Kia America (Kia) is recalling 2024 Telluride vehicles because the engine valve springs may break while driving, which can result in a sudden loss of power and possibly create a hole in the engine block, which is a fire hazard. Abnormal engine noise, check engine light illumination, and a rough running engine are warning signs that the driver may notice before the engine fails. Tellurides are made in Georgia at a non-unionized plant.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today released the required recall filing. Kia told NHTSA that “The engine valve springs may break while driving due to fatigue cracking as a result of damage to the springs during manufacture by the supplier. A broken valve spring may result in a loss of motive power. In rare cases, a hole in the engine block may occur due to a broken valve entering the combustion chamber.”
Kia also claimed that “engines installed in vehicles produced beginning on 12/11/2023 contain valves springs that were not damaged during manufacture and thus not susceptible to fatigue cracking. Vehicles produced from 12/7/2023 through 12/10/2023 that may be equipped with the recall component will be repaired at the plant before distribution to dealers. As a result, vehicles produced after 12/6/2023 are not included in the recall scope.”
Kia dealers will replace the engine sub-assembly, free of charge as required by US safety regulations. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 5 April 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800 333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC296. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 24V077.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Kia Recalls 2024 Tellurides for Sudden Engine Failures
Kia America (Kia) is recalling 2024 Telluride vehicles because the engine valve springs may break while driving, which can result in a sudden loss of power and possibly create a hole in the engine block, which is a fire hazard. Abnormal engine noise, check engine light illumination, and a rough running engine are warning signs that the driver may notice before the engine fails. Tellurides are made in Georgia at a non-unionized plant.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today released the required recall filing. Kia told NHTSA that “The engine valve springs may break while driving due to fatigue cracking as a result of damage to the springs during manufacture by the supplier. A broken valve spring may result in a loss of motive power. In rare cases, a hole in the engine block may occur due to a broken valve entering the combustion chamber.”
Kia also claimed that “engines installed in vehicles produced beginning on 12/11/2023 contain valves springs that were not damaged during manufacture and thus not susceptible to fatigue cracking. Vehicles produced from 12/7/2023 through 12/10/2023 that may be equipped with the recall component will be repaired at the plant before distribution to dealers. As a result, vehicles produced after 12/6/2023 are not included in the recall scope.”
Kia dealers will replace the engine sub-assembly, free of charge as required by US safety regulations. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 5 April 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800 333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC296. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 24V077.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.