall amounts to tens of thousands of hours and dollars needlessly taken from Plaintiff and other Class Vehicle owners,” the case says. 

Telluride owners and lessees are being advised to park their vehicles outdoors and away from structures.

The Kia Telluride class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals in the United States who bought or leased any 2020-2024 Kia Telluride made between January 9, 2019 and May 29, 2024.

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