Seat Belt Problems of Kia Motor Telluride

The contact owns a 2022 kia Telluride. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's side seat belt buckle failed latch immediately, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side seat belt buckle unlatched unintendedly, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the seat belt buckle was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

On Sunday January 18th 2026, my daughter and I were involved in a multi-car accident in st paul, mn on wb I-94. The weather was very cold and windy and it was snowing lightly. Traffic was moving slowly at about 40-45 miles per hour due the possible icy road conditions. A 2020 GMC terrain, driven by a [xxx] male, was driving at excessive speeds and weaving in an out of traffic when he struck the back of a semi which in turn caused the vehicle in front of our vehicle to hit him and then we struck that vehicle traveling at approximately 40 to 45 miles per hour. There was no time to respond it happened so quickly. Neither my nor my daughters air bags deployed nor did either of your seatbelts lock. I was able to grasp the steering wheel and brace but my daughter flew forward and hit her head on the dash board. The vehicle was towed to caliber collision center in minnetonka, mn on 1/19/2026. The collision representative questioned the airbags not deploying as well as confirming that the seatbelts did not lock at the time of impact. We were very concerned as well. The collision center (caliber collision in minnetonka, mn), stated that the pre-scan did not show any error messages relating to the airbags. We told them immediately that we were not comfortable with this information and that we wanted further investigation. We have also requested the 'black box' be pulled to provide information at the time of the accident. We filed a claim with kia customer care. They took my statement and said we would hear from someone within the next 5-7 business days. It has been a month and we have gotten no where with kia. They claim they are looking into it yet the collision center has heard nothing from kia. The damages total over $21,000 and the vehicle repairs have almost been completed. We have told them we are not comfortable picking up our vehicle with unresolved safety concerns. Kia corporation has failed us and we want answers. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

I am submitting this complaint to report multiple unresolved safety-related issues involving my 2024 kia Telluride that have not been properly addressed by either the authorized dealership or kia corporate. Issue #1: front bumper sensor / mounting bracket failure the front bumper sensor mounting bracket failed and detached without any impact, collision, or customer-caused damage. I did not strike anything, and there is no evidence of accident-related damage. This appears to be a manufacturing defect. This component is part of the vehicle’s front driver-assistance and safety sensor system. Because the bracket is damaged, I am concerned the sensor may be misaligned, inoperative, or providing inaccurate data, which presents a potential safety risk while driving. Issue #2: unrepaired safety recall – door belt molding I brought the vehicle to an authorized kia dealership (fred beans kia of langhorne) to have recall work completed, including a recall involving the door belt molding. After the service visit, I received conflicting information indicating that I may need to bring the vehicle back in for the same recall, and to date I have not received confirmation that this recall repair was completed. This recall involves door belt molding trim that can delaminate and detach from the vehicle, creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash to myself and other motorists. I am concerned that I may currently be operating a vehicle with an open and unresolved safety recall. Despite multiple attempts to obtain clarification and direction from both the dealership and kia corporate customer care, I have received no clear confirmation of recall completion, no resolution of the sensor bracket failure, and no assurance that my vehicle is safe to operate. These unresolved issues raise serious concerns regarding: •the integrity and functionality of safety-related sensor systems •proper execution and documentation of safety recall repairs •manufacturer and dealer respons.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

The seat belt buckle in the driver position is failing to latch. It has to be pushed in multiple times in a row and very hard to get the seat belt buckle firmly latched. There has also been more than 1 occasion that I have been driving and all of a sudden the seat belt unbuckles and my seat belt not buckled light and dinging goes off. So it seemed it was fully buckled, but was not. This would be horrible if it unbuckled in a crash! this issues has been ongoing for about 2 months.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

After warranty work was performed on my kia Telluride at an authorized kia dealership, I discovered that the rear driver-side seatbelt had not been bolted back down. It was completely loose and hanging under the seat. This means my family could have been driving with no seatbelt protection at all. This is a serious safety failure and clear negligence. A seatbelt is one of the most basic, life-saving components in any vehicle. For a dealership to return a car to a customer without confirming all seatbelts are installed correctly shows a complete breakdown in safety inspection and quality control. When I contacted the dealership, I received no apology, explanation, or acknowledgment of responsibility. No one followed up or offered to inspect the vehicle. I also contacted kia America customer relations, but I have not received any response. If such a fundamental safety step can be missed, I am extremely concerned about what other oversights may occur during kia service work nationwide. This situation should be formally investigated by the NHTSA. I’m requesting a full investigation into kia’s service procedures, technician training, and inspection protocols to ensure that no other vehicles are returned to customers in unsafe condition. Please treat this as a formal safety complaint. A loose seatbelt is not a minor error, it’s life-threatening negligence. I want this fully investigated and documented under my VIN, with confirmation of corrective action. My family’s safety, and that of other kia owners, depends on it. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I am writing to bring to your attention several safety issues with my vehicle that have not been addressed despite my previous attempts to have them resolved. The first issue concerns the brake system on my vehicle, specifically the brake failure that I have been experiencing. The brakes on my vehicle are not functioning properly, and as a result, I have had multiple instances of brake failure which have put not only my safety but the safety of others at risk. Despite bringing this issue to the attention of your team, the necessary repairs have not been carried out, and the problem persists. This is extremely concerning as the continued malfunction of the brakes poses a significant threat to the safety of both myself and other road users. I urge you to take immediate action to rectify this issue and ensure that the brakes on my vehicle are functioning correctly. Furthermore, I would also like to highlight another safety issue with the seatbelt system in my vehicle. There have been instances where the seatbelt, the third row seat and passenger seat, fails to latch properly sometimes. I have personally experienced difficulties with the latching mechanism and have had to pay for the third-row seatbelt to be fixed as well. Given the critical role that seatbelts play in ensuring the safety of passengers in a vehicle, it is imperative that this issue is addressed promptly to prevent any potential accidents or injuries. I request that the seatbelt system in my vehicle be thoroughly inspected and repaired to ensure that it is functioning correctly and reliably. I trust that you will take the necessary steps to address these safety concerns promptly and effectively. Failure to do so not only compromises my safety but also places the lives of others at risk. I appreciate your prompt attention to these.

Am the owner of a 2024 kia Telluride, VIN [xxx] . This is the 2nd Telluride we have and total 3rd kia we have. I am writing to formally report a design defect in the rear seatbelt system that poses a serious child passenger safety hazard. In the second row, where my child’s car seat is installed, the seatbelt buckle is positioned extremely low and close to the seat base. This placement makes it nearly impossible for a child to buckle themselves in and causes delays in securing them quickly. In emergency situations, this design could also prevent a child from unbuckling themselves promptly, creating a serious risk if rapid evacuation is needed. Both in everyday use and urgent scenarios, this flaw can lead to improper restraint or dangerous delays in ensuring a child’s safety. I called kia consumer affairs on Tuesday August, 12th 2025 case # [xxx] and was told there were no available solutions or suggestions. I am not satisfied with this response, as this is not a matter of convenience but of safety compliance and proper usability for child passengers. As a loyal kia customer, I expected a resolution or at the very least a clear commitment to investigate this issue. I am requesting that kia: document this as an official safety complaint. Inform me if there are any existing technical service bulletins, engineering reviews, or pending design changes related to this issue. Provide an explanation of how kia intends to address this safety concern for current and future Telluride owners and particularly to me as I have a 2 year lease. I am also submitting this report to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) so it is on record for investigation. Photos and video of the defect can be provided upon request. Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious safety matter. Sincerely, information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

We have a 2025 kia Telluride and in the second row seats the right hand seat receiver you have to grab it and hold it up tight to insert the seat belt. You have to be strong to do this. We went to billion kia in rapid city sd toi get it fixed and they can't fix it. So they called kia corp and kia said it is not a design flaw and they won't fix it. Someone could get hurt or killed in an accident. Thank you for any help.

3rd sear buckle rh - 3rd row rear bench right side rear passenger seatbelt anchor/buckle assembly (right of 3rd position) is damaged when rear seat is in down-folded position and soft length of seat buckle has slipped back under rear back rest. Receiving buckle is being crushed when seat is in folded position - kia dealer argues misuse by customer - but fault is with manufacturer as rear buckle can slip below elastic tether because there is no stable anchor length between fixing bolt and tether point. Result is that seat buckle coupling becomes crushed when seat is in folded position. Part replaced with k 89843 s9510wk.

My wife must use a cushion or pillow to sit in the passenger seat. This causes the passenger occupancy seat sensor to fail. The seat does not recognize that she is there. The seat belt alert does not chime and the air bag is turned off. I have called kia and they have no fix. I have talked to the dealer and they have no fix. I can not override the air bag and turn it on manually. We have tried multiple cushions and pillows. It does work without the cushion but this is not an option for her body. How can this be safe??.

The manufactured seat belt and alarm system failed. My seat belt alarm for the 3rd row rear seat fires intermittently while driving when the seat is empty (no one or no items are in the seat) since I purchased the vehicle. I had this issue evaluated at a kia dealership, but they ran diagnostics and "no codes" came up so they did not fix anything. The issue persists. Recently, I had my rear passenger side window broken by a thief and they entered my vehicle when it was locked. The manufacturers alarm did not fire at all.

Passenger side seat belt retracts slowly but sometimes not at all. Driver side retracts slowly.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

I was rear ended at a high rate of speed, causing me to fly down a 15 foot embankment, where I sideswiped a telephone pole. The latter causing damage to the passenger side front quarter panel. The airbag did not deploy after either impact, nor did the seatbelt stop me from hitting the steering wheel multiple times.

After sunroof repair seatbelt no longer functioning. Track seemed stuck so unable to retract seatbelt. Dealer said they had to take seatbelt apart for sunroof install and they didn’t put it back correctly. Took 2 days for repairs to be completed.

Incident 1: seatbelt was fastened as I returned from picking a child up from school. As we turned into our driveway my seatbelt unlatched unexpectedly. In addition, none of the warnings sounded that typically notify you when someone has taken off their seatbelt prematurely. Incident 2: I was pulling onto a main road from a side road when my seatbelt unlatched. None of the safety warning sounds came on. In both situations there was nothing near my seatbelt that could have accidentally depressed the button (and if there had been there should have been a seatbelt warning). Both incidents occurred close to or as I was making a right turn at slow speed.

Headlights: have deplorable visibility, particularly around corners making it nearly impossible to see at night. It is grossly dangerous, and unacceptable to equip a vehicle with such low quality headlights. However, on January 13th 2024 the hi beams ceased to function at all, which has left me unable to drive at night. As a single mother this is a huge hinderance for my young sons and their activities especially this time of year getting dark at 4:30pm. Driver seatbelt malfunction: the seatbelt has all but completely failed to retract upon removal, leaving the entire thing loose causing to twist and get caught in the door. It will not retract upon collision which also is a priority safety concern. Driver side mirror: gets stuck in the folded position, and more times than not, I then have to manually unfold it. This causes the saved position for my optimal rear visibility to get comprised and I then have to adjust while driving which is also dangerous. The dealer has addressed this and said the wiring was loose to the mirror inside the driver door and assured me they fixed it, however is still getting stuck 90 percent of the time.

The bottom bolt that attaches the second row driver side seatbelt to the side of the car came loose and fell out when a passenger tried to buckle up.

Driver side middle seat, seat belt will not retract back in. The rear 3rd row seat roof belt does not retract very well at all either.

While waiting at signal, there are no visual or audible warnings when seatbelts disengage in the front. I'm concerned this might occur with the rear seats, which is haphazard for little ones in car seats.

Front passenger seatbelt doesn’t always lock into the clasp. Sometimes it clicks as if it is locked, and the seatbelt will release without anyone or anything pushing the release button.

The driver seatbelt screw came out from the wall at the base of the car. The seatbelt was no longer attached to the car. There was no previous damage or accidents to the seatbelt and the car has few miles on it. Kia towed it to the local dealership where they stated it “just came loose” and stated “it likely wasn’t fully tightened at the manufacturing plant. ” they tightened it and said it was fine. They found no reason the bolt failed and gave no guarantee the bolt would not fail again. There was no warning or indication that the seatbelt was faulty prior to it coming out of place. It’s lucky it happened in a parked position and not in an accident. I’m deeply concerned the bolt or the where it connects to the car is indicative of a deeper issue such as faulty connective components.

Second row drivers side captains chair seat belt buckle assembly has been broken side March 2023. Vehicle is brand new 2023 kia Telluride. Captain's chair has been unusable since sealt belt does not latch (click into place) which is a major safety hazard. Kia claims part is on nationwide backorder.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

I am reporting a safety concern with the seatbelt system in my 2023 kia Telluride related to fit and adjustability, not a mechanical failure. The vehicle is available for inspection. As a [xxx] driver, the shoulder belt consistently rubs my neck rather than resting across the center of my shoulder, even when the height adjuster is set to its lowest position. Because I must raise the seat and sit closer to the steering wheel, the belt angle pulls inward toward my neck every time I drive. As a [xxx] occupant ([xxx]), rear seatbelts must be fully extended into locking mode to buckle, resulting in discomfort and concerns about proper belt tension. There have been no warning lights, prior symptoms, dealer confirmations, or inspections by the manufacturer; this condition has been present since initial use and appears to be a design limitation. Improper belt positioning and limited adjustability may increase the risk of neck or upper-body injury in a crash and may discourage proper seatbelt positioning. I request that NHTSA track and evaluate this as a vehicle safety concern in the 2023 kia Telluride and assess whether current seatbelt adjuster range, belt length, and geometry adequately accommodate shorter and plus-size occupants. I have experienced similar seatbelt fit and adjustability issues in multiple other passenger vehicles, suggesting this may represent a broader cross-vehicle design concern rather than an isolated model-specific condition. Videos showing seatbelt discomfort can be found here: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

VIN: [xxx] owner: [xxx] purchase date: December 2022 I am filing an urgent safety complaint regarding my 2023 kia Telluride. For nearly two years, I have unknowingly driven this vehicle with multiple active safety recalls, including: •airbag wiring harness defect (airbags may not deploy) •seatbelt pretensioner/tensioner defects •front power seat motor overheating (fire hazard) •driveshaft engagement defect (vehicle may roll out of park) kia never properly notified me of these recalls and never repaired them, despite my family using the vehicle daily. I drove this SUV with my autistic child and infant grandchild, believing it was safe. I have now discovered that kia allowed me to operate a vehicle that could: •fail to protect us in a crash •catch fire •roll away unexpectedly •malfunction in ways that could cause severe injury or death this is a serious safety negligence issue. Kia did not offer a loaner vehicle, did not notify me promptly, and has not provided any remedy despite these recalls being federally regulated. I am requesting NHTSA intervention 1. Investigate kia’s failure to properly notify and protect consumers. 2. Require kia to provide a full replacement vehicle (2025/2026 kia Telluride) or a full buyback due to prolonged safety risk. 3. Ensure kia corrects VIN-level recall handling and compliance failures. 4. Document that kia exposed vulnerable passengers (disabled child and infant grandchild) to unsafe conditions for almost two years. My family has been placed in danger this entire time, and kia has not provided a timely or adequate remedy. Please investigate this matter urgently. — [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driver’s (left front) seatbelt tongue is sometimes difficult to fully insert into the seatbelt buckle. Even worse, sometimes it appears to be inserted, but it is not fully engaged/locked. I’ve inspected buckle and there does not appear to be any debris. Fully pressing the release button on the buckle before inserting the tongue seems to alleviate the issue. Next time I bring car to dealer, I will have them inspect/diagnose/replace.

Unable to put the seatbelt latch in the buckle with a booster seat in place.

I am reporting a recurring safety concern with seatbelt fit and adjustability that I have experienced in multiple passenger vehicles. As a [xxx] driver, the shoulder belt in many vehicles consistently rubs my neck rather than resting across the center of my shoulder, even when height adjusters are set to their lowest positions. Additionally, as a [xxx] occupant ([xxx]), rear seatbelts in many vehicles must be fully extended into locking mode to buckle, preventing a snug fit and raising concerns about proper tension during a crash. There have been no warning lights, prior symptoms, or dealer inspections confirming these conditions; they have been present since initial use. Improper belt positioning and limited adjustability may increase the risk of neck or upper-body injury and may encourage unsafe seatbelt adjustments. I request that NHTSA track and evaluate this as a broader, cross-vehicle safety concern regarding seatbelt design, adjuster range, belt length, and geometry for [xxx] and [xxx] size occupants. Videos showing seatbelt discomfort can be found here: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).