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Kia Seat Belt Recalls Cover Buckles, Retractors, and Pretensioners
Kia's seat belt recalls repeatedly involve belts that cannot provide their intended restraint, but the affected parts differ. The March and June 2022 notices address exploding front pretensioners in Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles; the June notice includes 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrids and 2022 plug-in hybrids. Telluride appears across several notices: child-restraint security in 2020 vehicles, a third-row center anchor buckle in 2027 vehicles, and a driver belt that may not extend in 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles. Other problems involve the 2019 Sedona's second-row middle buckle, the 2024 EV9's front passenger retractor, and the 2026 K4's rear center anchor buckle.
Warning signs to watch for
- SC177, 2019 Sedona: the second-row middle buckle's position may prevent proper use of the three-point belt.
- SC364, 2026 K4 and 2027 Telluride: the specified center seat belt anchor buckle may not latch properly.
- SC372, 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid: the driver seat belt strap may not extend.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
None of these seven notices carries a stop-driving or park-outside instruction. The notices for the 2019 Sedona buckle, both Sorento pretensioner recalls, and the 2024 EV9 front passenger belt do not tell owners to stop driving. The same is stated for the 2026 K4 and 2027 Telluride anchor-buckle recall, the 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid driver-belt recall, and the 2020 Telluride child-restraint belt recall. Those statements describe the notices' driving instructions; they do not establish that an affected belt will restrain an occupant correctly.
What the free repair involves
Repairs are free under the supplied notices. SC177 corrects buckle placement; SC231 replaces pretensioners; SC241 adds pretensioner caps; SC312 replaces the front passenger belt assembly. SC364 inspects and replaces anchor buckles as necessary, and SC372 replaces the driver belt assembly. The 2020 Telluride recall replaces incorrect assemblies and the driver's belt with its non-U.S. label.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 6 |
| medium | 1 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 2026 | Kia Telluride Driver Seat Belt May Not Extend | high |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Kia Telluride Rear Seat Belt Buckle May Not Latch | high |
| May 14, 2024 | Kia EV9 Front Passenger Seat Belt Defect | high |
| Jun 23, 2022 | Kia Sorento Hybrid Seat Belt Pretensioner May Explode | high |
| Mar 4, 2022 | Kia Sorento Hybrid Seat Belt Pretensioner May Explode | high |
| Aug 13, 2019 | Kia Telluride Seat Belts May Not Secure Child Seats | medium |
| Mar 18, 2019 | Kia Sedona Middle Seat Belt Buckle Installed Wrong | high |
Common questions
What repairs do the two Sorento pretensioner notices specify?
The March 2022 notice, SC231, specifies replacing the affected pretensioners free of charge. The June 2022 notice, SC241, specifies securing the pretensioners with a cap free of charge. Both describe possible explosions during deployment in a crash.
Which Telluride seat belts are named in these recalls?
The 2020 Telluride notice concerns child-restraint security in front passenger, second-row and/or third-row belts, plus the driver's belt label. SC364 concerns the 2027 Telluride's third-row center anchor buckle. SC372 concerns the driver belt in 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles.
Does the EV9 recall concern the buckle or the retractor?
SC312 concerns the front passenger seat belt retractor in certain 2024 EV9 vehicles. An improperly secured retractor cover may interfere with automatic and emergency locking functions. Dealers replace the front passenger seat belt assembly free of charge.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.