There are 7 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2020 Kia Telluridein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The brakes are very spongy all of the sudden, making it very difficult to stop quickly. This is a major concern considering how many people are having this issue.
When I brought my car into the dealership to fix the open recall on the sest heater and get it serviced, the dealership did their multipoint inspection and discovered that with just 37950 miles, the rear brake pads and rotors need replacing. The front pads were at 6mm and the rear pads were at 2mm. They informed me that they recommend replacing the pads at 3 mm - at 2mm it is unsafe to drive. As, it is unusual for rear pads to wear before front pads - we suspect that there may be an issue with the parking brake not fully disengaging.
The braking system on the car is failing, the brakes are spongy and require to be pumped for the brakes to work securely, and occasionally the brakes would fail completely. The car has been taken to the dealer three times and ask for the problem to be repaired, I was told the brakes were fine it's just electronic braking system but I was feeling. I did have a mechanic check the brakes and was told the problem need to be repaired by the dealer it was a dealer's problem.
While driving and attempting to brake, the brake pedal was COMPLETELY unresponsive. Slamming on brakes did nothing, and I could not stop the car. I just kept steering, with traffic all around me. About 15 seconds later the vehicle finally came to a rolling stop. It was EXTREMELY frightening and dangerous. The car had random lights that would flicker on and then off the dashboard when you started it, but then nothing. We had an appt at KIA to address, even though they weren't coming anymore. Roadside assistance took to the dealer, who confirmed that it was a wheel speed/brake sensor, and so car brake would not work. It was not a recall at the time though. We paid $1500+ to repair it all, and months later the real for that exact issue came out. Submitted the reimbursement form to KIA, and despite following up several times, it has been several months still not reimbursed.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the brake pads. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. During the failure, the ABS warning light illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
While operating the vehicle and braking, the dashboard warnings lights began flashing. The brake pedal went to the floor and did not brake the vehicle. No amount of pumping of the brakes helped. At about 3-5 MPH I struck the stopped vehicle in front of me at an intersection. Later that day the same thing happened, and this time I pulled the emergency brake lever and held it. The warning alarm sounded but the brakes never slowed or stopped the vehicle. I drove the vehicle safely to a repair shop and it was then towed to a Kia dealership. Where it is available for inspection. The error codes on the ECM indicate that the right rear ABS Speed Sensor has lost communication. I do not know if the component has been inspected by KIA. When the failure occurs the BCW light goes on, the ABS light goes on, the Master warning light goes on, the Electronic Stability Light goes on, and the AUTO HOLD lights amber. The dealership has reviewed the codes on the ECM which follows: ABS/ESC(+EPB) 2 Codes 1.C121102: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Invalid/no Signal 2.C121002: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Range / Performance / Intermittent Integrated Body Control Unit- BCM 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault Integrated Body Control Unit- SMK 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault Integrated Body Control Unit- TPMS 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault PSM (Power Seat Module) 1 Code 1.B163700: System Not Initialized BCW (Blind-Spot Collision Warning) 2 Codes 1.C169381: ESC Signal Error 2.C167581: Signal WHEEL FL or WHEEL FR or WHEEL RL or WHEEL RR not Valid MFC (Multi Function Camera) 1 Code 1.C186286: Invalid Signal of SCC SCC (Smart Cruise Control) 3 Codes 1.C121181: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Invalid/no Signal 2.C136081: ESP Irreversible Error 3.C174181: ESC-not available VSM (Check ESC) 4WD Control 1 Code 1.P183000: Clutch Torque Tolerance Lower Limit.
Inside brake pad on drivers side rear separated from the metal backing plate. Other pad is hardly used and other side is not worn. This caused difficulty stopping and a grinding noise from the left rear of the vehicle.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026