Kia, the company that makes Telluride SUVs, has announced a recall of 427,407 of these vehicles. The reason? There’s a problem with how some of the parts inside the car were put together. This issue could cause the parked car to start moving by itself, which could lead to accidents.
The problem lies in something called the driveshaft system. It’s a crucial part of the car that helps it move. But in some Telluride SUVs, this system wasn’t assembled correctly. This mistake could mean that even when the car is supposed to be still, it might start moving on its own.
The affected models include all Telluride SUVs made between 2020 and 2023, as well as some made in 2024. But don’t worry too much. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only a small fraction, about 1 percent, of these Tellurides might have the problem.
Kia has received reports about this issue happening in 16 Telluride SUVs so far.
In some cases, the cars had to be fixed under warranty because of this problem. Kia investigated and found that in six of these cases, there was clear damage to certain parts of the driveshaft system, which matched the issue they’re recalling the cars for.
The recall doesn’t cover every single Telluride ever made. It only includes those made between January 9, 2019, and October 19, 2023. However, there’s some good news for 2024 models built after October 20, 2023. These newer models have a different driveshaft system that’s been checked more carefully by the supplier, so they’re not part of the recall.
Kia will be sending letters to all the owners of the affected Telluride SUVs. These letters will have instructions on what to do next. Owners will need to take their vehicles to a Kia dealer to get them checked. If necessary, the dealer will replace certain parts of the driveshaft system. They’ll also update the electronic parking brake system to make sure the car stays put when it’s supposed to.
Dealerships will be informed about this recall on May 13, and the letters to owners are expected to be sent out by May 15. But if you’re worried your car might be affected, you can always check the NHTSA website for recalls before then. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to car safety!