IllustrationMy high beams on the headlights have ceased to work. Low beams not casting enough distance for save sight ahead. It appears to be working on the display when switching to high beam but neither headlight is changing.
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
What owners actually said
758 reportsFront passenger seatbelt doesn’t always lock into the clasp. Sometimes it clicks as if it is locked, and the seatbelt will release without anyone or anything pushing the release button.
The instrument cluster periodically stops working. The speedometer and Tachometer stop working, and all warning lights flash on and off randomly. It shows the doors and hoods opening and closing on the display as well along with other warning lights. The cruse control fails to operate as does the front/side crash warning syst…
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The instrument cluster periodically stops working. The speedometer and Tachometer stop working, and all warning lights flash on and off randomly. It shows the doors and hoods opening and closing on the display as well along with other warning lights. The cruse control fails to operate as does the front/side crash warning systems....these warning lights also come on. This is an intermittent problem, it will persist for days and then will stop for part of a day, or multiple days and then return again.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the high beam headlights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made awa…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the high beam headlights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,981.
This vehicle does not have separate high and low-beam bulbs for it's headlights. Rather, it has a shutter to change the amount of light. Both shutters failed to the closed position, only allowing the low-beam to operate. The only solution is to change out the entire headlight assembly. Not having high-beams at night is a sa…
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This vehicle does not have separate high and low-beam bulbs for it's headlights. Rather, it has a shutter to change the amount of light. Both shutters failed to the closed position, only allowing the low-beam to operate. The only solution is to change out the entire headlight assembly. Not having high-beams at night is a safety hazard since the low-beam output isn't enough to illuminate a far enough distance while driving at highway speeds. It is unknown if only one shutter failed and if that is what causing both shutters not to operate properly. Kia service center was not able to diagnose this for me. Also, unknown is how this may impact other safety features at night by not having the high-beams.
We experienced an issue of the engine stalling while my wife was stopping at a stop light on multiple occasions. I did not think to check the oil as the vehicle only had about 60k miles at the time. After taking it to KIA here in Jacksonville NC they told us our oil was low and adivsed us to choose the most expensive oil change…
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We experienced an issue of the engine stalling while my wife was stopping at a stop light on multiple occasions. I did not think to check the oil as the vehicle only had about 60k miles at the time. After taking it to KIA here in Jacksonville NC they told us our oil was low and adivsed us to choose the most expensive oil change, i obliged with obvious reservations. After the oil change was completed they wanted it back right at 1,000 miles later to check the oil level. When we brought it back in they said it is within normal limits. I find it hard to believe that an engine should be burning oil this soon when we have kept up with routine maintenance by the dealership since we purchased the vehicle. I am now at a spot where I am adding checking/adding oil until we can get rid of this vehicle since KIA does not want to stand behing their product.
High beams stopped working. No fault of owner. Took to two Kia dealerships that would not pay the $1800 to replace lights. We can not pass state inspection and dangerous driving dark roads at nights. Vehicle still under “bumper to bumper warranty”. Should be a recall or repaired by Kia.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V626 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the iss…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V626 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
While driving all of a sudden high beams shut off and would not come back on. Attempted to fix issue by replacing bulbs. This did not fix the issue. Technician looked at the wiring into headlights and no issue was found. Have not been able to fix thus issue. It is going on a year now without having high beams. During my research…
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While driving all of a sudden high beams shut off and would not come back on. Attempted to fix issue by replacing bulbs. This did not fix the issue. Technician looked at the wiring into headlights and no issue was found. Have not been able to fix thus issue. It is going on a year now without having high beams. During my research multiple other owners have Same issue. I spoke to kia and was told 10 months ago that they are working on a recall for this issue. Still no recall issued. I have spoken to multiple other owners that have same make and model they have Same issue and had to pay out of pocket to replace both headlight assemblies to fix the issue. This is unacceptable and a high safety issue!
Both of the high beams have gone out. I had the issue diagnosed at KIA Richmond as a solenoid defect. Invoice attached. As you are aware, this is not an anomaly for KIA …. Other has the same problem. An expensive fix snd unsafe driving. I have reported this to 3 KIA dealerships and all claim ignorance as to any awareness of a…
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Both of the high beams have gone out. I had the issue diagnosed at KIA Richmond as a solenoid defect. Invoice attached. As you are aware, this is not an anomaly for KIA …. Other has the same problem. An expensive fix snd unsafe driving. I have reported this to 3 KIA dealerships and all claim ignorance as to any awareness of a problem. I have also reported to the BBB. I have been out of the count for the lady 4+ months so that is ehyI did not report earlier. I lv again June1 and will not return til November 7.
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.