IllustrationI have a white Telluride purchased used in 2021 with 30,000 miles at the time of purchase. By 2022 paint started pealing above the windshield. It progressively is getting worse and worse. Kia dealership close by says there's nothing they can do it's not under warranty.
2020 Kia Telluride
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Telluride years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Kia Telluride are substantially higher than the model-year median of 215.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Telluride years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1480–25K
1525–50K
1150–75K
1275–100K
6100–150K
2150K+
194 reports with mileage · 564 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 183 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 135 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports9 fire reports8 injury reports
Structure complaints
54 reportsSnow White Pearl paint chipping off in chunks
I took my vehicle to Safelite for a Windshield repair. As the Safelite technician removed the materials related to the repair process, paint was delaminated from the roof of the vehicle. The Safelite technician and manager "claim" that this is a known quality defect on many customer forums and that I should file a notice on the …
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I took my vehicle to Safelite for a Windshield repair. As the Safelite technician removed the materials related to the repair process, paint was delaminated from the roof of the vehicle. The Safelite technician and manager "claim" that this is a known quality defect on many customer forums and that I should file a notice on the NHTSA.GOV website.
Roof of car exhibits significant peeling off the white paint in various areas.
Pearl white Telluride paint chipping off with no explanation. Several body shops state that this is a well known issue.
Body paint defect causing large sections of paint chipping off. This is a common enough issue amongst the owners community and Kia fails to acknowledge the latent defect and take action.
My vehicle is 3 years old and the frame of my sunroof snapped. The warranty only covers the motor and the frame is what is damaged. When I called the warranty, they said this is a very common problem among Kia Tellurides. Why is this not a recall? It would cost me $4,000 to repair. This is not right.
Large area of roof has paint peeling off exposing metal. Several paint chips on roof and sides as well. Hazard: Polyisocyanates such as toluene and 4,4'-diphenylmethane are found in paints and other automotive coatings. These are toxic to the nervous system and are also skin and eye irritants.
Paint is peeling off the car. Car is 3.5 years old. Kia refuses to take issue with the car. They are standing behind mileage. I first reported this KIA of North America at 40K+ miles..
When opening the sunroof (it opens with the press of a button, a part flew off of the sunroof and it came off of the tracks). After, we could not close it and it made a loud noise when pressing the button. We took it to Kia who said it needed a part that was back ordered. They put plastic over the roof and told my husband it was…
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When opening the sunroof (it opens with the press of a button, a part flew off of the sunroof and it came off of the tracks). After, we could not close it and it made a loud noise when pressing the button. We took it to Kia who said it needed a part that was back ordered. They put plastic over the roof and told my husband it was ok to drive it home. We assumed they had secured the sunroof as they kept the car for several hours. On the Highway, the entire sunroof flew off of the car landing in the middle of a 6 lane interstate. I’ve since read that other owners of kia tellurides have had failed sunroofs as well. Thankfully no cars were hit when our sunroof flew off but the risk was there. This is a safety issue that needs to be investigated. If the failed part is backordered, that could indicate that there may be a big demand for the part because it is failing.
Official recalls
726V430000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust
Jul 2, 2026
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob or an improper recall 24V407 repair, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC374. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 24V407. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 17, 2026.
24V407000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust
Jun 5, 2024
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.
24V214000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
Mar 20, 2024
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will update the electronic parking brake software and replace any damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC303.
24V148000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights
Feb 26, 2024
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the high beam headlights, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC299.
22V626000 · Trailer Hitches
Aug 15, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and a wiring harness extension. Dealers will also inspect and replace the tow hitch harness assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 12, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC247.
20V436000 · Electrical System:wiring; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
Jul 28, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
Electrical System:wiring
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
19V594000 · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:rear/other
Aug 13, 2019
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:rear/other
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
Seat Belts:front
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE23002 · Complete Loss Of High Beams
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Apr 17, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights
On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23002 to investigate allegations of loss of high beams with no warning and no re-engagement resulting in reduced visibility at night in the 2020 Kia Telluride. The investigation revealed that the halogen bi-function projector beam, used in vehicles built between January 2019 and November of 2019, is composed of one halogen bulb light source that provides light for both low beam and high beam. The heat generated by the halogen bulb will inflict damage to the gear mechanism and as a result the shutter’s electric motor will no longer be able to move the shutter to the open position to reveal the high beams. A loss of high beams, prevents the driver from having proper distance illumination, therefore increasing the risk of a crash. On February 24, 2024, Kia filed recall 24V-148 for certain MY 2020 Kia Tellurides. The recall remedy provides an inspection of the high beam shield gear mechanism and will either apply a clip to secure the shield gear to the shaft or replace the headlamp assembly with one that is resistant to heat damagefrom the halogen bulb. In view of the recall action being taken by Kia, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.