- The 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 K4 are being recalled.
- Both have seat belt buckles that may not latch properly.
- Dealers can’t deliver the vehicles until they pass inspection.
The 2027 Kia Telluride only began arriving at dealerships last month, yet it’s already facing its first recall. The three-row crossover is joined by the 2026 K4, as both models have a rear seat belt buckle that may not latch properly.
The issue involves the rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the sedan as well as the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the crossover. A total of 14,870 vehicles are impacted by the recall and 13,499 of them are Tellurides.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Kia originally became aware of the issue in February after their plant in Georgia discovered problems latching the third-row center seat buckle. The plant then advised their North American Safety Office that some anchor buckles may have been incorrectly assembled by Samsong Mexico.
Similar anchor buckles from the same supplier were used on the 2026 K4, so Kia decided to recall both vehicles. However, the company isn’t aware of any field reports or injuries related to the issue.
To address the problem, dealers will inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly, as necessary. As part of the process, technicians will disassemble the seat belt buckle to ensure the spring tab is properly seated against the anchor point. If it isn’t, it will be replaced.
While the inspection and replacement seem pretty straight forward, the Telluride and K4 have been hit by a stop sale order. This is far from ideal as the crossover is brand-new and sales soared 37.5% last month to 13,198 units.
That being said, this is only a temporary hiccup as dealers simply need to inspect the third-row center seat belt buckle. If everything’s okay, they can deliver the vehicle.
