Kia America, Inc. recall 26V135

Affected vehicles (2)

Component / system

Defect

Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly.

Risk / consequence

A seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2026. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC364. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 20, 2026.

Chronology of events

1. Feb 9, 2026

   February 9, 2026 Kia Georgia informs Kia North America (Kia NA) Safety Office of third row center seat anchor buckle may not latch properly on 2027 Telluride. Kia NA Safety Office reviews field data and identifies no instances of improper latching.

2. Feb 12, 2026

   February 12, 2026 Kia Georgia informs Kia NA Safety Office that some anchor buckles may have been incorrectly assembled by the supplier. Kia NA Safety Office is also informed that similar anchor buckles from the same supplier are equipped on the 2026MY K4 Hatchback produced by Kia Mexico.

3. Feb 23, 2026

   February 23, 2026— Kia Mexico confirms the 2026MY K4 Hatchback rear center seat

4. Feb 26, 2026

   February 26, 2026 anchor buckle is supplied by the same supplier as the 2027MY Telluride. Kia Georgia and Kia Mexico work with supplier and provide Kia NA Safety Office with scope of affected vehicles. Kia NA Safety Office review of all field data sources identifies no improper latching of seatbelt anchor buckles on either model.

5. Feb 27, 2026

   February 27, 2026 Kia NA Safety Office decides to recall certain 2026MY K4 Hatchback and certain 2027MY Telluride vehicles. No accidents, injuries, or fatalities. 1 Kia America, Inc.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

Mar 09, 2026 - Mar 09, 2026 No Dealers

Owner notification

May 05, 2026 - May 05, 2026 Phased Recall