2021 Kia Telluride Recalled Due to 1 Child-Related Safety Issue
As far as midsized SUVs go, reviewers and owners alike seem to love the 2021 Kia Telluride. Despite its excellent ratings, this Kia has been at the center of a few recalls in recent history. Today this number grows by one with a brand-new recall surrounding the SUV’s airbags and child safety.
According to CarComplaints, the system tasked with sensing when children sit in the front seats might fail. As a result, the airbag might trigger when it shouldn’t. Since we’re talking about children, the airbag’s impact could cause more damage than the actual crash.
What is wrong with the 2021 Kia Telluride?
Before we dive into the specifics of this 2021 Kia Telluride recall, it is worth noting that this recall doesn’t come as a result of any fatalities or injuries. Instead, CarComplaints reports that Kia has taken the initiative to issue this recall to prevent any.
In short, the 2021 Kia Telluride’s occupant classification system might not properly detect when a child sits in the SUV’s front seat. As a result, the airbag might go off when it doesn’t need to, causing serious injury. Thankfully, this issue requires a fairly simple fix with a brand-new detection system.
According to CarSalesBase, 75,129 Tellurides found new homes in 2020 alone. Despite this, this brand-new recall affects fewer than 150 vehicles in total, including other models from Kia. As a result, this issue only surrounds a small batch of SUVs. Like with any other recall, Kia will reach out to the owners of these affected machines.
Does this recall affect other models?
Despite covering fewer than 150 vehicles in total, this recall doesn’t affect just the 2021 Kia Telluride. According to CarComplaints, the Korean carmaker also recalls its K5 and Forte sedans. As you’d expect, these models utilize the same detection system, so they are prone to the same fault.
According to CarSalesBase, Kia sold 84,997 units of the Forte and 21,656 units of the K5 in 2020. As a result, when we contextualize this latest recall, we learn that it affects a minimal number of vehicles. This recall likely shouldn’t affect your purchasing decision if you’re looking at a brand-new Kia.
As of writing, CarComplaints hasn’t reported whether or not other models from the Korean carmaker will eventually fall under this latest recall.
Is the Telluride still worth buying?
Despite this latest recall, there are not major reasons why you’d want to avoid the 2021 Kia Telluride. One look at Consumer Reports reveals that the people actually buying these SUVs report being very happy with their latest purchase. The midsize SUV aced the road test, predicted reliability, and predicted ownership satisfaction categories.
In terms of highlights, Consumer Reports excelled in the acceleration, transmission, braking, emergency handling, and comfort categories of its road test. Additionally, Consumer Reports found that the midsized SUV offered great value for money, especially considering it offers three rows of seats.
As far as pricing goes, the Telluride starts at $32,190 for the base LX trim. However, you can go all the way to $42,490 for the range-topping SX trim.
