2025-2026 Kia Telluride and Sorento Recall: Incorrect Spare Tire/FMVSS 110

Forty-five 2025 Kia Telluride and 2026 Sorento SUVs left Kia's West Point, Georgia, plant carrying a temporary spare in the wrong size, and mounting that spare can impair the anti-lock brakes and traction control. Every one of those spares went in on August 28, 2025, an installation Kia's Part 573 report attributes to "plant worker error."

Recall 25V745 covers 24 Tellurides built August 28 through September 10, 2025 and 21 Sorentos built August 28 through September 2, 2025. Dealers replace the spare wheel and tire assembly on all 45 at no charge.

The Issue

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110, section S4.3, requires each vehicle's tire placard to give the size designation for its tires, the spare included. The spare on these SUVs does not match the size printed on that placard. Kia's Part 573 report puts the share of the population with the defect at 100 percent.

The report says an incorrect-size spare "can adversely affect the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and or traction control system (TCS) thereby increasing the risk of a crash," and the owner letter ties that risk to the spare being installed on the vehicle.

The correct temporary spare for the Sorento is a T135/90D17 on a 17-inch wheel, part number 52919-R5100. The Telluride takes a T155/90R18 on an 18-inch wheel, part number 52919-L0950. At the dealer, a technician loosens the bracket bolt that holds the spare with a hand tool, lifts out the incorrect assembly and fits the correct one, which needs no balancing.

Affected Models

Vehicle	Model Year	Production Dates	Units
Kia Telluride	2025	August 28 to September 10, 2025	24
Kia Sorento	2026	August 28 to September 2, 2025	21
Total			45

These SUVs were not built in VIN order, so Kia drew the list from production and spare tire installation records, and a lookup by individual VIN settles whether a given SUV is included. Kia's report states that no 2025 Telluride or 2026 Sorento outside these 45 received a wrong-size spare.

Chronology and Investigation

Kia Georgia told Kia North America's Safety Office on October 16, 2025 that some vehicles might have been fitted with an incorrect spare, and the office began a field data review while the plant looked further. On October 24, the plant's installation records confirmed 24 Tellurides and 21 Sorentos, and Kia North America concluded that the gap between the spare's actual size and the placard broke section S4.3 of the standard. The recall decision came October 27.

A new-vehicle delivery hold went to dealers on October 28, before the campaign had an NHTSA number. Kia submitted its Part 573 report on October 30, and dealer letters and a recall Q&A followed the same day.

In July 2022, recall 22V509 covered eight 2022 Tellurides and Sorentos from the same plant whose spares might not match the placard; its cause was an assembly worker who installed the incorrect-sized spare on the production line. Both Part 573 reports list the same two temporary wheel assembly part numbers and name Kia Georgia as the component source. The 25V745 report leaves its related-recall field blank, and its chronology makes no reference to the 2022 campaign.

Reported Incidents

The Safety Office's field data analysis found no related reports, and Kia's chronology records no accidents or injuries.

What Owners Should Do

Kia's owner letter warns against installing the spare the SUV came with until the recall work is done. If a tire goes flat first, the letter says to contact Kia Roadside Assistance at 1-800-333-4542 or kia.rsahelp.com and have the vehicle towed to the nearest Kia dealer.

Owner letters went out December 3, 2025. Check the VIN at Kia's recall page or NHTSA.gov, or call Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 and reference Kia recall SC355. The replacement is free, and Kia's General Reimbursement Plan covers owners who already paid for a related repair; receipts go in through customercare.kiausa.com or by mail with the form included in the owner letter.

Federal law bars a dealer from delivering a new vehicle covered by the recall, by sale or lease, until the remedy is done. Kia's quarterly report filed October 14, 2026 lists 37 of the 45 as remedied, the same count as in July. That total also includes any vehicle inspected and found not to need the repair, and none are listed as unreachable or removed from service. By my arithmetic, that leaves eight SUVs with the recall open.

Symptoms to Watch For Before the Spare Goes On

A sidewall size that differs from the placard. Kia's report lists no warning that can occur. The correct sizes in Kia's service bulletin are T135/90D17 for the Sorento and T155/90R18 for the Telluride, and the Tire Information placard gives the size each vehicle should carry.

How Long Will the Recall Repair Take?

Kia's warranty schedule allows 0.5 hours to replace the spare wheel and tire. The owner letter estimates the visit at one to two hours and warns that the SUV may be kept longer depending on the dealer's schedule. Dealers order the wheel from Kia's parts distribution center and the tire through Dealer Tire, a Continental for the Sorento and a Kumho for the Telluride, and source the valve stem locally.

Bottom Line

The risk applies only while the incorrect spare is mounted, which makes a flat tire the moment it matters. Kia's letter answers that case with a tow, and the eight SUVs my arithmetic leaves open can have the correct spare fitted before it comes to that.

An open recall transfers with the vehicle when it is sold. Anyone who bought a used 2025 Telluride or 2026 Sorento from a Kia dealer or a private seller should run the VIN rather than assume the spare was replaced.

Find your Kia Telluride recall information: https://www.kia.com/us/en/recall

Recall 25V745 (October 2025) covers 24 2025 Tellurides built August 28 to September 10, 2025 and 21 2026 Sorentos built August 28 to September 2, 2025 that received a wrong-size spare tire at Kia Georgia on August 28, 2025. Dealers replace the spare wheel and tire assembly. Kia's October 2026 quarterly report counts 37 of the 45 as remedied.