NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Kia Telluride. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Both high beams stop working without any advice. While driving at night low beams provide low visibility and when I try to use high beam did not change at all from low beam. This truck comes with a system that moves low beam light to high beam light only one bulb ( one filament ) no two filaments. There is 37 complaints online and no recall. Visibility is a hazard in united states.
basically the windshield is defective this model and Dan Obrien Kia Concord New Hampshire (lynn/ in service took pictures and said it would be two days to order it in ? says that they’re not gonna handle it basically even though they have for others? I got this info from Kia consumers affairs case# 14813171 Mike and Kayla . I’ve talked to Kia consumer affairs and haven’t got an answer but they were quicker to respond. Dan O’Brien never responded back to me. so the window started with a 4 to 6 inch crack now it’s been two weeks no answers other than no and Kia directly said that the Vin is within the guidelines of the letter that they circulated so they replaced it for others but they can’t do this one? I keep getting the phone tag game transferred to different states and also they’re not covering their warranty that they promised. On drive train
I noticed a small crack in the windshield one day. The next day it grew longer. Then it split out on two sides. It appears to be growing rapidly and I need the windshield repaired. There is a Kia Telluride Good Faith repairs I would like to utilize for the repair/replacement.
The high beams stopped working.
Got a small ding in the bottom right hand corner of the windshield which was barely visible when it happened. Although I heard the slight sound of something hitting the windshield there was no obvious damage like a smashed glass appearance. However parked the car in the garage and next day when I went out to the car there was a crack that went up the right side of the windshield and then went 1/2 way across vertically to stop just under the mirror. I have no choice but to replace the windshield. I've never seen a window crack like this from such minor damage. It clearly has to be defective.
We were driving down a road on San Juan Island on May 1, 2022 when a small pattern of radio cracks appeared in the middle of the front windshield. No collision of any kind occurred, and there was no evidence of road gravel damage. We did not hear any impact. There were no other vehicles in front of our vehicle when the cracks appeared. The weather was partly cloudy and the temperature was moderate. We are at a loss to explain the cracks. They interfere seriously with driver visibility and will definitely require the windshield to be replaced.
Windshield glass instant webbing and cracking
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Electronic Parking Brake" warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the "Parking Brake Connector" had fractured. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the rear shock absorbers, rear sway bars, rear control arms, and the motor mounts. The local dealer also discovered that the oil pan and oil filter had cracked. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer has not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Windshield was repaired September 2020 after a rock chip spread immediately after impact. The recall covered the expense of that replacement. However, the new windshield has the same defect and another rock chip spread immediately and was quite large on impact March 2022. I was driving in a parking lot when it happened, so not a high enough speed to have the rock have much velocity to it. Kia needs to fix the issue when they have a recall, not replace it with the same issue.
Low beam headlights cause oncoming traffic to swerve and to flash bright lights, as if they are being blinded by low beams in this car. Car has no load or extra weight, and yet this happens dozens of times per week with oncoming cars flashing their lights as I am approaching. Dealership refused to look at this concern, saying that if I did not purchase a new $15,000 engine, then my factory warranty would not be honored. The car is running fine. Other mechanic shops not affiliated with Kia say the headlights are perfectly adjusted to factory specs and there has been no shift or movement. One offered to bend metal to lower the beam, but he said this was not factory specs and so I declined. While refusing to address this issue, the Kia dealer that sold me this car also refused to repair the recalled trailer brake light harness, which is violation of federal law. The Kia owner's online portal is also non-responsive. I tried to address this there, where they assigned Case # 14685919. I am concerned about endangering other drivers with this, but Kia will not address this customer's concerns. Perhaps attorneys who query NHTSA database will force a solution before someone is harmed by this.
WINDSHIELD: Vehicle sustained small rock chip to windshield while driving approx 25mph. Chip was on lower corner of passenger side. Small chip quickly turned into a crack and rapidly shot up and across to driver’s side of vehicle. Claim filed with insurance and sent to Safelite Auto Glass for repair. Been having issues after repair with both HU display and rain senors.
Bright headlights stopped working.
While driving all of a sudden high beams shut off and would not come back on. Attempted to fix issue by replacing bulbs. This did not fix the issue. Technician looked at the wiring into headlights and no issue was found. Have not been able to fix thus issue. It is going on a year now without having high beams. During my research multiple other owners have Same issue. I spoke to kia and was told 10 months ago that they are working on a recall for this issue. Still no recall issued. I have spoken to multiple other owners that have same make and model they have Same issue and had to pay out of pocket to replace both headlight assemblies to fix the issue. This is unacceptable and a high safety issue!
Transmission would engage into neutral and anytime. Engine would RPM would inceease, 5-7000rpm without pressing the accelerator. When engine was at high RPM transmission would then engage into gear causing a violent lurching. Transmissionseems to be locked into 5th gear. Transmission would also slip/disengage while trying to accelerate.
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.
Headlight Hi-beams stopped working and is very dangerous at night with a lot of wild animals where I live.
I’ve owned over 10 vehicles and had glass chipped from rocks or hail and understand that happens. My Kia Telluride simply with no vehicles around on a paved road driving 55 miles an hour just cracked like it had been hit by a bullet and then proceeded to spread over 6” from the time the crack happen until I got it into my garage 5 miles down the road. The weather outside was 56 degrees according to vehicle and no rain or abnormal driving conditions. I have seen in numerous forums this is a common problem with the 2020 Kia Telluride. This should be a recall issue.
I reported a suspected defect on my vehicle 1/26/22. With 44,000 miles, the car began stalling and having difficulty accelerating from a stop at busy intersections. Germain Kia Dealership on Georgesville Rd in Columbus, OH where I purchased the vehicle new has refused to adequately investigate this issue, and has refused to make any repair for the open recall on this vehicle involving taillights and the trailer hitch. Dealership stated it would only make repairs if I bought a $15,000 new engine from them, and they stated that Kia would not honor my manufacturer's warranty, nor would Kia honor my extended warranty sold to me for $2,000 at time of purchase. Dealership was acting as an agent of Kia when taking this action. I filed a complaint to Kia headquarters, but this scheme to defraud was endorsed by Kia through a lack of action. I was assigned case number 14636950 by Kia, but the automaker took no action. My recall item was not repaired, and the suspected defect that involves stalling on my two-year old engine was not addressed at all. My records show 5 oil changes since buying this car, but Kia's Columbus, OH dealership says only oil changes done by their own dealership count. None of my oil changes done by other ASE certified repair facilities will be recognized. Dealership says Kia will not honor any warranty due to lack of maintenance. I can prove vehicle was maintained properly. When I escalated this matter to the dealership sales manager, service manager, and general manager, they took no action. I was denied repair on the recall item, as dealership and Kia tried to trick me into buying a new engine, they breached my warranty and my extended warranty, and they did not investigate the new potential defect involving power train. Please do not allow Kia and its dealers to defraud other customers and keep unsafe cars on the road in this fashion.
Both headlight high beams went out at the same time. I no longer have working high beams and from the internet research this is a known problem with no recall issued.
My 2020 Kia has peeling paint. I looked online and see that it's a big issue and theres even a class action lawsuit. Sites said to file a complaint here to document it. In 2022, the paint started peeling near my sunroof. I didn't do anything about it since it was a small area. It has now continued peeling to the point that I started looking at warranty information since it's obviously an issue with the paint...it peels off like nail polish. The warranty ended at 36,000 miles and I now have 50,000. The issue first started when I had 33,000 miles.
High beam headlights stopped working. There are no maintenance indicators that tell me the high beams do not work. When I pull the switch to turn on high beams, the high beam dash indicator lights up on the dash, but the high beams do not turn on. I have replaced both high beam bulbs, but that did not fix the issue, so I just do not drive this vehicle at night anymore. I was researching recalls and issues with my make/model, and read about other people having this issue and researched how to report it. This is a serious concern when driving at night, as the low beam lights by themselves are a hazard because they do not properly project lighting more than a few feet. Without high beams, driving at night is completely dangerous. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center, or inspected. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms.
The 2020 Kia Telluride has a major, yet well-known design flaw regarding the heater block/heater core causing the blowing heat to drop when the car is at idle or moving at low RPMs. As someone living in Minnesota, it's absolutely absurd that a car can be considered "operating as designed" when the car literally has no heat during traffic or at idle - this has the potential to cause occupants serious injury or even death while waiting for assistance in the event of a flat tire or spinout during cold months. We noticed the issue in December 2021 but the dealer was so backed up with Kias that it couldn't get in for service until February 1st. The car was taken to the dealer on 2/1, 2/15, and 2/25 - the thermostat was replaced but I was told at the last visit that there is nothing else that can be done. The tech at the dealer agreed with the problem but was told by the Kia Techline that everything was within the specifications of the design. How can Kia ethically (and knowingly) sell a vehicle that doesn't provide heat in a state that is regularly below zero (and even below freezing) for over half of the year?
Dash gage cluster (tach, speedometer, fuel, and engine temp) all go to zero while driving. The digital speedometer readout is also zero. Basically the entire dash is dead minus the entertainment system which functions perfectly.This also shuts down all adaptive cruise and collision avoidance systems. Restarting the vehical will not bring dash instruments back. Ocassionally cycling to door locks and or disconnecting negative battery lead will bring dash instruments or they will begin randomly begin functioning again on their own. They always malfunction and come back as an entire cluster. I also have video of the vehical in motion with the instruments dead.
The high beam headlights fail to activate, yet the blue dash indicator shows lights are on high beam. Furthermore, when on low beam the headlights do not broadcast a sufficient distance ahead or to the side to enable driver to see the road sufficiently for safe driving. This issue has been reported by almost 100 other drivers, many of whom have North Carolina addresses, but the reports also list other states such as Nevada. This is a major safety issue that is evolving currently and hopefully, you will make it a priority to contact the manufacturer for a recall. This was first noticed on 12/23/2021, but became prominent when spouse driving me home from hospital ER for unrelated injury on 12/28/2021.
Left headlight is stuck in high-beam mode.
Windshield keep getting chipped unnecessarily, I repaired it 3 times already and its being chipped 4th time. Called Kia and they told me to bring the car in to dealership for inspection and none of the dealership has any openings till 3 weeks later, and when i tell them to book appointment the call is dropped , all others are not picking up calls. called Kia Cerritos CA , Riverside CA.
While driving at highway speeds (above 50mph,) the Telluride’s front windows (driver and passenger) will not roll up. It seems that the The pressure that builds up in the cabin is pulling the glass out too far and when the window tries to make the seal, it’s out of place and rolls back down. There is a temporary fix to either roll down the back seat window or the sunroof to equalize the pressure, then the front window will go up - but that took a lot of trial and error. I figured it must be a safety issue since when it happens, I am talking my concentration off of driving and trying to figure out how to get the window back up. I’ve since been on forums and Kia owner pages where I’ve read of many people running into the same issues.
This is the 2nd chip and 2nd crack in my windshield. My vehicle had 16500 miles on it. and is my 11th Kia. I have never had an issue with windshields before this car.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that previously the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags were removed from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was referred to the body shop for the repair. The contact was informed that the replacement air bags were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. No further information was available.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH at night on a back road, the hi-beam headlights were activated but failed to illuminate brighter than the low-beam headlights. The contact continued driving to his residence. After arriving home, the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the hi-beam headlights were not working as designed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the hi-beam bulbs were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,100.
#1 Rear shocks have been replaced 5 times (beginning November 2021-September 2024) after bringing the vehicle in 7 times due to clunking. After dealing with Kia directly they agreed to cover costs. Clunking was resolved shortly but started again a couple months later. #2 Recently the car began locking up while in operation, while accelerating, but no code was detected. Transmission was flushed (December 2024) and one month later same type of lock up began happening again, this time the check engine light came on (January 2025). Code indicates Torque converter clutch is off. Dealer will now try to fix the issue. Car is available for inspection. Problem #1has been reproduced by Kia service at the dealership.Problem #2, since code was detected dealer will inspect and hopefully be able to fix. This car is just over 5 years old with less than 70,000 miles. Between these 2 issues I have been in to the service department going on 8 times!
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the engine was idling and the brake pedal was being pressed for approximately 3 minutes, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a nearby snow plurer, lamp pole, and house stairs. During the incident, no injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Since purchasing the vehicle new in May 2020 we have had to replace the windshield three times. On three separate occasions while driving down the interstate a small pebble hit the windshield, pitted it and the windshield immediately started to spider. In parking the vehicle in the garage out of the sun the crack continue to grow. In the short time we have had this car we have had Three new windshield that came from KIA. It has gotten to the point where I am scared to drive down the interstate- afraid that if I get close to any car that something will end up breaking the windshield. Once the windshield is cracked the car is basically not drivable because the crack just continues to grow.
Started car in 70 degree weather, heard a ticking noise coming from the hood, put car in reverse then drive, engine light came on (solid, not flashing), took it to get a diagnostic test and results state “Torque converter malfunction”. The car is now shifting hard through gears and shaking while driving.
this has happened to my wife about 5 times and to me approximately 8 times. my wife will no longer drive the car because she feels it is not safe. i purchased the car new and it has about 7500 miles on it. when trying to accelerate from a stop and usually turning left, car will start to move and then fails to accelerate for approximately 3-5 seconds. very dangerous if there is oncoming traffic and you are turning in front of them. i have researched this issue on the web and i am not the only person with this issue. so far kia dealer cannot duplicate issue so there is no fix. currently dealer has the vehicle and i have a loaner vehicle.
The sunroof exploded. I was driving on the freeway and the sunroof glass completely shattered leaving only a few fragments on the perimeter. No debris hit the car. There was no one in front of me and I was not passing under a bridge, etc. The sun shade was closed so most of the glass flew into the air outside rather than coming inside. The shock of the sound was an issue but I maintained control of the car. The glass shards hit the cars behind me but luckily they appeared to be small enough that I did not see anyone have issues from the flying glass. I drove straight to the dealership where my service is done. They inspected the car and, after 2 days, told me that they could not do anything without Kia corporate getting involved and approving the replacement. There were no warnings prior to this issue that there was anything wrong with my sunroof.
The car was on cruise control at 70mph but cruising behind another car at 65 when suddenly the car started approaching the car in front of us at high speed.
The high-beam lighting system fails - causing dangerous conditions while driving. They use a motor system that tilts the light and this is prone to failure.
I have replaced the windshield twice. A small pebble hit it in both incidents. It went from an invisible nick to cracks over 1 foot in length after driving no more than 5 miles to my destination. The cracks continued to grow to about 2 feet in length overnight. Kia sent me a letter which I did not realize until a few months after the first replacement acknowledging there was an issue and was gracious enough to reimburse me for the first one. I assumed they also fixed the manufacturing process of the windshields as well but ended up with the same issue with the first replacement. I find this to be a safety issue outside of the inconvenience and the second one I did not get reimbursed for. The structural integrity of the windshield is immediately compromised. You are not given a chance to get off the road before something worst could occur like the windshield fully shattering. The other concern is the windshield does not appear to be structurally sound enough to take on the other safety features it is to provide like holding the airbag in place when it is deployed or helping to prevent the roof from caving in during a rollover. I hope you do not wait to force a recall after someone is seriously injured or a death occurs as a result.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle rolled away into the neighbor's yard. The contact was made aware of the failure by the neighbor. The contact had placed bricks in front of the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires and behind the rear driver’s and passenger’s side tires to prevent the vehicle from moving. The dealer and another dealer Serra Gardendale Kia (630 Fieldstown Rd, Gardendale, AL 35071) were made aware of the failure and both dealers scheduled an upcoming appointment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to contact a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? While traveling at night I attempted to turn on the high beams to better illuminated the highway but the high beams failed to turn on. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This resulted in limited visibility of the road and any potential hazards. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Unknown Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Unknown Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no fault indicators displayed that might suggest a failure of the high beams. The blue high beam indicator light continues to function as it should, despite the fact there is no change in the illumination from the headlights.
While driving my wife had a small stone hit the windshield which caused a small pit and about an inch crack. When she got home, I inspected it and called and made an appointment for it to be repaired the next day. The suv was parked in the garage overnight and not driven. The next morning when I went to go to the repair place, I opened the door to the garage and found the one inch crack had grown to about 2 feet overnight. Not sure how that even happens
High Beam lights do not work when activated making night driving very dangerous. I have read repeatedly online that this is a known problem. Essentially, the high beams are activated by the bulb housing moving around the bulb to enhance illumination. However, this housing STOPS working on many Kia Tellurides and the only solution is to replace them according to online reports. However, this is not a guaranteed fix as the problem has not been addressed by the manufacturer and is subject to reoccurence.
Check engine light in March of 2021. 38,800 miles. Determined to be a timing issue and parts of the engine was replaced by Bill Barth Kia in Mandan, ND. Car was picked up on 4/21/21. On 4/28/21 all warning lights came on. Car was towed back to dealership. After multiple attempts at fixes over a 4 month period of time it was finally determined a new wiring harness was needed. The new harness seemed to correct the problem and I took possession of the car on 8/20/21. It was driven around 75 miles that day to drive home. On 8/22/21 the car was driven 8 to 10 miles and then parked and turned off in my driveway at 12:35 pm. No warning lights were on at this time. At or around 1:30 pm I was notified by my neighbors that the car was on fire. My husband grabbed an extinguisher and located a 12 inch flame in the front of the car near the engine. It was quickly extinguished. Once the fire was out I opened the door to put the car in neutral to remove/push it from the driveway. All warning lights were on once again. The battery cable was disconnected to hopefully prevent another fire. I have documentation of work done between 3/11/21 and 4/21/21 but all work done after that point is on an invoice that was denied to me by the dealer. I was told I could receive a copy of the invoice once compensation was made to them by Kia for a part.
The low beams to high beam headlight stared working intermittently in Aug 2021. Maybe one side worked or the other or neither. I took it to KIA and they said a bulb was about burned out. Replaced both bulbs but was still having the same issue. Took it back in Sept 2021, they said they did a diagnostic test and everything showed it was ok. Left, same problem. Called again had appointment in October 2021, finally said there was a problem with the "curtain" or cover that moved to change the lights from High to Low beam. They ordered only the left side. Replaced that in December 2021. Left dealership and the left one works great, the right one only intermittently. Called again and asked that they replace the right one, tech had to ask someone if they were ok to do that. Got that approved and the part just came in. Setting up appointment soon. This has taken 4-5 months to get resolved, and I'm still not done. Too long if you ask me.
Notice windshield crack starting from behind mirror all the way approaching drivers view, just saw it, with no warning, no visible chips, had to look real close and feel for a chip, can see where it started and feel it slightly, never heard anything hit the windshield, but it sure did run fast. Didn't happen on the highway, noticed it when I made a stop and got back in the vehicle, I just had it serviced with a oil change, and they did have a card hanging on the mirror with vehicle number that the service department put on there
I was driving on the highway keeping a safe distance from a dump truck and 18 wheeler truck that were ahead of my vehicle. The dump truck sent a small stone towards my windshield which damaged the windshield on impact. The windshield was inspected by my insurance company which determined the windshield required replacement. This will be third time replacing the windshield in just over a year due to the same type of incident. My families safety was at risk due to the obstruction caused by the windshield cracking due to the impact of the small stone. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior to the incident.
This is the third time something has impacted our windshield and caused it to crack. Our windshield has been replaced twice and will need to be replaced again. Both replacements were Kia windshields.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that the second-row rear driver’s side seat would intermittently recline and move forward independently with an occupant in the seat. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened an investigation. The contact was informed that unless the dealer replicated the failure, the vehicle could not be repaired. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it remained. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
I dropped my phone between the seat and the console. I reached between it and got my arm caught. I tried for 15 minutes to get it out with no success. I drove myself and children to the fire station where they had to use a crowbar to push on a bar that was holding my arm. When I got my arm out, it was bloody, cut, and swollen.