Kia Telluride seat belt problems

Filed Nov 6, 2026 · Seat belts, Seats · PA

There is no way I can connect my childs forward facing car seat through the manufacturers required lap belt without the seat belt bunching up. The buckle does not go up enough. Other complaints online have not found a car seat that does not bunch up. It is starting to wear the seat belt after only a week, and my wife and I are worried for the safety of my daughter. I am afraid the seat belt will be comprised and not work to its full capacity in the event of an accident.

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · Seat belts · PA

The passenger side second row seat belt has been malfunctioning since I purchased the vehicle new. It doesn’t retract properly. I told this to my dealership at my first oil change but they said there was no recall. It had not been much of an issue with the seat only being used by my son who is of small frame and doesn’t need a lot of slack extended. However, a larger adult recently used it and got out of the car at night in the dark. Due to the defect, the seatbelt did not retract and the vehicle door was closed with most of the belt and buckle outside the vehicle. Upon driving, it became lodged in the wheel well resulting in rips in the belt, grinding of the buckle and forcefully extending the entire seatbelt.

Filed Oct 17, 2026 · Airbags, Seat belts · CO · crash · 1 injury

I was involved in a rear end collision, with the SUV behind me going 65mph and my vehicle only at approx. 20mph. I was then pushed into the car, which I struck in front of me. My airbags did not deploy and though I was wearing my seat belt I was still propelled upward cutting my eye on the visor and bruising on my chin and lower lip from the steering wheel. I am concerned as to why the air bags did not deploy or the seatbelt lock. The damage was significant and my vehicle including the one that rear ended me are both totaled. Can this be looked into?

Filed Aug 26, 2026 · Seat belts · TX · 1 injury

My stepson became entangled in the left/driver-side third-row seat belt of my 2025 Kia Telluride. The seat belt webbing became wrapped/tangled around him and the seat belt retractor entered a locked condition. We were unable to create sufficient slack or otherwise release him from the restraint. The situation became a life-threatening child-entrapment emergency. Emergency services were called and responders ultimately had to CUT THE FACTORY SEAT BELT WEBBING to free the child. My safety concern is not simply that a child became tangled in a seat belt. My concern is that once this occurred, the seat belt/retractor locked in a manner that prevented us from releasing tension and freeing the child. The only available solution during the emergency was for first responders to physically cut the restraint. I have also located reports from other Kia Telluride owners describing children becoming trapped when third-row seat belts became wrapped around an occupant or seat component and subsequently locked. I am also aware of the federal safety agency Recall 26V356 / Kia Safety Recall SC372 involving certain 2027 Kia Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles. That recall involves a driver's seat belt emergency locking retractor that may lock while the webbing is being extended. I understand that recall applies to a different model year and seating position and may have a different underlying cause. However, because my 2025 Telluride experienced a serious seat-belt retractor locking event involving a child, I am requesting that the federal safety agency evaluate whether this incident represents a related, broader, or separate restraint-system safety defect. This incident required emergency intervention and destruction of the factory seat belt to free a child. I believe the inability to release tension from the locked restraint presents a potentially serious child entrapment and strangulation hazard, and I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate.

Filed May 26, 2026 · Seat belts · CA

The second row captain's chair seatbelt buckle stalks on the 2027 Kia Telluride are abnormally tall and rigid, with an angle causing the seatbelt webbing to kink and compress at a sharp angle around any forward-facing car seat base. This compromises the seatbelt's ability to lock and distribute crash forces correctly in the event of a collision. The third row seatbelts are too long to achieve the required less-than-one-inch installation tightness required for a safe car seat install. Three different forward-facing harnessed car seats were tested in all available seating positions with identical results. This is not a car seat compatibility issue — the problem is consistent across all tested seats and all positions. Children who have exceeded the federal 40 lb forward-facing LATCH limit are legally required to use seatbelt installation only. The vehicle's buckle stalk design makes a safe seatbelt install impossible in any seating position, leaving no safe option for transporting a forward-facing harnessed child in this vehicle. Photographic and video documentation of the compromised installs in every seating position is available upon request. No warning lamps or prior symptoms appeared — this is a design incompatibility discovered during car seat installation.

Filed May 4, 2026 · Seat belts · SC

I have a 2023 Telluride awd. I only have 25000 miles on the vehicle since i dont drive much. I went on a trip with family and the first time a person sat in my drivers side, 2nd row seating, the seat belt wont retract.

Filed Feb 5, 2026 · Seat belts · ND

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.

Filed Jan 30, 2026 · Seat belts · 68,000 miles · VT

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.

Filed Aug 19, 2025 · Seat belts · FL

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 federal safety agency 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)

Filed Jun 5, 2025 · Seat belts · AZ

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