Kia · Known Issues
2020-2025 Kia Telluride Problems: 27 Known Issues
2020-2025 model years · 456+ owner reports · Updated September 2026
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2020-2025 model years · 456+ owner reports · Updated September 2026
All years · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
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According to Au7o's analysis of 456+ owner reports, the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride has 27 documented known issues, with 12 rated critical. The most serious are Door Belt Molding Delamination / Detachment (Recall SC347), Incorrect Spare Tire Impairing ABS and Traction Control (Recall SC355), Tow Hitch Wiring Harness Module Fire Risk, Front Seat Back Frame Assembly Manufacturing Defect (Recall SC362 / NHTSA 26V105) ($0-$0 repair), Panoramic Sunroof Glass Spontaneously Shattering ($900-$2,500 repair), Front Power Seat Motor Overheating / Fire Risk, Instrument Cluster Goes Completely Blank at Startup (Recalls 21V577, 22V344, 23V298) ($0-$1,600 repair), Occupant Classification System Fails to Detect Child Restraint in Front Passenger Seat (Recall 21V164) ($0-$0 repair), Middle-East-Spec Seat Belts Without Automatic Locking Retractor Installed in US Vehicles (Recall SC181 / 19V594) ($0-$0 repair), Intermediate Shaft / Driveshaft Disengagement (Rollaway), Engine Valve Spring Fracture / Loss of Motive Power (3.8L V6, Recall SC296) and Second-Row Side Air Bag Wire Harness Chafing / Non-Deployment (Recall 23V035) ($0-$900 repair). The most commonly reported issue is Premature Windshield Cracking with 456 owner reports. Across all issues with published estimates, repair costs range from $50 to $2,500. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Telluride vehicles. The LCD display screen may remain blank after startup. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Telluride vehicles. Excess adhesive in a circuit board within the instrument cluster may cause the instrument cluster display screen to be blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento and Telluride vehicles. The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
TRAILER HITCHES
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.
POWER TRAIN: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.
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According to Au7o's analysis of 456+ owner reports, the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride has 27 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: Door Belt Molding Delamination / Detachment (Recall SC347), Incorrect Spare Tire Impairing ABS and Traction Control (Recall SC355), Tow Hitch Wiring Harness Module Fire Risk. Of these, 12 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
The 2020-2025 Kia Telluride has 27 known issues documented across 456+ owner reports. 12 issues are rated critical: Door Belt Molding Delamination / Detachment (Recall SC347) and Incorrect Spare Tire Impairing ABS and Traction Control (Recall SC355) and Tow Hitch Wiring Harness Module Fire Risk and Front Seat Back Frame Assembly Manufacturing Defect (Recall SC362 / NHTSA 26V105) and Panoramic Sunroof Glass Spontaneously Shattering and Front Power Seat Motor Overheating / Fire Risk and Instrument Cluster Goes Completely Blank at Startup (Recalls 21V577, 22V344, 23V298) and Occupant Classification System Fails to Detect Child Restraint in Front Passenger Seat (Recall 21V164) and Middle-East-Spec Seat Belts Without Automatic Locking Retractor Installed in US Vehicles (Recall SC181 / 19V594) and Intermediate Shaft / Driveshaft Disengagement (Rollaway) and Engine Valve Spring Fracture / Loss of Motive Power (3.8L V6, Recall SC296) and Second-Row Side Air Bag Wire Harness Chafing / Non-Deployment (Recall 23V035). Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
Repair costs for known Kia Telluride issues range from $0 to $2,500, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
Reliability varies across model years of the Kia Telluride. Based on documented issues, problems are most commonly reported in earlier model years. Au7o recommends checking the specific known issues for your target year before purchasing, and having a pre-purchase inspection performed by a qualified mechanic. Our known issues database covers the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride with 27 documented issues documented across 456+ owner reports.
NHTSA recall 25V494000 (Kia SC347) covers certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle, creating a road hazard for other traffic. Severity: high.
NHTSA recall 25V745000 (Kia SC355) covers certain 2025 Telluride vehicles equipped with an incorrect spare tire. If installed, the tire can impair anti-lock braking and traction control, and the vehicle does not comply with FMVSS 110. Severity: high.
NHTSA recall 22V626000 (Kia SC247) covers certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia four-pin tow-hitch harness. Debris and moisture on the harness-module circuit board can cause an electrical short and a fire while parked or driving. Severity: high.
Kia recalled approximately 85,448 model-year 2025 Tellurides equipped with power front seats because a manufacturing error in the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may leave them unable to properly restrain occupants in a crash. This is a structural seat-frame defec… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
Telluride owners report the fixed or sliding panoramic sunroof glass exploding without any impact — typically while driving, described consistently as sounding like a gunshot followed by glass raining into the cabin. The failure mode is characteristic of tempered panoramic panels… Repairs typically run $900-$2,500. Severity: high.
NHTSA recall 26V430000 (Kia SC374) covers certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. A front power-seat motor may overheat because of a stuck slide knob or an improper earlier 24V407 repair, causing a fire while parked or driving. This recall replaces 24V407. Severity: high.
The Telluride's LCD instrument cluster has failed in three separate, separately-recalled ways across 2022 and 2023 build ranges. On 2022 vehicles, excess adhesive on a circuit board inside the cluster bridges or stresses a connection so the display stays blank after startup (22V3… Repairs typically run $0-$1,600. Severity: high.
Certain 2021 Tellurides have an air bag control module / occupant classification system calibration that does not correctly classify a child restraint system installed in the front passenger seat. Instead of suppressing the passenger air bag as FMVSS 208 requires, the system can… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
Roughly 30,168 early-build 2020 Tellurides left the plant with front passenger, second-row and/or third-row seat belt assemblies intended for the Middle East market. Those assemblies lack the automatic locking retractor (ALR) that US regulation requires for securing a child restr… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
NHTSA recall 24V214000 (Kia SC303) covers certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can allow the vehicle to roll away while in Park. Severity: high.
NHTSA recall 24V077000 (Kia SC296) covers certain 2024 Telluride vehicles. An engine valve spring may break while driving, causing loss of drive power and potentially creating a hole in the engine block; the latter also increases fire risk. Severity: high.
On certain 2023 Tellurides the wire harnesses that feed the second-row seat-mounted side air bags can be damaged during seat travel or assembly routing. A damaged harness opens or shorts the squib circuit, so the second-row side air bag will not deploy in a side impact — the occu… Repairs typically run $0-$900. Severity: high.
The 8-speed automatic exhibits torque-converter (damper clutch) shudder felt as a vibration around 45 mph and during uphill gear changes, plus hesitation and weak pickup on re-acceleration and merges. Early 2020 units could log P0741 damper-clutch faults; some required full trans… Severity: medium.
Tellurides fitted with the rear self-leveling (load-leveling) shock absorbers — standard on tow-package and higher trims — develop a distinct knock, thump or pop from the rear of the vehicle over bumps and expansion joints, often accompanied by a harsh, stiff ride. Kia first addr… Repairs typically run $0-$1,400. Severity: medium.
Tellurides repeatedly go dead overnight or after a few days parked, with owners jump-starting and replacing perfectly good batteries only to have the problem return. The Telluride's always-on cellular telematics modem (Kia Access / UVO remote start and remote climate) never fully… Repairs typically run $200-$1,200. Severity: medium.
The Smart Power Liftgate on EX and above fails in two related but distinct ways. The gas struts on either side of the gate weaken — often within the first year or two, and much faster in cold climates — so the gate stops closing fully, reverses partway, or drops. Separately, the… Repairs typically run $180-$1,500. Severity: medium.
The 3.8L Lambda II V6 in the Telluride experiences fuel dilution of the engine oil when driven primarily on short trips (under 10 miles). Fuel washes past the piston rings during cold starts and does not fully evaporate because the oil never reaches full operating temperature. Th… Repairs typically run $50-$500. Severity: medium.
On roughly 86,921 2020 Tellurides equipped with Smart Cruise Control, the factory wiring does not route a brake-light signal to the trailer connector when the SCC system — rather than the driver's foot — applies the brakes. Towing a trailer with adaptive cruise engaged, the vehic… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: medium.
AWD-only defect on 2020-2021 Tellurides built from start of production through 28 February 2021. Owners report a vibration that builds between roughly 60 and 75 mph and — the diagnostic tell — appears specifically when the powertrain is applying steady throttle, such as with crui… Repairs typically run $1,200-$2,200. Severity: medium.
On 2020 Tellurides fitted with the halogen (non-LED) headlamp assemblies, the projector's mechanical high-beam shield is moved by a small plastic gear on a shaft. Heat radiated by the halogen bulb progressively deforms that gear until it slips on its shaft, so the shield no longe… Repairs typically run $0-$1,400. Severity: medium.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.