Certain 2020 Kia Telluride models have the wrong seatbelt assemblies.
According to recent documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Kia has recalled approximately 30,100 examples of the 2020 Kia Telluride over the seatbelt concern. No deaths or injuries have been reported over the issue. Nonetheless, Kia is encouraging owners to take their cars to the dealer to have them inspected.
The issue stems from seatbelts’ automatic locking retractor in U.S.-spec vehicles. The ALR locks into place to secure whatever it’s gripping, such as a child safety seat. Kia states in its letter to service managers that factory workers may have installed seatbelt assemblies meant for the Middle East, rather than ones meant for U.S.-spec Tellurides. The Middle East assemblies don’t have the ALR feature. Kia says that, “If a non-ALR seat belt is used to secure a child seat, it may not tightly secure a child restraint system, increasing the risk of injury to a child seat occupant in a crash.”
Kia will notify owners starting August 30
As of tomorrow, Kia will send mailers out to affected 2020 Kia Telluride owners. Dealers will inspect the affected cars and replace the Middle East-spec parts with U.S.-spec parts free of charge.
Kia has sold 27,786 Tellurides since this year, meaning the recall could potentially affect every example currently on U.S. roads. If you do have any questions about this recall, you can call the automaker at (800) 333-4542 (the recall number is SC181), or you can contact the NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at (888) 327-4236. More details on the 2020 Kia Telluride recall are available on the NHTSA’s website.
Find out more of what we think about the 2020 Kia Telluride below:
