Kia Telluride Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2020–2025, owners filed 2,057 complaints about the Kia Telluride with NHTSA, most often about windshield visibility and the engine, and NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Telluride to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2020 as the year to avoid. Model years 2024–2025 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
2,057
NHTSA owner complaints (2020–2025)
40
Complaints citing a crash
17
Recall campaigns
1
Year to avoid
Most-reported Kia Telluride problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2020–2025, by the component owners named, filed 2019–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility / wipers | 428 | 21% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Engine | 343 | 17% | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 302 | 15% | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| Exterior lighting | 210 | 10% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 175 | 9% | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Body structure | 157 | 8% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 90 | 4% | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| Suspension | 74 | 4% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Of all 2,057 complaints, 40 (2%) report a crash, 24 (1%) a fire and 34 (2%) an injury.
Kia Telluride complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine, which compares each Telluride model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 780 | 7 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
| 2021 | 377 | 5 | Visibility / wipers | — |
| 2022 | 331 | 7 | Visibility / wipers | — |
| 2023 | 214 | 6 | Electrical system | — |
| 2024(new) | 229 | 5 | Electrical system | — |
| 2025(new) | 126 | 3 | Engine | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Kia Telluride recalls
NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns across Kia Telluride model years 2020–2025. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26V430000Jul 2, 2026 | 2020–2024 | Seats — front assembly / power adjust | 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.NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 24V407000Jun 6, 2024 | 2020–2024 | Seats — front assembly / power adjust | 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.NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 22V626000Aug 15, 2022 | 2020–2022 | Trailer hitch | 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…NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 24V214000Mar 21, 2024 | 2020–2024 | Powertrain / transmission — driveline / driveshaft | 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. |
| 25V494000Jul 29, 2025 | 2023–2025 | Body structure — exterior trim | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle. |
Best and worst Telluride years
- Years to avoid: 2020.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2025: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Kia Telluride years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Kia Telluride
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Visibility: test the wipers at every speed, washers, defrosters and the climate system (fogging is a common complaint).
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Lights: check headlights (low and high), brake lights and turn signals; condensation inside the housings is worth noting.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Kia Telluride can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Kia Telluride reliability FAQ
Is the Kia Telluride reliable?
Across model years 2020–2025, owners filed 2,057 complaints about the Kia Telluride with NHTSA, most often about windshield visibility and the engine, and NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Telluride to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2020 as the year to avoid. Model years 2024–2025 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Kia Telluride problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2020–2025, the most-reported areas are windshield visibility (428), the engine (343), the electrical system (302) and exterior lighting (210). One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Kia Telluride should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2020 as the year to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other Telluride years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Kia Telluride last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 0% of 12,621 used Telluride listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 1.2% had passed 150,000. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Kia Telluride have?
NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns covering Kia Telluride model years 2020–2025. The one covering the most model years is 26V430000 (seats, 2020–2024). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Kia Telluride?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Telluride reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Kia Telluride, model years 2020–2025, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each Telluride model year only with other Telluride years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Telluride compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.