Kia Telluride Complaints

2,086 consumer complaints on file.

#11722306March 5, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally complain about an ongoing issue with my 2024 Kia Telluride, which has experienced four separate windshield cracks in a little over two years of ownership. This frequency is excessive and well beyond what I would consider normal wear and tear for a vehicle of this class and price point. Each incident occurred during routine driving conditions, such as normal highway or city travel. In all cases, the impacts involved very small rocks or road debris, not large objects, construction hazards, or extreme driving situations. These are conditions that most vehicles encounter regularly without sustaining immediate windshield damage. The repeated cracking raises serious concerns about the durability, thickness, or overall quality of the windshield glass used in the Telluride. Having to repair or replace a windshield this often is both inconvenient and costly, and it undermines confidence in the vehicle’s design and materials. A windshield should be able to withstand minor impacts from small debris without cracking so easily. I chose the Kia Telluride based on its reputation for safety, quality, and reliability. However, this recurring issue has been frustrating and disappointing, especially given the relatively short ownership period and normal driving conditions involved. I respectfully request that Kia review this matter and consider whether there is a known defect or design issue with the windshield on the Telluride. I would also appreciate assistance, goodwill consideration, or guidance on how Kia plans to address this concern for customers experiencing similar problems. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response and a resolution that reflects Kia’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722230March 5, 2026
SEATS
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that while entering the vehicle, the front passenger's seat had a burned spot, and the front passenger side visor was melted. In addition, the contact noticed brown residue throughout the interior of the vehicle. The fire had appeared to self-extinguish. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was unoccupied. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the inspection had not been completed. The fire department was scheduled to inspect the vehicle within the next few days. The contact stated that the inspection was ongoing. In addition, the contact stated that the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V407000 (Seats) was completed on 10/15/2024. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721936March 4, 2026
ENGINE
2020 KIA Telluride failed oil consumption test. Available for inspection upon request. A vehicle running on no oil will cause an engine to seize putting myself and others at risk. Confirmed problem by KIA. I have documentation of 3 oil consumption tests performed on my 2020 KIA Telluride at the dealership. Inspected at dealership by service department. No warning light to indicate low oil or to check engine. Stuttering and stalling of vehicle at stops caused me to bring in the car to KIA.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722085March 4, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint failure and delamination on a 2021 Kia Telluride with Snow White Pearl (SWP) paint. The paint on the roof above the windshield and the hood has begun peeling in sheets, exposing the underlying layer. The vehicle has not been in any accidents and has never been repainted. The paint failure appears to be a manufacturing defect involving the adhesion of the factory paint. The issue began around year 4–5 of ownership at approximately 60,000 miles. The affected areas continue to expand as the paint separates from the vehicle surface. The vehicle is available for inspection. A dealership inspection appointment has been scheduled. This appears consistent with other reported cases of paint delamination on Kia vehicles with Snow White Pearl paint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721912March 4, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Subject: Safety Concern – Backup Camera Failure Causing Complete Safety System Malfunction (2022 Kia Telluride) I am reporting a safety concern regarding a 2022 Kia Telluride related to the rear backup camera assembly. The backup camera failed due to water infiltration through the camera seal, which entered the camera housing and caused an electrical short. When this occurred, the failure did not only disable the backup camera but caused the entire vehicle safety system to malfunction, disabling multiple safety features until the issue was repaired. When we brought the vehicle to the dealership, they stated that this was not the first Kia Telluride they had seen with the same issue. The quoted repair cost from the dealership was approximately $1,200. I ultimately replaced the camera myself, which restored the safety systems to normal operation. I have retained the failed camera assembly, which clearly shows the location where the seal failed and water entered the unit. Because the failure of this component disables multiple vehicle safety systems, I believe this may represent a broader safety concern if it is occurring in other vehicles. I am submitting this report so the issue can be reviewed for potential defects affecting other vehicles. Vehicle information and additional details can be provided if needed. Thank you. [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
#11721753March 3, 2026
ENGINE
Engine has a Pcv valve issue that causes oil to leak from seals and burnt through the pistons causing loss of oil, engine damage and possible engine failure while driving. This could cause vehicle to lock up and possible cause an accident especially at freeway speeds. There is no low oil indicator or check engine light that comes on to let driver know that the oil is low
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721865March 3, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Approximately at 2:15pm on Tuesday, March 3, I was entering the highway and had yet to get up to freeway speed and no vehicles were in front of me. There was a loud boom / explosion and a glass shattering sound. I immediately exited the highway at the next exit which was less than a mile. I slowed my speed and still heard glass falling. I checked my back window and it was intact, and I realized it was coming from the front sun roof. I headed back to my home since there was no safe place to pull over, due to limited shoulder and street construction. When I had a chance to examine the sun roof, it was blown upward.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721183February 28, 2026
SEAT BELTS
I am reporting a recurring safety concern with seatbelt fit and adjustability that I have experienced in multiple passenger vehicles. As a [XXX] driver, the shoulder belt in many vehicles consistently rubs my neck rather than resting across the center of my shoulder, even when height adjusters are set to their lowest positions. Additionally, as a [XXX] occupant ([XXX]), rear seatbelts in many vehicles must be fully extended into locking mode to buckle, preventing a snug fit and raising concerns about proper tension during a crash. There have been no warning lights, prior symptoms, or dealer inspections confirming these conditions; they have been present since initial use. Improper belt positioning and limited adjustability may increase the risk of neck or upper-body injury and may encourage unsafe seatbelt adjustments. I request that NHTSA track and evaluate this as a broader, cross-vehicle safety concern regarding seatbelt design, adjuster range, belt length, and geometry for [XXX] and [XXX] size occupants. Videos showing seatbelt discomfort can be found here: [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
#11721180February 28, 2026
SEAT BELTS
I am reporting a safety concern with the seatbelt system in my 2023 Kia Telluride related to fit and adjustability, not a mechanical failure. The vehicle is available for inspection. As a [XXX] driver, the shoulder belt consistently rubs my neck rather than resting across the center of my shoulder, even when the height adjuster is set to its lowest position. Because I must raise the seat and sit closer to the steering wheel, the belt angle pulls inward toward my neck every time I drive. As a [XXX] occupant ([XXX]), rear seatbelts must be fully extended into locking mode to buckle, resulting in discomfort and concerns about proper belt tension. There have been no warning lights, prior symptoms, dealer confirmations, or inspections by the manufacturer; this condition has been present since initial use and appears to be a design limitation. Improper belt positioning and limited adjustability may increase the risk of neck or upper-body injury in a crash and may discourage proper seatbelt positioning. I request that NHTSA track and evaluate this as a vehicle safety concern in the 2023 Kia Telluride and assess whether current seatbelt adjuster range, belt length, and geometry adequately accommodate shorter and plus-size occupants. I have experienced similar seatbelt fit and adjustability issues in multiple other passenger vehicles, suggesting this may represent a broader cross-vehicle design concern rather than an isolated model-specific condition. Videos showing seatbelt discomfort can be found here: [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
#11721143February 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
1. Instrument panel failure, can’t see speed, fuel, mileage. Blind spot warning does not work, lane assistance does not work. This issue was not solved by recall related to software update. 2. Unsafe to drive with no way to see speed, blind spot warning failure, can’t tell if blinker is on or how much gas is in car. 3. Dealer reproduced. It’s not a sporadic issue, the panel does not turn on 4. Yes Kia dealership inspected 5. No warning. Turned the car on and the panel no longer worked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720893February 27, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The satin window trim at the bottom the passenger and driver windows have come loose due to poor adhesive. The heat softened the glue over time and metal satin trim fell off in the middle of the expressway and the other 3 bottom trims have gotten loose due to the bad / wrong glue used to adhere them. The new model have this recall, but this issue is happening also to the 2020 SX trim. The issue is the trim is metal and it gets hot in the sun and the heat softens the glue which then over time the metal starts to separate from the plastic trim housing and fall off while driving which a can cause an accident / injury.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721029February 27, 2026
ENGINE
No oil in engine can cause fire. Meineke in walkertown inspects the vehicle. No lights or warnings. Vehicle just started running funny. Problem confirmed by Meineke in walkertown. They claim it is a consumption issue because there are no leaks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720877February 27, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The auto cold error message was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel violently jerked back and forth three times. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The contact stated that the error code "Auto Cold" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle remained at the dealer for three weeks for a diagnostic test. The contact stated that in 2024, there was an unknown recall for the front drive shaft. The recall repair was performed in 2024, and the vehicle was inspected at the time and passed the inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720687February 26, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle, it was discovered that the doors failed to open electronically while using the key fob. While attempting to use the key to manually unlock the doors, the contact was unable to unlock the doors. The contact indicated that the hatch back door also failed to open. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720148February 24, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Cooling fans running continuously after the car is turned off, which drains the battery. The dealership has identified that this is due to a faulty fan relay that will need to be completely replaced. The battery has been replaced once and the issue continued indicating that it was not a battery issue. The car ran out of battery in a busy location and caused risk to the passengers that were then exposed to busy traffic. The car has been inspected by repair specialists at the Vaden Hyundai Service Center. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms before the problem began.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720120February 24, 2026
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
On Sunday January 18th 2026, my daughter and I were involved in a multi-car accident in St Paul, MN on WB I-94. The weather was very cold and windy and it was snowing lightly. Traffic was moving slowly at about 40-45 miles per hour due the possible icy road conditions. A 2020 GMC Terrain, driven by a [XXX] male, was driving at excessive speeds and weaving in an out of traffic when he struck the back of a semi which in turn caused the vehicle in front of our vehicle to hit him and then we struck that vehicle traveling at approximately 40 to 45 miles per hour. There was no time to respond it happened so quickly. Neither my nor my daughters air bags deployed nor did either of your seatbelts lock. I was able to grasp the steering wheel and brace but my daughter flew forward and hit her head on the dash board. The vehicle was towed to Caliber Collision Center in Minnetonka, MN on 1/19/2026. The collision representative questioned the airbags not deploying as well as confirming that the seatbelts did NOT LOCK at the time of impact. We were very concerned as well. The Collision Center (Caliber Collision in Minnetonka, MN), stated that the pre-scan did NOT show any error messages relating to the airbags. We told them immediately that we were not comfortable with this information and that we wanted further investigation. We have also requested the 'Black Box' be pulled to provide information at the time of the accident. We filed a claim with KIA CUSTOMER CARE. They took my statement and said we would hear from someone within the next 5-7 business days. It has been a month and we have gotten NO WHERE WITH KIA. They claim they are looking into it yet the Collision Center has heard NOTHING from KIA. The damages total over $21,000 and the vehicle repairs have almost been completed. We have told them we are NOT comfortable picking up our vehicle with UNRESOLVED SAFETY CONCERNS. KIA CORPORATION HAS FAILED US AND WE WANT ANSWERS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11719838February 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, STEERING
Purchased a brand new 2025 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Line on May 19, 2025. On or about December 20, 2025, my husband was driving (I was the passenger) in stop/start traffic when the engine shut off and the panel displayed “Put vehicle in Park or Neutral and Restart the Engine.” Since traffic was stopped, he put the vehicle in Park and restarted the engine. The vehicle started right up and we went on our way. However, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, the check engine light came on. I contacted the maintenance department at Buchanan Kia (where I purchased the vehicle). He asked if the vehicle was having any other issues. It was not, so we scheduled a maintenance appointment. I was told we could drive the vehicle, so we did. On our way home, doing 40 mph down, thankfully, a back road, the engine stopped, all systems shut down including steering/braking and the panel displayed “Put vehicle in Park or Neutral and Restart the Engine.” My husband was driving, he coasted the vehicle to a stop, put it in Park and the engine restarted. We were about 10 minutes from our house. In those 10 minutes, the engine shut off and displayed the message two more times. At this point the engine was running rough and would not idle. I again called the maintenance department and the vehicle was towed into the service department. The issue could not be replicated by the service department and we retook possession on February 3, 2026. I have sent a formal notice to Customer Care Center, Kia America, Inc. via certified mail, return receipt requested. I am filing this report as a precaution in the event something happens and someone is injured due to this malfunction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719605February 21, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Engine oil is disappearing in my 2020 Kia Telluride. This has been occurring for an extended period of time ( Since 2020) Early on, I was not driving frequently and did not immediately recognize the severity of the issue. However, about a year ago, when my work required significantly more driving, I began noticing that a large amount of oil was missing between checks, at times approximately half of the engine’s oil capacity. I initially suspected the plastic oil filter housing, which can crack or leak if it is over torqued during oil changes. To address that potential issue, I purchased an aluminum oil filter housing and had it installed. While that repair resolved one concern, it did not stop the ongoing oil loss. At times, when I check the dipstick, there is little to no oil registering, indicating the engine is operating on residual oil. When I remove the oil filler cap, smoke is visible coming from the opening. There are no signs of external leakage, no oil on the ground, and no oil leaking under the engine. This strongly suggests the engine is consuming oil internally. This is a serious safety concern. If the oil level drops unexpectedly while driving, the engine can suffer sudden damage, lose power, stall, or fail without warning. Because I regularly travel for work between Florida and Georgia, including highway driving, I now carry bottles of oil in the vehicle and feel compelled to monitor and top off oil frequently out of concern that the engine could fail or stall while driving, potentially leading to a crash, injury, or loss of life. Based on my research, I understand I am not the only Kia Telluride owner experiencing this type of abnormal oil consumption or unexplained oil loss.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719611February 21, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield cracked for no apparent reason. The crack was on the driver's side, about 16 inches long, starting near the top and curving around the driver's view to the middle of the windshield.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719574February 21, 2026
ENGINE
While driving the instrument panel started flashing and beeping and the engine shutdown and the instrument panel read to put it in park to restart. This is not the first time this has happened with this vehicle and this last time the dealer is telling me there are no codes and they are unable to replicate the incident. This is extremely dangerous!! At the time of this report it has been at the dealer for 5 weeks and they still do not know what the cause is.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Kia Telluride