The Passenger Seat on her Kia Telluride is Caught within the Again Place, however the Vendor says Nothing is Flawed. The Proprietor isn’t Capable of 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 driving force’s seat getting caught within the again place. Not solely is the seat not transferring again to its beforehand saved settings, however the programmed button additionally doesn’t reply. In her submit, 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 would not work both. The seller mentioned nothing was mistaken, and Kia would not repair it except it may very well be recreated whereas on the dealership. I can not attain the pedals to drive it there when the seat isn’t 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 is able to be effectively inside any guarantee obligations. 

Except for the impracticality of being unable to drive as a result of they can not attain the pedals, there are additionally security dangers. These embody driver management. The shortcoming to regulate their seating can forestall the driving force from sustaining applicable automobile management, growing the danger of an accident. It additionally poses a hearth hazard. Steady motor operations due to misaligned switches could result in instances of overheating or potential hearth, thereby endangering passengers. Failure to handle the issue may additionally additional exacerbate the potential for accidents.

Reported instances of Energy Seat Malfunctioning

Many Telluride homeowners have beforehand reported instances the place the driving force’s seat grew to become 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. Nevertheless, it was attainable to make vertical changes. His automobile had solely coated 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 towards the steering wheel. 

Their dealership claimed it was due to unfastened wires and really helpful a job costing over $2,500. Seat malfunctioning isn’t remoted to Telluride, although. A Kia Stinger proprietor reported that their passenger seat had turn out to be 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 Obligations

Whereas the producer gives the framework for dealing with defects, the dealerships are the primary choice for customer support and general upkeep. So, the dealership mustn’t dismiss buyer complaints, as was the case this time. They’re additionally not allowed to impose enormous diagnostic charges for issues linked to a recognized defect. In conditions the place the defect must be recreated earlier than guarantee protection applies, the technicians on the dealership need to make cheap efforts to diagnose the issue versus leaving the burden on the consumer. The duty can also be on the producer. 

Like all producers, Kia has an obligation to make, design, and promote autos that meet efficiency requirements. They need to additionally examine a difficulty if a number of people have reported an issue. They need to examine the defect to find out the basis 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 autos. The latest case was in 2022, the place they recalled 462,000 Tellurides attributable to hearth danger. 

Nicole’s issues concerning the seat positioning are legitimate primarily based on the video and photographic proof offered. Therefore, Kia and its dealership have an moral and authorized obligation to handle the problem. That is enforced by the NHTSA and state client safety legal guidelines, which even supply recourse for purchasers with unaddressed malfunctions. 

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

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