COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Better Call 4 told you in early June about new data from CARFAX — more than 6.4 million vehicles from 19 different automakers with recalled Takata airbags are still driven on U.S. roadways from coast to coast every day, posing a risk of serious injury, even death, to drivers and passengers.
A few days later, another major announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Kia America issued an urgent “park outside” recall for 462,869 Telluride vehicles from model years 2020 to 2024.
“Every recall is important, but some are more urgent than others,” CARFAX Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen said.
According to Kia America, the front power seat motor on those specific vehicles could overheat because of a stuck power seat slide knob. That could potentially result in a fire, increasing the risk of injury.
That’s why the automaker issued the “park outside” recall, urging drivers to park their vehicles outside of garages and parking structures and away from other cars or buildings, until the recall repair has been completed.
According to CARFAX data, as of March of this year, more than 3.7 million cars currently on the road have a “park outside” recall, a 40% increase in cars with those recalls nationwide since May 2023. It’s a trend in the wrong direction, Olsen said, adding that owners need to take the warning seriously.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has documented more than 3,000 fires related to cars under the park outside recall,” Olsen said. “These are real consequences, and these are serious consequences.”
To fix the issue, Kia America said local dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs free of charge.
Affected owners can expect to be notified by mail starting July 30, and can contact Kia Customer Service at 800-333-4542 for additional help with the next steps. Kia’s number for the recall is SC316. You can also use the NHTSA’s Recalls Lookup tool.
If your vehicle falls under the recall, contact a local dealership as soon as possible to schedule a free repair.