Kia Telluride Complaints

2,086 consumer complaints on file.

#11765359September 18, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving down a highway, the front sunroof glass exploded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765406September 18, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof glass fractured, and the glass pieces blew outward. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764881September 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEATS
My wife and I purchased a 2021 Kia Telluride brand new a few years ago when we lived in [XXX]. We are currently active duty USAF and brought our KIA Telluride with us here, while stationed in [XXX]. The vehicle is currently under two recalls SC316R and SC374 and is a fire risk. Under these types of recalls, vehicle shipping companies will not transport vehicles on their boats. We know this because we had to have two recalls (SC247F and SC243B) completed before we could have our vehicle shipped from the [XXX] to [XXX]. I am looking for assistance on how to have recalls and warranty service during our assignment here in [XXX]. We've reached out to Kia, opened 3 customer service cases, and have talked to them shortly to try to setup a repair. Then Kia stops communicating and ignores our calls and emails. 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
#11765011September 17, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I have owned this vehicle since new. This vehicle has never had an accident. In the last 3 months the FCAS started sending messages to the dashboard without a vehicle in front, in clear blue skies and the radar element in front is clean. The message lasts 2-3 minutes and disappears. Went to Kia Service At Greenway Kia at the Avenues in Jacksonville, FL. The first time they said no errors codes popped up. They said it it happens again, bring it back. It kept on the same and I went back. No resolution. Then I sent and email to Kia Customer Service and after two weeks called them and the rep stated she found the email. She said take it to Kia Service which I did. Still the issue is unresolved. Made a second call to Kia Customer Service and spoke to another rep and she sent me to an agent "higher up?". He said that he will let the Kia dealership know. I was under the impression he would call them with the "fix". No luck. Why have they not changed the radar element in front? Money? I have driven vehicles for 62 years and never needed FACS. I guess car manufacturers installed this to deal with the current drivers paying attention to their social media accounts instead of driving. There is Kia Telluride Thread I found and several others describe the same issue. All report no solutions. Perhaps a recall only for those vehicles that have this problem. Respectfully,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765128September 17, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2025 Kia Telluride has experienced repeated, unresolved engine stalling/shutdown while driving. The defect began as stalling at low speeds approaching stops and has escalated to the vehicle shutting off completely while traveling at 45–50 miles per hour on public roads. When the engine shuts off at highway speeds, power steering and power brakes are lost, creating an immediate life-threatening situation for the driver and any passengers. The dealership has made multiple repair attempts across two separate phases of this defect without success. Despite the ongoing safety hazard, the dealer has pressured me to return my rental vehicle and accept the car back without verified resolution of the stalling issue. Kia America Customer Service has been unresponsive to the urgency of this situation. The vehicle remains unrepaired and unsafe for highway operation. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this defect, review whether a safety recall is warranted, and add this complaint to the record for the 2025 Kia Telluride VIN [XXX]. I am aware that other 2025 Telluride owners have reported similar stalling and unexpected shutdown issues to NHTSA. 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
#11764774September 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Appears to be a parasitic drain on batteries. I just replace the 3rd battery yesterday. Kia does not address the underlying cause of battery drain.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764321September 15, 2026
WHEELS
OEM equipment failure / severe safety hazard: I purchased a new 2027 Kia Telluride on March 14, 2026, equipped from the factory with 21-inch alloy wheels and Kumho Majesty X Solus TA92 tires (size 265/45 R21). In exactly 6 months of ownership, 4 tires across 3 different wheel positions have suffered sudden blowouts or structural sidewall failures under ordinary driving conditions. Timeline of Failures: April 11, 2026 (Rear Passenger): Sidewall failure following a low-speed curb bump. Replaced with an identical OEM Kumho tire on April 25 ($521.33). June 1, 2026 (Rear Driver): Sudden, catastrophic blowout while driving routine commute route through town at normal municipal speeds; no severe pothole or road hazard involved. Replaced with an identical OEM Kumho tire on June 4 ($406.43). July 2026 (Rear Driver): The brand-new replacement tire installed in June developed an unrepairable sidewall air leak within 6 weeks of installation. Certified technicians confirmed structural failure of the sidewall cords. September 14, 2026 (Front Passenger): Catastrophic blowout during normal daily city commute. The vehicle is currently disabled on a temporary spare. Pattern & Hazard: This vehicle curb weight exceeds 4,500 lbs, yet Kia fitted it with an ultra-low-profile 45-series tire designed for grand-touring comfort rather than structural impact resistance. Standard pavement seams, highway expansion joints, and ordinary municipal road imperfections repeatedly cause the tire sidewall to bottom out against the 21-inch alloy rim, causing internal ply fractures, sidewall leaks, and instantaneous blowouts. Identical OEM replacements fail within weeks under normal driving. Having 4 tire failures across 3 wheels in 6 months—leaving only 2 intact tires today—demonstrates an inherent design/equipment defect that poses a continuous risk of high-speed highway loss of vehicle control. Kia must address the suitability of this 21-inch wheel/tire configuration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764415September 15, 2026
ENGINE
Loss of oil that is going out the heads and exhaust. This causes loss of power. Oil light doesn’t come on. This happened twice. Once in March and we took it to the dealership to have it fixed. Unfortunately, the issue wasn’t fixed and it happened again in August.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764510September 15, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
In March of 2025 I noticed that my Kia Telluride had a quarter size piece of paint missing in the middle of the roof near my windshield. As the past year has progressed paint delamination has occurred across the roof of my vehicle with other delamination spots being noticed in other areas of the body. My vehicle is a 2020 with 66,000 miles and is a white pearlescent coat. The delamination is exposing the body of my vehicle to the elements, causing rust and deterioration at a rapid speed. With a simple hand washing, the paint peeled off of my roof in a large area. This should not be occurring with a vehicle that has been well taken care of and should have many years of life left. Kia should be held responsible for the delamination that is occurring widely with the white pearlescent paint color.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764554September 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The problem first occurred at the end of May 2026. The digital instrument cluster completely stopped working while driving, cutting off all FMVSS 101 compliance indicators including the speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature, and RPMs. This problem has persisted on and off since May 2026. This is a huge safety concern because I am unable to determine my vehicle speed, etc. while driving. The issue occurs without warning and completely affects my ability to safely operate the vehicle. I took it to the Kia Stamford, CT dealer on June 5th and they were unable to replicate the problem saying when they turned the car on the instrument cluster was functioning normally. They said they "hard reset" it at that time. The very same day after leaving the dealership, the problem occurred again and has occurred intermittently ever since
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764126September 14, 2026
SEATS
My 2025 Kia Telluride is subject to safety recall SC362A / NHTSA Recall 26V105 involving the front seatback assemblies. On March 24, 2026, I left the vehicle with an authorized Kia dealer for the recall repair. The dealer documented “REMEDY NOT AVAIL” and also documented that the vehicle would remain at the dealer until the recall was performed. As of September 14, 2026, the vehicle remains unrepaired and NHTSA’s VIN recall lookup still shows this recall as unrepaired. The vehicle has therefore been unavailable for approximately 174 days because Kia has not provided and completed the recall remedy. I am requesting that NHTSA review Kia’s failure to provide this safety recall remedy within a reasonable period of time
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764163September 14, 2026
STEERING, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
We purchased a new 2025 Kia Telluride 17 days ago. Just three days after purchasing the vehicle, I experienced a serious and potentially dangerous failure while driving in heavy traffic in downtown Chicago. The dashboard suddenly lit up, an alarm began sounding, and the following warning appeared: “Engine Off! Shift to P or N and then start engine.” I was forced to pull off the road in VERY congested downtown traffic, put the vehicle in park, turn it off, and restart it. I immediately contacted the dealership. The next day, I took the vehicle to the dealership for an unrelated detailing issue and asked them to check out the car to address what had happened. I was told it was likely a computer fluke and that I would need to wait to see if it happens again. The next day, the exact same thing happened while merging onto the interstate on a tight onramp in congested traffic. This time, I had significant difficulty getting safely to the side of the road and came extremely close to being struck by another vehicle. Again, I had to put the vehicle in park, turn it off, and restart it. The following day, I returned the Telluride to the dealership. It has been there for over a week. They seem to know this is a common issue with Tellurides but they've indicated that KIA has not provided guidance on addressing this specific issue. As a result, they could only respond to the code that was generated- which indicates an electrical control issue. I've contacted KIA and I'm waiting to hear if they can provide a fix that can guarantee I'm not put into another dangerous situation. If an older person or teenager had been in the situations I had been in, I can nearly guarantee there would've been a very serious and potentially fatal accident. Please help us address this issue!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764191September 14, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
One year ago, my headlight warning came on while driving back to [XXX] from [XXX]. I pulled over and tried wiggling my connector to my light which stopped the waring. I thought maybe just the bad roads had caused the connection to come apart. Throughout the year, the problem has happened. About 4 weeks ago the warning came back on but his time a triangle warning also appeared. I took it into the Lawton Kia dealership to be checked out. I was told it was due to my moister bearing being wet and needed to be changes with my head lights. I approved the work and this was done a week later when the parts were in. With in the week, the light came back on. I took it back in and was told that the headlight along with the pigtail was burnt and both needed to be replaced. the work in going to be over 1300 dollars. My warrant has expired and my extended warranty does not cover replacement of the head lights. At the time this started, my car was still in warranty, and I should have taken it in by I really thought it was loss connections due to the bad roads in [XXX]. I had not driven my vehicle at night since replacing the headlight bulb but if the light burned the pig tail, then this is a defect in the manufacture of this vehicle. I have filled a case Study with Kia but they do not willing to do anything about this because there is not a recall at this time for the headlights. My case is # 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
#11764208September 14, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Every time the wiper blades are in intermittent mode they randomly stop at various spots on the windshield. I have to switch to low or high or turn them off completely for the motor to engage and work again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763907September 13, 2026
SEAT BELTS
When all occupants in the vehicle have their safety belts on the safety belt warning alarm still sounds. I noticed it in August 2026 that it still ring . It had not been reported until today . It happens often.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763802September 12, 2026
ENGINE
I have a Kia Telluride 2020 EX AWD automatic. I bought it used about 2.5 years ago. It’s been having some ongoing issues with oil consumption, which from what I have learned is pretty common in this car. Since I learned that I’ve been increasing the frequency of oil changes and topping off oil in between. It burns oil at an absurd rate, and gives no warning when oil is low. On the most recent change, ~a month ago, the mechanic recommended changing it after 3,000 miles. Yesterday the car completely shut down while driving on the highway, no warning or anything, just a noise, smoke and then the car died in a matter of seconds. I nearly got in an accident trying to drift to the side of the road with no power or anything. No control of the car. Ended up stuck in traffic going 70+ mph with a toddler. After it was towed, our mechanic found there was no oil left and we had two holes in the engine casing. He explained it looks like when the oil ran out completely, some part broke off in the engine and shot through the housing. So it’s looking like we need a new engine. We had NOT driven it 3000 miles since the last oil change just a month ago, and we have even topped off the oil since that change, most recently a week ago. This means the car burned through about 9 quarts of oil in <3000 miles. Multiple mechanics have told us this is a known issue with the car, and there is nothing to do to prevent it. When we called the dealership to inquire about getting a new engine, they told us we would need to do an oil consumption test. Obviously this is impossible on a car that does not drive and has two holes in the engine. So we are stuck paying out of pocket. Kia is well aware of this issue and is doing nothing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763809September 12, 2026
SEATS
I own a 2020 Kia Telluride with a Canadian VIN permanently registered in [XXX] (military) and live in [XXX]. The vehicle has an active fire risk recall. Kia America and my local dealership in [XXX] are refusing to perform the federally mandated safety recall including a significant fire hazard if not repaired. 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
#11763836September 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Component: Factory forward panoramic sunroof glass, 2025 Kia Telluride, VIN [XXX]. On XXX at ~8:18 a.m. ET, [XXX], ~59 mph, the glass shattered with a loud bang. No object was seen hitting the roof. Sunshade open. Vehicle/photos available. Original glass may not have been kept after dealer/insurance repair (State Farm; return set XXX). Safety risk: Highway-speed failure with a [XXX] in the front passenger seat. Glass entered the cabin and fell on driver [XXX] and the child. Noise like a gunshot. Risk of startle, cuts, blocked vision, and loss of control. Driver kept the lane and exited at [XXX]. No injuries. Not safe to keep driving. Confirmed: One-time shatter, documented by photos. Calavan Kia West received the vehicle XXX. A Kia assessor inspected it and warranty was denied, citing two lower-windshield marks I had already seen the day before when I washed the car. Those marks are on a different panel and do not explain the roof bursting. No written denial or assessor report. State Farm is replacing the glass. Inspections: Kia assessor at Calavan Kia West. State Farm claim opened. Police not called. I photographed the roof at [XXX], before the tow. Warnings: None. No lamps, messages, cracks, or rattles beforehand. First sign was the sudden bang and shattered glass. 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
#11763566September 11, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle hesitated to maintain automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was previously repaired at a local dealer for an unknown recall associated with an engine oil leak. The vehicle was towed back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed and an engine flush was suggested, and the contact was informed that six fuel injectors needed to be replaced as a possible repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763637September 11, 2026
ENGINE
There have been two individual episodes of this occurring. While actively driving the entire vehicle shuts off and begins to Coast and will not respond to pressing the accelerator. This happened once in our driveway in March. This happened again about 3 weeks ago while driving on the interstate and had to cross multiple lanes of traffic in order to make it to the shoulder. Very unsafe situation with no warning
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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