The three-row SUV is being recalled for the same trim-detaching problem that’s already blighted the K5
by Chris Chilton
36 minutes ago
- Kia is recalling over 200,000 Telluride SUVs in the US.
- A piece of door trim on the 2023-25 SUVs can fall off.
- 100,000 K5s have been recalled for the same problem.
Automakers routinely share parts, materials, and technologies across multiple model lines to reduce costs and streamline production. The downside is that when a glitch results in a recall for one car, it can often end up taking out another soon after, as happened to Kia and its Telluride.
The NHTSA announced a recall last weekend for 201,149 examples of the mid-size SUV to fix a potential problem with a piece of external trim. An investigation stretching back to 2023 found that the door belt moulding trim on 2023-25 Tellurides can delaminate, causing it to come free of the door and drop onto the road.
Similar Issue, Different Model
This is a very similar problem to the one that forced Kia to recall more than 100,000 K5 sedans from the same model years at the back end of last month. In the K5’s case, the trim was part of the C-pillar rather than the door, and it was made by a different supplier in Korea, but the issue was same.
In both cases, Kia says the reason the trims on both models make a break for freedom is “insufficient application of the adhesive layer between the door belt molding face plate and base of the molding by the supplier.”
Related: This Kia Sedan Has A Habit Of Dropping Pieces On The Highway
Kia’s solution is to get all of the affected Tellurides into dealerships so new pieces of trim can be fitted. These parts were fitted from the factory to Tellurides built from September 2024 and feature a “mechanical retention” system (presumably an old-fashioned clip) as well as adhesive to ensure they remain cosy with the door.
We reported last week in the K5 story that Kia had been aware of the sedan’s delamination problem since late 2023, and the chronology shows that the automaker knew of the Telluride’s fault five months earlier than that.
Delayed Action, Mounting Pressure
In spring 2024, Kia decided that the detaching parts on both models didn’t warrant a full recall because its testing showed that the trims fell flat on the ground and didn’t bounce.
But a year later, and with the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) now on the case and disagreeing with Kia’s assessment of the safety risks posed by hundreds of thousands of Kia trim pieces littering America’s highways, the automaker relented.
As of last month, Kia has recorded over 16,000 examples of cars missing their trim: 12,112 from the Telluride and 4,082 from the K5.
#Cases #Kia #Admit #RecallWorthy #Problem
