Kia is recalling 6,264 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles after finding a defect in the driver seat belt emergency locking retractor that could keep the strap from extending. The move was announced as a voluntary recall and affects a specific production run built from March 24, 2026, to May 12, 2026.
The company said the seat belt problem could raise the risk of injury in a crash. In the words of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the driver seat belt emergency locking retractor may lock, and an unavailable occupant restraint increases the risk of injury to an unbelted driver in the event of a collision.
Owners of the affected 2027 Kia Telluride and Kia Telluride Hybrid vehicles will be told to take their SUVs to a Kia dealer, where the seat belt assembly will be replaced at no charge. VINs tied to the recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov starting Tuesday, June 16, giving drivers a way to check whether their vehicle is included before letters go out.
The defect traces back to an incorrect vehicle sensor installed in certain driver seat belt assemblies by one of Kia's suppliers. The vehicles do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards because of the flaw, even though Kia said no other Kia or Kia Telluride vehicles are equipped with the defective retractor. That leaves a narrow but important question for owners: whether their SUV is in the 6,264-vehicle production run that was affected.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 31, and Kia customer service can be reached at -333-4542. Drivers can also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or 888-275-9171 for TTY service. For buyers and dealers alike, the practical test now is simple: if the VIN falls in the recalled range, the repair is free and the fix is waiting.
