Kia is recalling thousands of its Telluride SUVs in the United States over auto accident risks, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported.
Impacted vehicles come with adaptive cruise control.
According to the automaker, if a trailer is connected to the 2020 Kia Telluride SUVs while the adaptive cruise control system is in use, the trailer’s brake lights won’t illuminate. If this happens while on the road, drivers following behind the Kia vehicle might not notice the SUV is slowing down. Without the warning, following vehicles may crash into the trailer.
To avoid an accident, the main fuse box in the recalled vehicles will receive an additional wire harness in order to properly signal the trailer brake lights. Dealers will carry out the repairs for free.
Kia To SUV Owners: Defective Lights Will Lead To An Accident
Beginning September 10th, Kia will contact impacted vehicle owners via mail. Until then, Telluride SUV owners can contact the automaker directly at 800-333-4542 if they have any questions or concerns. If you are attaching a trailer to your vehicle between now and the date the automaker contacts you but you’re worried the brake lights might not work properly, contact Kia to ask how you should proceed.
The automaker decided to launch this recall over a fear the issue will increase the risk of accidents, putting lives at risk.
When brake lights don’t work properly, the lack of signage makes drivers following behind less likely to slow down when needed. If there’s a sudden traffic slowdown and a driver fails to hit the brakes in time, a rear-ending accident may occur. Depending on the gravity of the situation, this problem can lead to multiple collisions as other vehicles might also fail to realize there’s a traffic slowdown ahead.
If you are a Kia SUV owner and would like to know more about this recall, follow this link.
