2027 Kia Telluride and Telluride Hybrid Recall: Driver Seat Belt Strap May Not Extend/FMVSS 209

The driver's seat belt in some 2027 Kia Telluride and Telluride Hybrid SUVs can lock as it is pulled from the retractor, so the strap stops short of full extension and may not reach the buckle.

Recall 26V356 covers 6,264 vehicles: 4,367 hybrids produced from March 24 through May 12, 2026, and 1,897 gasoline Tellurides produced from March 24 through May 10. An error at the supplier may have put the wrong vehicle sensor in their driver's belt assemblies.

The Issue

Samsong Mexico, a Tier 1 supplier in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, makes the driver's belt assembly, part number 88810-P8500. With the incorrect sensor fitted, the emergency locking retractor (ELR) can lock while the driver draws the webbing out, and Kia's Part 573 report says a belt in that state "may be temporarily unavailable as an occupant restraint."

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209 sets how an ELR must behave when it is rotated, in section S4.3(j)(2)(i)(E). Kia found the affected assemblies locking at less than 15 degrees of rotation from their installed orientation, with no acceleration acting on them, and its regulatory review concluded that belts locking at that angle fail the section. The safety risk Kia names falls on the driver who then goes unbelted and faces a higher chance of injury in a collision.

Dealers replace the entire driver's belt assembly, pretensioner included, with one carrying the correct sensor. The service bulletin lists four replacement part numbers matched to interior color: Black, Black/Khaki, Deep Khaki and Deep Navy/Tuscan Umber. Tellurides assembled from May 11, 2026 and hybrids from May 13 have the correct sensor.

Affected Models

Vehicle	Model Year	Production Dates	Estimated Units
Kia Telluride Hybrid	2027	March 24 to May 12, 2026	4,367
Kia Telluride	2027	March 24 to May 10, 2026	1,897

Hybrids make up about 70 percent of the population by my arithmetic. All of these SUVs came from a Kia assembly plant in the U.S., and because they were not produced in VIN order, Kia drew the list from supplier and vehicle production records; a lookup by individual VIN settles whether a particular car is included.

The 2027 Telluride X-Pro SX-Prestige I tested in October 2026 was built January 13, 2026, according to its door label, ten weeks before the first build date in this recall.

Chronology and Investigation

Kia North America picked up the problem on April 8, 2026, in a Techline case on a 2027 Telluride whose driver's belt stuck when pulled and would not extend fully. Kia NA alerted Kia Georgia and began monitoring. On April 24 the two inspected a second Telluride with a belt that locked as the webbing came out, could not reproduce the fault, and took the part away for evaluation.

By April 30, Kia Georgia and the supplier had found that some driver's belt assemblies may have been built with the incorrect vehicle sensor, and Kia's Safety Office escalated the issue for further investigation. Its inspections of 2027 Tellurides in the field, from May 1 to May 15, found belts locking as the webbing was extended with the vehicles stationary. Between May 18 and May 26, Kia headquarters supplied a performance test report on a sample assembly with the incorrect sensor, and the Safety Office, Kia Georgia and the supplier examined why the ELR activated at less than 15 degrees.

Kia completed its regulatory review on May 26 and decided to recall the SUVs for noncompliance that day. Its Part 573 report is dated June 2, 2026, and NHTSA logged it on June 3.

Reported Incidents

Kia's chronology counts ten warranty claims for driver's belts that locked or would not extend, identified in a preliminary data review on April 30, 2026. It records no crashes, injuries or fatalities.

What Owners Should Do

Kia's owner letter, dated July 20, 2026, tells drivers to fasten their belt every time and make sure each passenger's belt is fastened before driving. If the driver's strap is locked and will not extend, the letter says to contact Kia Roadside Assistance at 1-800-333-4542 or kia.rsahelp.com and request a tow to the nearest authorized Kia dealer.

VINs became searchable on June 16, 2026. Check yours at Kia's recall page or NHTSA.gov, or call Kia Customer Care at 1-800-333-4542 and reference Kia recall SC372. The replacement is free. Anyone who paid for a related repair before the letter can seek reimbursement under Kia's General Reimbursement Plan at customercare.kiausa.com, or by mail with the form enclosed in the letter.

Kia's June 3 delivery hold notice reminded dealers that federal law bars them from selling or leasing an affected new vehicle until the remedy is done.

The first quarterly report, filed October 14, 2026, counted 2,964 vehicles as remedied, a figure that also takes in cars inspected without needing the repair or returned to inventory. Another 118 were listed as unreachable and 4 as scrapped, stolen or exported. By my arithmetic, 3,178 reachable SUVs still had the recall open.

Symptoms to Watch For in the Driver's Seat Belt

A driver's belt that will not pull out. It is the one warning sign in Kia's Part 573 report, which says the incorrect sensor locks the retractor in certain conditions.

How Long Will the Recall Repair Take?

The owner letter puts the job at about one hour and warns that the SUV may be needed longer depending on the dealer's schedule. The warranty labor allowance is 0.4 hours. The technician disconnects the 12-volt battery, removes the door scuff trims and the center pillar trims, disconnects the pretensioner, unbolts the belt at its upper anchor and two lower mounts, and fits the new assembly.

Bottom Line

Kia estimates that 1 percent of the 6,264 SUVs carry the wrong sensor, about 63 vehicles by my arithmetic.

An open recall transfers with the vehicle when it is sold. Anyone shopping a 2027 Telluride or Telluride Hybrid from a Kia dealer's used inventory or a private seller should run the VIN.

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

Recall 26V356 (June 2026) covers 6,264 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid SUVs built from March 24 through May 10 and May 12, 2026, whose driver's seat belt assembly may carry an incorrect vehicle sensor that locks the retractor as the strap is pulled out. Dealers replace the driver's belt assembly; owner letters are dated July 20, 2026.