Kia is recalling more than 6,200 vehicles in the United States for a potential defect involving the driver’s seat belt that could increase the risk of injury in a crash.
According to a recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects 6,264 model-year 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles manufactured between March 24 and May 12, 2026.
Federal regulators said an error by a supplier may have resulted in the installation of an incorrect vehicle sensor inside certain driver’s seat belt assemblies. Under certain conditions, the faulty sensor can cause the emergency locking retractor to engage when a driver attempts to extend the seat belt webbing.
If the seat belt cannot be extended, it may be temporarily unavailable as an occupant restraint, increasing the risk of injury in a collision.
The affected vehicles include 4,367 Telluride Hybrid models built between March 24 and May 12, 2026, and 1,897 Telluride models produced between March 24 and May 10, 2026.
The recall report states that the condition causes the vehicles to fall out of compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards governing seat belt assemblies.
Drivers may notice the problem if they are unable to extend the driver’s seat belt.
Kia said the issue was traced to an incorrect vehicle sensor installed in certain seat belt assemblies supplied by Samsong Mexico.
The company is not aware of any accidents, injuries, or warranty claims related to the defect.
Owners of affected vehicles will be instructed to bring their vehicles to a Kia dealership, where technicians will replace the driver’s seat belt assembly with one containing the correct sensor at no cost.
Kia also said it will reimburse owners who previously paid to have the issue repaired, in accordance with its reimbursement program.
The company noted that production was corrected in May. Telluride models built beginning May 11, 2026, and Telluride Hybrid models produced beginning May 13, 2026, were equipped with seat belt assemblies containing the proper sensor.
Dealers were scheduled to be notified of the recall beginning June 3. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed starting July 31. Vehicle identification numbers associated with the recall are expected to become searchable beginning June 16.
