Kia Telluride Complaints

1,204 consumer complaints on file.

#11741664June 2, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Sunroof exploded while driving in the 540 expressway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741629June 2, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving the LCD screens would go blank intermittently. Sometimes staying off for 30 secs or more. I could still hear sound and could control volume. This has happened on two different occasions while traveling to work. I have a 35 minute commute on interstate highways.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741361June 1, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The satellite radio reception in my brand new Kia Telluride X Pro is terrible. It is constantly cutting out. This creates a significant distraction for the driver. Satellite radio reception problems are a well-documented and widely reported issue with the 2027 Kia Telluride. ## The Root Cause: Antenna Design The core issue appears to be a fundamental design change in the 2027 Telluride. Unlike previous models, the 2027 redesign **eliminated the traditional roof-mounted shark fin antenna**, replacing it with an antenna integrated into the rear window. Multiple owners have flagged this as the source of poor and inconsistent SiriusXM reception, calling the current signal reception method one that "just doesn't meet expectations". [facebook] [XXX] forums and owner groups: - Owners of the **2027 Hybrid SXP** report extremely inconsistent satellite reception after just four days of ownership, even on the same routes their previous 2024 Telluride handled without issue [reddit] [XXX] receptio [XXX] ) - **SX Prestige** owners describe the sig [XXX] gnal dro [XXX] pecially common on **overcast days, under tree canopy, and near overpasses** — conditions where prior Tellurides [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741041May 30, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
On 5/19, while driving over 60 MPH on the highway, I started applying the brakes as traffic started to back up. While braking, the entire car turned off, and experience an unexpected engine stall. The electrical almost immediately turned back on with all dash lights flashing and safety warnings beeping. My car was still moving but I was unable to accelerate and was getting the message “Engine Off! Shit to P or N, then start engine.” This has happened to my vehicle twice in the last month, and I brought it into the Kia Dealership where I purchased it and they were unable to recreate the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740837May 29, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The third row seatbelt is folding which causes it to jam and be unusable. It has happened twice in 3 months without a solution from Kia.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740811May 29, 2026
Insert, Padding, Carry Handle, Shell, Base
The car seat styrofoam has detached from car seat and was previously held down by GLUE. The styrofoam has detached from shell that was previously attached by glue. Car seat was used previously for 6 months from October 2024 to April 2025 then stored in proper areas to prevent damage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740727May 28, 2026
ENGINE
Engine randomly shuts off when driving. The issues started 1 week after purchasing the vehicle. First occurrence happened when we were stopped. We pressed the gas pedal and the dash turned red, beeping, with the engine light, oil light, and battery light illuminated with a message reading “ENGINE OFF. Shift to P or N then start engine”. This happened multiple times after. The dealership had the vehicle for 1 week and couldn’t reproduce the issue and the car did not have any codes stored. 3 days after picking it up from the dealership, the engine shut off again but this time while driving and actively turning through a 4 lane intersection with my child in the car. The next occurrence happened the morning I was taking it back to the dealership. I was driving 40mph on a city street in the middle lane of 3 lane road when the engine suddenly shut off showing the same error and I had to quickly move to the shoulder to be able to stop and restart the engine. I then informed the dealership that this is a dangerous and very unsafe situation and the car needed towed back to the dealership. The engine shutting off while driving, is very dangerous. If it happened to me at 40mph, there’s a good chance it can happen at highway speeds. This can put many lives at risk having a stalled vehicle in the middle of the road that has to come to a complete stop to restart. This issue is reported by many Telluride owners on Reddit, and Facebook threads. This needs rectifying before it results in casualties.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740658May 28, 2026
ENGINE
I always turn off the engine auto stop while driving and am sure this feature was turned off at the time of the incident. I was stopped at a drive thru idling in drive when my RPM sounded like it lowered and the the vehicle started shaking. Since it sounded like it was going to stall, I instinctively put the vehicle in park and that naturally bumped up the RPM avoiding a stall. I tried to replicate it and could not in the 15 minutes I sat in idle afterwards. I would like to note that we did the software emissions recall update at the dealership recently and ever since then the vehicle is consistently idling 100-200 RPM lower than it used to, usually around 500 RPM in drive and 700 RPM in park. I'm grateful this has only happened at a drive thru so far but I'm afraid to stall in traffic as we drive in busy and dangerous areas and it could be deadly to stall in traffic. Since so far I cannot get this to replicate we have not set an appointment at the dealership as all the other complaints on this matter show the dealership is unable to replicate the problem. Please require KIA to fix this as it is incredibly scary to fear stalling in dangerous location due to traffic speeds and/or getting stuck in a crime riddled area. Thank you for your help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740476May 27, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While attempting to operate the sunroof on my Kia Telluride, the sunroof mechanism failed and became completely stuck in the open position. The sunroof will not close, bypass, or reset, leaving the cabin fully exposed. Upon inspection, it appears the internal mechanism arms or wind deflector components have failed/broken, which prevents the glass from sliding forward back into its sealed, closed position.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740387May 27, 2026
SUSPENSION, POWER TRAIN
Ever since purchasing this 2023 Kia telluride I have felt a skipping or thumping feeling when making a turn from a stop sign or a light, at a slower speed, then accelerating.. I have read many many forums stating this happens in A LOT of these models of vehicles. It is called a failing AWD coupler! I have mentioned it to the dealer but they could not replicate at the shop so I moved on. Now issue after issue is arising with this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740329May 27, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
on 5 different occasions over the last month, I have had the car go into an engine shut off and said put it into P or N and restart while I am driving on the road!! 05/10-was going to a stop sign and going 5-20 mph. 05/17-happened twice that day, both driving around town 10-30 mph. 05/26- happened driving around town going around a curve 5-20 mph. 05/27 getting off the interstate and getting ready to stop and it happened again. This last time I had 20 cars around me and my car was going into this with all my lights flashing and that popping up. It is such a hazard to be driving this vehicle. The dealership could not find an issue last time I took it in. I just bought this car a little over a month ago. SO disappointing and scary.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740290May 27, 2026
ENGINE
About every 7-9 days I will get a day or two where the engine shuts off while driving. Most recently it happened on 5/26, once at lunch time, once about 5pm, and again while driving about 8pm. All of these instances where at lower speeds, 2 while braking, another after taking a turn at a lower speed. Each time, the dash lights up, an alert sound plays and it says Engine off, shift into nuetral or park to start engine. I have had some days where it has happened multiple times in a couple of miles of driving, and then it goes hours without it happening. I recently had the vehicle into the shop and they mentioned there was an ECU software update that they did, prior to that I had only had the vehicle for 14 days and hadn't had an issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740257May 26, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Multiple times while driving vehicle with shut off and light will flash on dash. Everytime take vehicle to deal to check always told that it can’t be duplicated everything is working. Started happen last summer and happen about 5 times since then. Last time it happen was in march took it to the dealer and they crash the car and still couldn’t figure out what causing it. Car been in the shop for about 3 months now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740058May 26, 2026
SUSPENSION
At 30,000 miles, the dealership replaced the right rear shock absorber because I noticed it was clunking when an adult sat in the third row. I just had it serviced at 40,000 miles and I mentioned to the tech that there was a slight clunking sound when making a right-hand turn and accelerating from a stop. The dealership did not notice any issues so did not make any repairs. Now, at 41,500 miles, the clunking is much more noticeable when going over bumps and turning at low speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740046May 26, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The second row captain's chair seatbelt buckle stalks on the 2027 Kia Telluride are abnormally tall and rigid, with an angle causing the seatbelt webbing to kink and compress at a sharp angle around any forward-facing car seat base. This compromises the seatbelt's ability to lock and distribute crash forces correctly in the event of a collision. The third row seatbelts are too long to achieve the required less-than-one-inch installation tightness required for a safe car seat install. Three different forward-facing harnessed car seats were tested in all available seating positions with identical results. This is not a car seat compatibility issue — the problem is consistent across all tested seats and all positions. Children who have exceeded the federal 40 lb forward-facing LATCH limit are legally required to use seatbelt installation only. The vehicle's buckle stalk design makes a safe seatbelt install impossible in any seating position, leaving no safe option for transporting a forward-facing harnessed child in this vehicle. Photographic and video documentation of the compromised installs in every seating position is available upon request. No warning lamps or prior symptoms appeared — this is a design incompatibility discovered during car seat installation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739870May 25, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I own a 2021 Kia Telluride with approximately 111,000 miles. I initially brought the vehicle to a Kia dealership for an oil consumption issue and engine noise. The dealership diagnosed and repaired a timing chain and tensioner issue, stating the vehicle was “working properly” upon return. After picking up the vehicle, I immediately began experiencing electrical warning lights, including the battery warning light and system alerts (blind spot and general warning indicators). I returned to the dealership, where they performed diagnostic testing and indicated a potential alternator issue, but stated it was in a “borderline” range and that the vehicle was safe to drive. Shortly after leaving the dealership, while driving with my family in the vehicle, the electrical system began to fail. Multiple warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost electrical function while in motion. The vehicle ultimately became completely inoperable and shut down in a parking lot, creating a serious safety concern. Prior to the dealership visit and repairs, the vehicle had no history of electrical issues, warning lights, or charging system problems. The dealership later acknowledged that the alternator issue was not present when the vehicle was initially brought in. I am submitting this complaint due to the sudden and complete electrical system failure while driving, which posed a significant safety risk. The progression from no prior symptoms to total failure immediately following dealership service and diagnosis raises concerns about vehicle reliability and potential safety defects related to the charging system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739867May 25, 2026
ENGINE, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving my brand new 2025 Kia Telluride that was purchased from the dealership 3 weeks before the incident. The engine died while driving approximately 40 mph on a flat road. The engine died and then there was a loud beeping and a flashing alert on the dashboard in the circle where the righthand indicator camera view appears that said, “Engine Off-Shift to P or N then start engine.” This occurred at about 7:30 pm on May 19, 2026 with about 40% full tank of gas. The automatic engine auto-stop feature was on at the time. The car had been running for about 3 minutes before the engine died. The power steering was also affected. Once I pulled over and put the car in park the engine started again as normal and there were no alerts on the dash or when I checked the Kia app. I dropped the car at the dealership the following morning, they have had it for 6 days so far and let me know that their diagnostics and test drives did not reveal any issues or defects with the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739841May 24, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was operating a 2024 Kia Telluride and was fully stopped in traffic when my vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. Immediately after the impact, my vehicle experienced apparent unintended forward propulsion/movement despite my braking attempts. Following the collision, the vehicle continued moving/driving forward for approximately 20 seconds and did not respond normally to brake input. The behavior created a loss-of-control situation and significantly increased the risk of secondary collisions, injury to vehicle occupants, nearby motorists, and pedestrians. I was unable to immediately stop the vehicle despite attempting to do so. The exact failed component has not yet been definitively identified; however, the incident appears potentially related to malfunction or unintended operation of one or more of the following systems: * drivetrain/transmission engagement, * electronic throttle control, * braking system, * powertrain control module, * or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The vehicle should be inspected for: * Event Data Recorder (EDR) data, * diagnostic trouble codes, * throttle/brake command activity, * drivetrain engagement data, * and post-collision electronic system behavior. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. At this time, the issue has not yet been reproduced intentionally. The vehicle has not yet been fully evaluated or confirmed by a Kia dealer or independent repair facility for the specific unintended movement condition. The vehicle is expected to undergo inspection and diagnostic review as soon as the Progressive adjuster issues the acceptance/approval letter. The vehicle will then be observed by insurance representatives, and collision repair personnel, as part of the accident and claim process. Prior to the collision and unintended movement event, there were no known warning lamps, dashboard alerts, or noticeable drivability symptoms indicating
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739754May 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The sunroof exploded. Nothing hit it, there was nothing wrong with it previously and it was not being used at the time it exploded. We were driving and it exploded with a loud boom.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739576May 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I rented a car from Avis on [XXX] (a Friday) for a 24-hour rental. I rented it in Manhattan, and the car (a Kia Telluride) had a New York license plate [XXX] ). I drove to Boston to pick up my daughter from college and then returned the car Saturday morning (XXX). The drive was fine. But when I returned the car, the attendant took the key and wrote on the window and windshield that the car had been recalled (I've uploaded photos). I complained to the rental staff that they rented me a car that had been recalled. The attendant said they apparently didn't know about the recall until I returned the car. I find that hard to believe. I checked NHTSA's website a day after I returned the car [XXX] ), and it said that the Kia Telluride I rented had been recalled on February 23, 2026. The reason for the recall was because "THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BACK FRAME ASSEMBLIES MAY FAIL TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN OCCUPANTS IN A CRASH". That's a terrifying thought. According to Avis's recall policy [XXX] they're not supposed to rent the car and they are supposed to notify me about the recall. Avis did neither of these things. Luckily the trip was accident-free and my daughter and I are physically fine. But I think Avis should be held accountable for allowing me to drive a rental car that may have had a higher likelihood of killing us in a crash. At the very least they didn't notify me in any way. They weren't even going to mention anything about the recall, and I had to ask about it after I saw what they wrote on the windows. I also submitted a review afterward (Avis sent me a standard email asking about my experience), and I explained my frustration about them renting me a recalled car. Avis replied, but it was just a standard apology and they didn't say anything about the recall. All around a terrible experience. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Kia Telluride