2021 Kia Telluride problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (63) · Engine (49) · Structure:body (24)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Telluride model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
40 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust 2026-07-02 · campaign 26V430000 · 462,869 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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
Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust 2024-06-05 · campaign 24V407000 · 462,869 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Power Train:driveline:driveshaft 2024-03-20 · campaign 24V214000 · 427,407 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: 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.
Trailer Hitches 2022-08-15 · campaign 22V626000 · 36,417 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2021-03-11 · campaign 21V164000 · 142 vehicles
Defect: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (102)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-09-25 · TSB_ENG270 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: excessive engine oil consumption: this bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing a 2020-2025my telluride (on) vehicle's engine, which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption. follow the flowchart on page 2 in this procedure to repair a vehicl
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-25 · WTY049_REIMB · Warranty Program/Extension
warranty extension campaign: reimbursement form (wty049) - this document is a reimbursement request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this same matter prior to the warranty extension campaign program launch.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-25 · WTY049_OWNR · Warranty Program/Extension
warranty extension campaign: owner notification (wty049) - this document is the owner notification advising that kia is extending the new vehicle limited warranty coverage to owners for specific repairs related to the front sunroof wind deflector on certain 2020-2022 my telluride vehicles manufactur
Power Train 2026-09-23 · TSB_CHA129_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: awd coupler noise/vibration logic improvement (revision 1) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-wheel
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-23 · WTY049_QA · Warranty Program/Extension
warranty extension campaign: question and answer (wty049) – this document is the question and answer guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding warranty extension campaign wty049.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-23 · WTY049_DPSM · Warranty Program/Extension
warranty extension campaign: dealer parts and service manager memo (wty049) - this document is the announcement to dealer parts and service managers advising that kia is extending the new vehicle limited warranty coverage to owners for specific repairs related to the front sunroof wind deflector on
Showing the 6 most recent of 102 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-28 · Suspension“spontaneous structural failure of the front driver-side suspension coil spring occurred while operating the vehicle at a low speed on smooth pavement (leaving a parking lot). there was absolutely no impact, road hazard, or pothole involved. the coil spring cleanly fractured into two distinct pieces near the top. the shock absorber and surrounding s…”
2026-10-19 · Unknown Or Other“on friday, october 16, 2026, while traveling approximately 70 mph on i-94 in wisconsin, the smaller, operable sunroof above the front seats of our 2021 kia telluride suddenly exploded without warning. the sunroof was completely closed and flush with the roof, not tilted or vented. the sunshade was open, and the outside temperature was approximately…”
2026-10-19 · Unknown Or Other“alternator died and had to get replaced at 80,000 miles. car died while driving on the highway. had to pull over and get the car towed. had to get the alternator replaced and paid out of pocket. …”
2026-10-16 · Unknown Or Other“nhtsa vehicle safety complaint – 2021 kia telluride i am the original owner of a 2021 kia telluride with approximately 78,000 miles. my vehicle has experienced recurring mechanical and drivability concerns, including an intermittent check-engine light, a previously reported camshaft-related diagnostic trouble code, and hesitation during accelerat…”
2026-10-15 · Seats“nhtsa recall number 26v430000. …”
2026-10-09 · Engine“i was attempting to accelerate on the freeway and the rpms kept going up but it felt like the engine didn't want to shift gears. suddenly the rpms shot all the way up and then dropped to nothing and i was forced to coast off the freeway, thankfully we were by an exit. the vehicle had zero power and we were unable to move it off the road, despite as…”
2026-10-08 · Engine“vehicle was sitting all night and entered the garage in the morning and found the radiator fan at full speed. car was not running, so backed it out, turned it off and the fan turned back on. took it to a kia dealer and kept it for a few days and just stated they couldn't duplicate the issue, although i couldn't get them to tell me technically wha…”
2026-10-07 · Unknown Or Other“rear seats coming unlocked on there own and will not stay in locked position once pushed back into place this is the second row of seats motor of fold down button keeps running …”
2026-10-05 · Engine“on september 4, 2026, my son was driving our 2021 kia telluride on the highway at approximately 70 mph with cruise control engaged when the vehicle suddenly began making a clicking noise, followed by a catastrophic engine failure. we observed no oil-pressure warning or other advance dashboard warning before the failure. the sudden failure at highwa…”
2026-09-24 · Engine“unfortunately, beginning in june 2025, i experienced a serious engine problem. while driving, the vehicle began sputtering and stalled twice in traffic. i immediately brought it to the dealer, where i was told the engine had no oil, despite no prior warning of abnormal oil loss (no engine warning lights and no leaks). the service department added o…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.