2020 Kia Telluride Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while her husband was seated in the vehicle at below 5-degree Fahrenheit, he became aware that the heater and defogger was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

When starting the vehicle to warm up (in colder temps) it made a squealing noise and slowly faded. Returned to drive the vehicle and there was a puddle of oil underneath. Upon inspection, it appeared that the leak was coming from between the (plastic) oil filter housing and the engine (it's connected to. This causes a concern as it could cause my engine to seize while driving (especially on freeways). Causing a collision risk and destroying the cars engine at the same time. When researching I found that this is a common (cold temp) issue among Telluride's. I attempted to call Kia service at least four times with no answer/no call back. On my fifth call attempt I was routed to the parts department and found that the part is and has been on backorder for some months now. Was told that there are over 3000 on back order to the states, all accounted for. I researched the issue and found various Kia Telluride forums stating the same cold weather temp issue. This is obviously not an isolated case with no one (O'Reilly, Auto Zone, Advanced Auto & the dealership) having the part in stock and over 3,000 other cases awaiting their back-ordered part. Previous to this, I attempted to get an oil change at a local lube shop and was advised that they could not do an oil change on my vehicle because there was an issue with the oil drain plug and the oil pan seal circulating with the local live shops. They would be unable to do my oil change unless I sign a waiver stating they're not liable for anything that occurs after the oil change occurred. I am attempting to make an appointment now, however with all the parts on backorder (for months now) the only thing I can do is to not drive my vehicle until their is a stockpile of parts available to alleviate this malfunction. This issue has not been investigated by insurance or authorities as I'm uncertain that this falls within their wheelhouse. Recently my check engine light came on, I had the code checked it was the thermostat.

HEADLIGHTS: have DEPLORABLE visibility, particularly around corners making it nearly impossible to see at night. It is GROSSLY DANGEROUS, and unacceptable to equip a vehicle with such low quality headlights. However, On January 13th 2024 the hi beams ceased to function at all, which has left me unable to drive at night. As a single mother this is a huge hinderance for my young sons and their activities especially this time of year getting dark at 4:30pm. DRIVER SEATBELT MALFUNCTION: The seatbelt has all but completely failed to retract upon removal, leaving the entire thing loose causing to twist and get caught in the door. It will not retract upon collision which also is a PRIORITY SAFETY CONCERN. DRIVER SIDE MIRROR: Gets stuck in the folded position, and more times than not, I then have to manually unfold it. This causes the saved position for my optimal rear visibility to get comprised and I then have to adjust while driving which is ALSO dangerous. The dealer has addressed this and said the wiring was loose to the mirror inside the driver door and assured me they fixed it, however is STILL getting stuck 90 percent of the time.

Oil leaking from the oil filter housing suddenly. Most of the leaking happens after a cold start. As engine warms the leaking is less noticable. Mechanic found the back of the housing covered in oil but not the drain plug or the oil pan. No prior leaks until [XXX]. Finding that the part is on backorder with no date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My high beam headlights are not working. There is no change whether the high beams are on or off.

This vehicle only has 77,000 miles and it is burning oil like crazy. I have already had a Hyundai engine replaced on a Sonata and it was showing the same signs as this Telluride. When the Hyundai engine blew we were on the freeway and it just slowed down to a crawl as cars where flying past. Clearly if the same thing happens again it is yet another safety issue that could be avoided.

I have a fairly brand new 2020 Kia Telluride with only about 50,000 miles on it and one day out of no where the car won't start and now I'm getting a check ESC message. Since it's fairly new I had it jump started and the car quickly turned on and ran fine for the rest of the day. The following day the car hesitated when turning on but it started. I was driving and when I got to a light and when the light turned green and went to take off the car wouldn't go. It turned off again and would start back up. I went into the KIA forum and noticed that a lot of Kia Telluride owners are experiencing this same issue but all seem to have different resolutions from needing a new battery, or a new starter or that the IBU system is blown. This is very frustrating because I don't necessarily know where I need to begin and I don't want to have waste my money with trying to figure out exactly what is going on with my car.

The high beams do not work. Neither one. Bulb replacement did not fix either.

The driver side and passenger side view mirrors are retractable. Both side view mirrors will get stuck in the closed position which affects the ability to see vehicles on the left or right.

High beams no longer work on the front lights.

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.

Body paint defect causing large sections of paint chipping off. This is a common enough issue amongst the owners community and Kia fails to acknowledge the latent defect and take action.

Right high beam stopped working. Low beams work, no indicators, bulb has been changed. Jist stopped working.

High beams quit working. I have replaced the relay, fuse, and bulbs. Low beams work but the high beam functionality is 100% lost. My trim utilizes the single bulb with electronic curtain to toggle between low and high beams. Seems to be a deeper issue within the headlight assembly.

Both High Beam headlights failed. Turning on the High Beam illuminates the blue indicator light on the dash, but no change occurs in exterior illumination. The dangers of high speed highway driving (70 MPH) go way up. There is no backup in case the low beam also breaks. And the cost to repair is extremely expensive.

Bright head light stopped working without any cause.

Brights stopped working. They do not turn on, even though you pull the lever, and the dash light comes on

*Unknown high engine oil consumption which can cause the motor to lock up (because owners aren't aware that this is a known issue with the Kia Telluride *Since Kia has not disclosed this engine issue, the can can stall while driving. *I had a Kia service person state this is a known issues. I was told Kia has yet to do a recall on the Telluride like they've done on two other Kia vehicles with the same issue. I've also had private mechanic stating the same. He ever reported since Jan 2024, he's had 4 Kia motors lock up while people were driving. He also reports the other customers have been told that nothing will be done until the motor locks up *My vehicle is currently at the dealer *No warnings. But hind sight, I am reading this is a major issue with owners

With 40k miles on the car driving on the freeway the coolant hose burst without any warning, it didn’t come off, it was weak and split. This caused head gasket damage and cylinder 3 and 5 to misfire with coolant getting in the cylinders. It was dark and foggy out and the car was over heating due to the failures. I lost power and could only go 25mph on the freeway. Semi trucks were honking flashing their lights, passing me and one slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting me due to how dark it was. Even though I was driving with my hazards on. I pulled over as soon as I could, but had a panic attack during the ordeal planning out the best way to die. Sounds dramatic but with all the smoke coming from the car I thought it could blow or get hit by a semi. Looking at online groups there are issues with the Telluride engines that are creating dangerous situations. It’s a matter of time before this problem causes a serious injury or death. I know others that have made complaints to Kia and NHSTA. When is this problem going to be taken care of?? My car has been at the dealership since Dec 19 2023. I am waiting to here back from Kia if they will cover the engine under warranty. The dealership said they had another Telluride with engine failure in Oct 2023 that Kia did not cover under warranty. The dealership has confirmed all these statements. There was no warning that there were any weak spots in the hose. No leaks or warning lights until it left me stranded on a dark foggy night on the freeway. Since Kiefer Kia in Eugene, OR still has my car I have not received any paperwork yet

2020 KIA TELLURIDE 41,000 miles: Engine overheated and ceased while on the freeway. Head Gasket blew, coolant hose had a hole the size of my fist on one side and the other clean split, along with cylinder 3 and 5 misfiring. I lost power and was able to go 25 mph on the freeway and lots of white smoke coming from the hood of the car. Semi trucks were slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting me as it was a dark foggy evening. The engine failure on the freeway could have easily caused multi vehicle collisions involving semi trucks resulting in casualties and loss of life. After 2 months in the shop the dealership has approved a new engine, however they don't know when they can get it in and no time frame when I will have my vehicle back. There was no warning and dealership confirmed there would not have been a warning until after the engine failed. I have maintained all maintenance schedules. There is a Facebook group with many similar stories of engine failures

Light always appears on dashboard

Large area of roof has paint peeling off exposing metal. Several paint chips on roof and sides as well. Hazard: Polyisocyanates such as toluene and 4,4'-diphenylmethane are found in paints and other automotive coatings. These are toxic to the nervous system and are also skin and eye irritants.

1st winter of owning vehicle. The engine started to Rev with high rmps about 8000, and no power / speed incrase would happen. This was looked at by dealer within first year. This then happened again, dealer looked at it. Third time, the dealer had a code to look at, and the transmission was upgraded with software. We are now a 4th time at the dealer, and the observed reving is happening again, and shifting is not smooth.

Hi Beams on the headlights both stopped working at the same time without warning. I understand this is a known problem with the 2020 Telluride so I am just logging this one in as another instance

The high beam on my headlights are not working. As I switch back and forth you can't see a brightness. There is no notification of false beam or anything. Have not used the high beam often. Just notice this issue.

The vehicle has been losing oil, the dealership checked with no issues along eleith a coolant leak in the rear of the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the contact had driven over the tire tread from a tractor trailer. Due to the failure, several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was serviced; however, the warning lights appeared back on the instrument panel soon after return of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it remained for over two weeks. The contact reached out to the mechanic and was informed that an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the engine. The mechanic then towed the vehicle to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was later informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

The Wind deflector broke on one side. My sunroof won’t close. It is causing water damage and the amount to fix it over 1k. After research this problem has been reported numerous times but no recall yet. Please recall this safety feature in the telluride.

My vehicle is 3 years old and the frame of my sunroof snapped. The warranty only covers the motor and the frame is what is damaged. When I called the warranty, they said this is a very common problem among Kia Tellurides. Why is this not a recall? It would cost me $4,000 to repair. This is not right.

We were on a back country road in the dark, tried to use our high beam lights, but they would not come on. The blue light illuminated as if they were turning on, but nothing happened. We had no warning lights or indication that the system had failed.

I purchased a used white 2020 Telluride EX with 47,000 miles in November of 2023. I noticed 4 or 5 what looked like chips in the paint on the body along the top of the windshield. They have slowly gotten larger, one becoming about the size of a half dollar coin. There is no safety risk. I haven't made an appointment yet but will be in the next week since I now have 57,000 miles and the warranty runs out at 60,000 miles.

High beam headlights stopped working without warning

Headlights work fine, but the High Beams don't. The light in the car shows them on, but they do not turn on outside the vehicle. I can't confirm how long they haven't worked since this was the vehicle my wife drove but very rarely at night. Now that I'm driving it in the dark in the mornings and evenings, I noticed it.

I was driving during the night, tried to turn my high beams on and they did not work. This caused a severe driving hazard as we were driving winding roads filled with wild life and I had very limited visablilty.There was no warning indicators shown. Replaced both headlamps and the high beams still do not work.

Self Leveling Shocks on rear are defective. They are firm to the point that the SUV is highly unstable. It overly reacts to bumps and holes in the road. Occupants in rear seats are bounced around! Vehicle becomes unstable and if the driver is not careful could lose control and wreck!!0

RH high beam light inoperable. Does not go high beam when selected. LH ok. LH drivers mirror does not extend or retract most times when locking or unlocking the car.

Started to notice the high beams where not working. The dash light shows the high beams were on but the lights never changed. I purchased 2 new low/high beams bulbs. That did not fix the issue. My telluride has over 60k miles on it. Doing teacher everyone who has a 2020 kia telluride has this issue just after vehicle hits just over 60k miles. Never noticed before as we never drove at night time before november.

In November of 2023 my our Kia Telluride began giving us issues. It would act as though it wanted to die/shut off while idling at stops or even during acceleration. We took it to a local mechanic that we always go to. They told us the car was 4 quarts low on oil, even though it had only been about 3,000 miles since the last oil change. Since it was under warranty called the dealer to get an appointment. They told us it would be several weeks, however, it finally did die on my wife while driving on the interstate to work one morning. She immediately called the dealer, who agreed to look at the car that week. Thus began the 5 months of back and forth to the dealer for continuous "testing". Finally, at the beginning of April 2024 we got the ok from Kia to move on the next round of testing. We had an appointment to drop it it off on 4/29/2024. I am filing this complaint on July 10, 2024, and our car has been sitting in their parking lot inoperable since. Initially we were told it would be 2-3 weeks to get a new engine under warranty and each time we have called the dealer or Kia, no one can give us an ETA on the new engine. We now have a vehicle that has been sitting in hot sun getting weather damage for the past 3 months.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high-beam headlights became inoperable. The contact stated while attempting to activate the high-beam headlights, the headlights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed headlight assembly. The contact was informed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The parts were ordered for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,800. The contact stated the dealership is going to replace the headlights under the extended warranty.

Paint is peeling off the car. Car is 3.5 years old. Kia refuses to take issue with the car. They are standing behind mileage. I first reported this KIA of North America at 40K+ miles..

About a year ago the pearl white paint on my 2020 Kia Telluride started pealing off for no reason. The car has 80000 miles and is less than 5 years old. There should be no reason the paint is pealing already.

Hibeams completely stopped working without warning

The headlights on my vehicle do not provide adequate light. Also, the bright headlight option does not work. The blue indicator on the dash illuminates but neither of the headlights produce bright lights, only the standard lights.

While driving down a very dark road, I noticed my high beams did not work. High beams are an essential feature for safe nighttime driving, and when they're not working, it can be dangerous because non-functioning high beams can compromise your ability to see and react to potential dangers while also affecting the safety of other drivers, making it a significant safety concern. I made an appointment to have this issue diagnosed but my appointment date is not until Jan 2nd which also poses a safety risk.

My high beams aren't working. All I have access to are my low beams.

My mother noticed a fluid stain on the driveway and said it looked like oil. We didn't notice it at first because we parked over it. I had my husband take a look; it was oil, and our oil was low but not low enough that the check engine light came on. It started after our first freeze in Dallas, Texas, on October 31st. My husband took it up to a local guy because he thought maybe the dealership people did something when I took it up to get an estimate for the headlight high beam issue and frozen spare tire hoist. Both were covered under warranty BTW. The guy said it was the gasket to the oil pan. I took it to the dealership when the parts came in to fix the other issues, and they said the oil filter housing was cracked. It is made of plastic, which is really dumb. I went online and discovered this happens quite a bit right after a freeze, and it is often blamed on the customer or whoever did the last oil change. Our last oil change was on 9/21/23, over a month before the first freeze, and we had no oil leak before that. From what I have read, this usually occurs with less mileage the farther north you are. We bought our Telluride in Houston which is why I believe it has not occurred yet. I feel KIA should do a recall for Tellurides that are having this issue.

Sunroof malfunction while opening. Loud snap sound then wouldn’t shut.

High beams failure. Yes it is available for inspection. I live/travel in rural area with large sized wildlife. I require the ability to have high beams. I haven’t taken it to a service center, nor has any inspection been conducted. No warning lights, to the contrary, the interior instrumentation shows high beams are on even though they aren’t. This has been since I purchased the vehicle 2 months ago.

Hi beam indicator on dash comes on when activated but the headlamps do not go to hi beam. Can't see as well at night without hi beams. Hi beams haven't worked the last few night drives. There are no warning la.ps to indicate a problem.

Driver side middle seat, seat belt will not retract back in. The rear 3rd row seat roof belt does not retract very well at all either.