Kia Took 12,000 Cases to Acknowledge This Issue as a Recall-Worthy Problem | Carscoops

      Kia is recalling more than 200,000 Telluride SUVs in the United States due to an issue with the door trim potentially detaching.

      The 2023-25 Telluride models have a trim piece that may fall off, similar to a problem that led to the recall of 100,000 K5 sedans for the same issue.

      Automakers often use shared parts, materials, and technologies across different models to save on costs and improve production efficiency. However, this can lead to situations where a recall for one model also affects another, as seen with Kia's Telluride.

      The NHTSA announced last weekend that 201,149 mid-size SUVs are being recalled to address a potential issue with external trim. An investigation dating back to 2023 revealed that the door belt molding on the 2023-25 Tellurides could delaminate, leading to it detaching from the door and falling onto the roadway.

      Similar Issue, Different Model

      This issue closely resembles the one that prompted Kia to recall over 100,000 K5 sedans from the same model years last month. In the K5's case, the trim was located on the C-pillar instead of the door, and it was supplied by a different manufacturer in Korea, but the underlying problem was the same.

      In both situations, Kia attributes the detachments to “insufficient application of the adhesive layer between the door belt molding face plate and base of the molding by the supplier.”

      Kia's approach involves bringing all affected Tellurides into dealerships so that new trim pieces can be installed. The parts used in Tellurides produced from September 2024 onwards include a “mechanical retention” system (likely a traditional clip) in addition to adhesive to ensure they remain securely attached to the door.

      We noted in our previous coverage of the K5 recall that Kia had been aware of the sedan’s delamination issue since late 2023, while records indicate that the automaker knew about the Telluride’s problem five months prior.

      Delayed Action, Increasing Pressure

      In the spring of 2024, Kia concluded that the detaching parts on both models did not require a full recall based on tests indicating that the trims fell to the ground rather than bouncing back up.

      However, a year later, with the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) now involved and disputing Kia’s evaluation of the safety risks posed by numerous Kia trim pieces on America's highways, the company reconsidered its position.

      As of last month, Kia reported more than 16,000 cases of missing trim: 12,112 from the Telluride and 4,082 from the K5.