Kia is recalling hundreds of thousands of its Telluride SUVs over concerns that they might roll away while parked.
The popular three-row vehicle and the largest SUV produced by the South Korean company has a defect that allows the car to roll while in park. Over 427,000 Tellurides are impacted by the recall.
In September, The Dallas Express reported on a separate recall involving Kia and Hyundai. In that instance, which affected nearly 3.3 million vehicles, owners were asked to leave their vehicles parked outside over the risk of an engine fire. Six months later, the majority remain unrepaired, with the danger of an engine fire still present. However, Kia and Hyundai say the vehicles remain safe to drive but urge owners to contact the manufacturer or the dealer should they smell a burning odor or see warning lights illuminate on the dashboard.
Now, while still dealing with last year’s recall, Kia must contend with the latest issue plaguing the 2020-2023 model Tellurides and select 2024 models. So far, no injuries or crashes have been linked to the defect, which Kia estimates impacts 1% of all Tellurides.
The issue is suspected to be caused by improper assembly, which prevents the intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft from fully engaging. As a preventative measure, drivers should apply the emergency brake when leaving their SUVs in park.
Dealers will update the electronic parking software on impacted Tellurides and replace damaged intermediate shafts. Kia will officially notify impacted owners via a mailing on May 15, a few days after dealers are expected to begin correspondence. All of the recall work will be done free of charge.
