— A Kia Telluride windshield recall allegedly should have been issued long ago for windshields that chip, crack and break, or at least that is what a Telluride owner claims in a class action lawsuit.
According to the plaintiff who sued, model year 2020 Kia Telluride windshields fail for no reason other than they were defective from the beginning.
The class action alleges a Telluride windshield recall was skipped by the automaker in favor of a “goodwill gesture” that would replace the Kia windshields. But the lawsuit alleges the offer wasn't made to all affected 2020 Telluride owners and lessees, including the plaintiff who filed the class action.
The windshields allegedly crack, chip and fracture due to design and/or manufacturing defects that existed since the Tellurides went on sale.
The plaintiff purchased a new 2020 Kia Telluride in November 2019, but in January 2020 the windshield cracked even though the plaintiff never saw anything hit the glass. The small crack quickly expanded and additional cracks appeared on the Telluride windshield.
The owner went online to learn if a Kia Telluride windshield recall had been issued, but what the plaintiff found was a November 2019 letter that Kia sent to certain 2020 Telluride customers.
The letter said the automaker had “identified that in some instances, customers have reported windshield chipping following by extensive cracking within a short period of time, thereby preventing repair of the chip."
"In an effort to ensure customer satisfaction, Kia will replace your Telluride’s windshield as a goodwill gesture should it chip and crack thereby preventing repair of the chip while we continue to investigate this issue” and advised that customers should contact a Kia dealer and “[b]ring this letter to the appointment and provide it to the dealer for reference." - Kia Telluride letter
However, the plaintiff says she never received a letter concerning her SUV.
According to the plaintiff, she took the Telluride to a dealership for windshield repairs but was told the goodwill gesture didn't apply to her vehicle. She says Kia told her she would have to pay about $1,000 for a replacement windshield, but the dealer didn't have any replacement windshields in stock.
No repairs were performed even though the Telluride owner twice tried to convince the dealer to fix the windshield for free.
Kia says the warranty won't cover windshield damage when the damage is caused by an outside source rather than defects. The lawsuit says this is how the automaker gets around paying for windshield repairs or replacements.
“Your vehicle’s 2020 warranty specifically excludes coverage for broken, chipped, scratched or damaged glass due to outside influence.”
The plaintiff claims even though the warranty says what it says, the separate goodwill gesture offered by Kia should apply to her 2020 Telluride.
Kia has allegedly known since the beginning of 2019 that the Telluride windshields should have been recalled.
The lawsuit references multiple Telluride windshield complaints, including one from a customer who said the 2020 Telluride windshield cracked the first day.
"I had just purchased my 2020 Kia Telluride from the dealership. While driving home I heard a loud sound that startled me and made me jump. I then noticed that my windshield had cracked less than an hour into owning the car. I was driving 30 mph which on a city street."
Driving could be dangerous and risky if the windshield suddenly shatters or cracks, leaving a driver distracted and with an impaired view. Additionally, dislodged windshield glass can harm occupants and even pedestrians.
Kia dealerships allegedly inform Telluride owners and lessees something must have hit the glass, but the lawsuit alleges "dealers’ systematic denial of valid coverage claims is part of a concerted effort orchestrated by Defendant to minimize the cost of warranty claims and its 'Customer Satisfaction Initiative.'”
The 2020 Kia Telluride windshield lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Sanchez, et al., v. Kia Motors America, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Lemberg Law, LLC.
