Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 40 of 360 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
Visibility/wiper. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports4 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
360 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 1, 2022
Visibility
Windshield cracked and quickly spread with no sound or impact. Inspection at dealership reveals a tiny chip along the crack that the dealership says indicates and impact. Windshield seems very fragile as I have had other cars that have suffered more serious impact and not had major cracking issues. Also windshield replacement co…
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Windshield cracked and quickly spread with no sound or impact. Inspection at dealership reveals a tiny chip along the crack that the dealership says indicates and impact. Windshield seems very fragile as I have had other cars that have suffered more serious impact and not had major cracking issues. Also windshield replacement cost is very high as the dealership claims they need to recalibrate the camera that is use for lane keep assist. The previous years also had windshield issues that were covered by warranty.
NHTSA ODI #11445791
Mileage unknown · Dec 18, 2021
Visibility/wiper
While driving, small amount of snow fell from roof on to windshield and was unable to see the road clearly. Wipers were unable to lift the small about of snow to clear the windshield. Luckily I was not on a busy road an was able to stop. After clearing the small amount of snow the wipers were able to function.
NHTSA ODI #11444241
Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2021
Visibility/wiper
A tiny rock hit the windshield going 30 miles an hour. The crack has consistently grown every day. My whole windshield has to be replaced. I've never had a vehicle that has such a weak windshield. This car is only 11 months old. The crack is horizontal and affects my view if the road because it's right in the middle.
NHTSA ODI #11444011
Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 2021
Engine
As I started the car, it began to shake and shudder while idling. And the check engine light turned on. I could smell the unburied gas inside the car.
NHTSA ODI #11443738
Mileage unknown · Dec 8, 2021
Exterior Lighting
Kia has been on notice of the Telluride's deficient headlights with the ES model since at least 2019 and have done nothing. The highest end model has LED lights so Kia is more than capable of fixing this problem. I know that dozens of consumers like myself have filed complaints with the NHTSA and other organizations and noth…
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Kia has been on notice of the Telluride's deficient headlights with the ES model since at least 2019 and have done nothing. The highest end model has LED lights so Kia is more than capable of fixing this problem. I know that dozens of consumers like myself have filed complaints with the NHTSA and other organizations and nothing has been done. I have called Kia headquarters at least 3 times to complain. The headlights do not provide enough light to safely drive at night. I'm not an engineer (I'm a lawyer) but I know that the design is faulty. Now that it's wintertime and dark at 5:00, I am unable to drive the car at night for fear of killing myself, my family, a pedestrian, or pet. Why hasn't NHTSA done anything to investigate these numerous complaints? Why have years gone on with resolution or recall? Is Kia (or the NHSTA) waiting for someone to actually die before they do something? (It seems so based on the below questions). I guess it's not enough that consumers like myself can't use our cars at night. I CAN'T BE ANY CLEARER: SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED. YOU ARE ON NOTICE. Please let me know the results of your investigation into this matter because this has gone on long enough. Conduct an investigation and get to the bottom on this please.
NHTSA ODI #11443178
Mileage unknown · Nov 29, 2021
Electrical System
What happened: The analog speedometer and digital speedometer were not working. I was driving the car and I would be moving but my speedometer and digital readout remained at 0 mph even with my RPM showing as moving. All other gages and read outs were working except for speed. Safety risk for myself and others: I was unaware of…
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What happened: The analog speedometer and digital speedometer were not working. I was driving the car and I would be moving but my speedometer and digital readout remained at 0 mph even with my RPM showing as moving. All other gages and read outs were working except for speed. Safety risk for myself and others: I was unaware of how fast I was driving Problem also happened once prior a few weeks ago I put the car into Park and put back into Drive and it fixed it. This time however when I tried that it did not fix the issue. I even tried turning the car off and back on and it did not fix the issue. The issue was fixed after waiting until the next day to drive and when I got in to drive it worked again. Unable to repeat the issue as it is happening sporadically and does not seem to have a specific cause. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure.
NHTSA ODI #11441954
Mileage unknown · Nov 11, 2021
Visibility/wiper
The front windshield cracked. There was no known hit by an object and the windshield has cracked on the passenger side and continues to grow. Visibility is reduced due to this crack and it is a known issue in the 2020 model year and it appears to be continuing in the 2021 model year. The windshield will need replacement.
NHTSA ODI #11440124
Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2021
Visibility/wiper
Two chips are in the windshield . Low speed. Then the windshield cracked. At low speed and nothing hit the windshield.
NHTSA ODI #11438439
Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2021
Visibility/wiper
Windshield chipped very easily when driving on the highway. Only have 2000 miles on here. Reading this model has this issue commonly
NHTSA ODI #11437388
Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2021
Visibility
The windshield on my vehicle chips and crack easily. It is a common problem among other Kia Tellurides as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. 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: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
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
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2021 Kia Telluride Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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