Kia Recalls Tellurides Over Seatbelt Problem

Kia has announced a recall of its 2020 Telluride SUVs due to a seatbelt installation problem. Fortunately for the company, just over 30,000 units of the model are affected by the issue in the United States.

According to documents shared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2020 Telluride SUVS may have been installed the wrong seatbelt assemblies. Instead of getting assemblies that fit specifications for the American market, Kia mistakenly equipped some Tellurides with Middle East-spec assemblies.

United States regulations require automakers to have an automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature in every forward-facing seat that is not the driver’s seat. Its function is to lock the seatbelt into place once they are snug to what they are holding. Once locked, the passenger won’t be able to tug the seatbelt out and there won’t be room for any movement in the event of a crash, securing the passenger in place.

It becomes a problem because the affected Telluride SUVs installed with Middle East-spec assemblies may not have the ALR feature in their passenger seats, second row, and third row seats as it is not a standard requirement in the region.

“If a non-ALR seat belt is used to secure a child seat in the front passenger, second or third row seats, it may not tightly secure a child restraint system, increasing the risk of injury to a child seat occupant in a crash,” Kia said.

The company, however, clarified that there are no reports of deaths or injuries related to the problem when the recall was issued.

To fix the problem, Telluride owners are instructed to bring their vehicles into the dealer for inspection. If a Middle East-spec assembly is installed in the vehicle, Kia will replace it with an American-spec seatbelt assembly at no cost to the owners.