The Passenger Seat on her Kia Telluride is Caught within the Again Place, however the Supplier says Nothing is Unsuitable. The Proprietor is just not In a position to Attain the Pedals within the Seat’s Present Place

Nicole Jones contacted different Kia Telluride Complaints Fb Group members, asking if anybody else had skilled the motive force’s seat getting caught within the again place. Not solely is the seat not shifting again to its beforehand saved settings, however the programmed button additionally doesn’t reply. In her put up, she states, 

“Is Anybody having points with the seat getting caught within the again place, Which means it doesn’t transfer again as much as your saved settings? The programmed button on the door does not work both. The seller stated nothing was incorrect, and Kia would not repair it except it might be recreated whereas on the dealership. I can not attain the pedals to drive it there when the seat is just not working since that’s what I used to be advised to do.” She additionally took a video, hoping it proved she was not mendacity. Nicole additionally talked about it was a 2023 SX X-line with 21,000 miles, so this might be properly inside any guarantee obligations. 

Except for the impracticality of being unable to drive as a result of they can’t attain the pedals, there are additionally security dangers. These embrace driver management. The shortcoming to regulate their seating can stop the motive force from sustaining acceptable automobile management, rising the danger of an accident. It additionally poses a fireplace hazard. Steady motor operations due to misaligned switches could result in instances of overheating or potential fireplace, thereby endangering passengers. Failure to deal with the issue may additionally additional exacerbate the potential for accidents.

Reported instances of Energy Seat Malfunctioning

Many Telluride house owners have beforehand reported instances the place the motive force’s seat turned caught in a again or reclined place. A Kia Telluride proprietor shared an expertise in a discussion board the place their driver’s seat couldn’t be moved again or ahead. Nonetheless, it was attainable to make vertical changes. His automobile had solely lined 60,000 miles, and the dealership quoted $190 to diagnose the issue. In one other case involving a 2024 Telluride, the proprietor reported erratic seat actions the place the seat randomly pinned them in opposition to the steering wheel. 

Their dealership claimed it was due to free wires and beneficial a job costing over $2,500. Seat malfunctioning is just not remoted to Telluride, although. A Kia Stinger proprietor reported that their passenger seat had develop into caught after being moved ahead for cleansing functions. Regardless of varied makes an attempt to unravel the issue, together with utilizing a rubber mallet or lubricating the rail, the seat remained in place. 

Dealership and Producer Tasks

Whereas the producer gives the framework for dealing with defects, the dealerships are the primary choice for customer support and total upkeep. So, the dealership shouldn’t dismiss buyer complaints, as was the case this time. They’re additionally not allowed to impose large diagnostic charges for issues linked to a identified defect. In conditions the place the defect needs to be recreated earlier than guarantee protection applies, the technicians on the dealership should make affordable efforts to diagnose the issue versus leaving the burden on the shopper. The duty can be on the producer. 

Like all producers, Kia has an obligation to make, design, and promote automobiles that meet efficiency requirements. They need to additionally examine a problem if a number of people have reported an issue. They need to examine the defect to find out the foundation trigger and assess if it’s a security hazard. If it’s a legitimate situation, they might cowl the restore price or situation a recall whereas offering a alternative.  There have been earlier instances the place Kia, following investigations, needed to recall their automobiles. The newest case was in 2022, the place they recalled 462,000 Tellurides as a consequence of fireplace danger. 

Nicole’s considerations concerning the seat positioning are legitimate based mostly on the video and photographic proof offered. Therefore, Kia and its dealership have an moral and authorized obligation to deal with the problem. That is enforced by the NHTSA and state shopper safety legal guidelines, which even provide recourse for patrons with unaddressed malfunctions. 

Picture supply: KIA Telluride Complaints Fb Group and Kia.com Stock

Nicholas Muhoro is an automotive journalist masking automobile information and has a decade of expertise sharing working at HotCars and TopSpeed. You’ll be able to comply with Nicholas on X and on LinkedIn to remain in contact and comply with his information protection at Torque Information.