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
My high beams on the headlights have ceased to work. Low beams not casting enough distance for save sight ahead. It appears to be working on the display when switching to high beam but neither headlight is changing.
The high beams are not working, since the low beams work there is no reason to change bulb as it only has one. It appears that the shutter is not working.
The instrument cluster periodically stops working. The speedometer and Tachometer stop working, and all warning lights flash on and off randomly. It shows the doors and hoods opening and closing on the display as well along with other warning lights. The cruse control fails to operate as does the front/side crash warning systems....these warning lights also come on. This is an intermittent problem, it will persist for days and then will stop for part of a day, or multiple days and then return again.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V626 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the high beam headlights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,981.
I am writing to report a safety defect within the 2020 telluride. Yesterday I started my vehicle to let it warm up as it was cold outside. I came back inside changed into my work clothes. Ushered my kids into the car and headed on my way After a 2 Hour Dr., I reached my destination, exited my vehicle, and when I went to lock my doors, they would not lock. This prompted me to enter the vehicle again to double check for the keys and the key fob. At that time it was discovered that the keys were not in the vehicle , My vehicle allowed me to start it with the key fob, bring the key fob inside the house, leave my keys on the counter, but let me drive it for over two hours. There were no additional warnings given that the keys were not located in the car, or that the key fob could not be detected when re-entering the vehicle, and or putting the vehicle in reverse or drive I believe that this causes a safety issue, as if my children were in the vehicle and I had ran back inside. Someone could’ve stole my car and my kids. The dealership is aware of this issue, stating that it has happened on many other vehicles made by Kia , I feel for the safety of the Kia consumer that this issue should be looked into and corrected. The vehicle should not be able to travel with out the key fob in the car!
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that the headlights failed to adequately illuminate the roadway while driving. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle had not been diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.
The high beams have went out without warning. Driving at night with only low beams can be very dangerous. I live in a rural community so not being able to see potential wild animals in the road is dangerous for me and my family. It has also not been fixed my replacing the lights.
windshield cracked from camera mount outwards for no reason, no impact
High beams do not work
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was taken to the local glass repair shop and the windshield was replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred approximately six months later. During the failures, there was no impact to the windshield to cause the crack. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.
I noticed paint delamination and chipping on my 2020 Kia telluride with pearl white paint. Upon further research, all other Kias with this color are having the same issue. Vin-[XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The high beam lights failed to turn on and will not turn on at all..
We experienced an issue of the engine stalling while my wife was stopping at a stop light on multiple occasions. I did not think to check the oil as the vehicle only had about 60k miles at the time. After taking it to KIA here in Jacksonville NC they told us our oil was low and adivsed us to choose the most expensive oil change, i obliged with obvious reservations. After the oil change was completed they wanted it back right at 1,000 miles later to check the oil level. When we brought it back in they said it is within normal limits. I find it hard to believe that an engine should be burning oil this soon when we have kept up with routine maintenance by the dealership since we purchased the vehicle. I am now at a spot where I am adding checking/adding oil until we can get rid of this vehicle since KIA does not want to stand behing their product.
The high beams on the vehicle are non functional and are an essential component of the vehicle for safety reasons. Any person driving the highway at night or that lives in a rural low light area will find it impossible to drive the vehicle safely. A mechanic has attempted to identify the problem and was unable. The vehicle does not display any codes of a mal function even after running a diagnostic. What recourse is left?
My high beams have all of a sudden stopped working. The light on the dash indicates that they are on, but they don't work at all. This poses a safety issue when driving the vehicle at night. I have an appointment with my dealer to have the problem looked at and hopefully fixed, although I have been seeing that there are many issues with the high beams on this model
High beam headlights stopped working. Took to the dealer and they stated the curtain that goes from low to high is malfunctioning and must have new headlight assembly for driver and passenger sides.
I was traveling with my family and while driving on a dark road, I turned in my high beam lights on, but nothing happened. I tried several times but they still did not work. Just a few weeks ago there were working. I do not have any indications on my dashboard of any issues. I do use the Kia app and the last healthy alert indicated no issues. I did a little research online and found a forum with other Kia customers having the same issue. Because of this, I decided to make an appointment with the dealership and file a complaint to assure this issue gets resolved in a timely manner.
Side view mirror motor is defective (30,000 miles, well cared for). Dealer service department needs to get clearance for repair and do not know when the mirror motor parts will be in. In the meantime, the driver's side mirror cannot be manually adjusted into proper position. This makes left lane changes very risky. Several others owners have also had this issue.
As I was driving home down country roads my bright lights went out. I now only have regular headlights and no one has indicate they know how to fix the problem. This is a huge safety concern as I need them especially driving down dark country roads. I now have to drive another vehicle at night bc you cannot see.
High beams no longer work on the car. No high beams creates an obvious safety risk while driving at night. The problem was confirmed by an independent service provider. The provider tried the bulb and that did not fix the problem. They said it was some kind of mechanical damper in the lighting unit that was likely the issue. I have an appointment Wednesday with Vision Kia East Rochester to get their diagnostics of the issue. There is no warning lights and as far as the dashboard of the car is concerned...the high beams are functioning as they should (though they certainly are not functioning at all).
High beams just stopped working and won't turn back on. The bulbs were changed and a new relay was tried out, both did nothing. The dealer is looking into it further but I have read that this is a problem with similar year/make/model. We drive on desert roads every weekend where there is limited visibility and no street lights for very long distances. Our high beams are a critical safety element.
This is an addendum to NHTSA tracking # 11508192. Please see attached Kia Dealer repair recommendation which is to Replace both Front headlamps with a cost quote of $1,682.54!!!! This vehicle is a 2020 with less than 65,000 miles.
Brights not working even though dash indicates they are on. Took car back to where I purchased and they told me there was a recall on the headlight shutter. They said to take car to Kia. I contacted Kia and was told by service department that there is NO recall on bights although they are getting many complains on this issue
High beam headlights failed. Internal display indicated they were on, but they were not. They have never come back on. Dealership states entire assembly needs to be replaced - not covered under warranty.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the high-beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact stated that he was uncertain if the high beam symbol was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the headlight assembly switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
My high beam lights do not work. My low beams are all that I have. It is a safety hazard at night due to not having adequate lighting to drive in dark areas. I have had no warning lamps or notifications come on but it has been going on for at least 1-2 months. I have been thinking my lights weren’t bright when switching between bright and dim but just put it to the text on 3/13/2023 and realized they are not in fact changing despite the bright light signal turning blue on my display.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that the high beam headlights failed to operate as needed while activated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was given an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Highbeams not changing from low beam to high beam. I was unable to see driving in dark areas. The dealership found a short causing the curtain to not open fully keeping the low beams on. The dealer replaced the head lamp assembly under warranty.
My high beam lights have stopped working. The system says it is working fine as the notifications for high beams come on but the lighting does not change.
The all wheel drive and antilock break are not working. Also, the dashboard has no indicator lights on and the diagnostic app says nothing is wrong. So the computer system has failed too. This is an all wheel drive KIA Telluride with less than 15,000 miles. It all started this snow season, when there is the least bit of snow or ice we have no control of the vehicle. Our 2 wheel drive Prius handles better. This resulted in my wife losing control on a roundabout and hitting the curb, which in turn damaged the a TIE rod and alignment. We were lucky she was driving in our neighborhood, just 1/2 a mile from our house and was driving slowly. The vehicle is no longer safe to drive. It is currently being serviced at a Kia dealership. At this point the service provider says there's nothing wrong with the AWD and the antilock breaks because the computer's is telling them it's fine. Service person is blaming it on the ice however at the time of the incident there was snow and slush. I and my oldest son have also driven it recently and noticed the same issues as my wife when driving in snow. We didn't take it in because the app says the car is fine. Initially thought maybe we had accidentally pushed a button that deactivated AWD, but further reading indicated AWD is always on. The initial plan was to address the way it felt driving it in snow at next oil change (which was due in about 100 miles) but we trusted the computer system.
one of the tether anchor bars in the 3rd row pulled off and broke away from the seat. the vehicle was not involved in a crash. someone pulled the anchor location thinking it was the strap to sit the seat up and the tether bar broke away. not only is there one less spot for a tether anchor the tether anchor would not have performed well in a crash, thus putting a child in danger.
The contact owned a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that after getting off the freeway, the vehicle behind him informed him that there was smoke coming from beneath the vehicle. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle, and it caught fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The location of the fire was the front of the vehicle and the contact stated that the fire extinguished itself. A fire department report was not available. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V626000 (Trailer Hitches). The manufacturer was not yet made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
High- beam headlights are not working. Indicator on the dashboard says they are on but they don’t change from low beam.
My high beams quit working for no reason. Dealer said I must replace the complete housing assembly at $680 a piece. I have 80 thousand miles in the car with zero accidents. $1360 for headlights?? This is not acceptable.
High beams fail to light No warning lights, H beam indicator light functions but no activation. No codes on OBD2 reader. Have not taken to dealer for this problem because no recall. Very likely to replace on my own if no recall as I am a mechanic.
High beams went off. Not showing any errors on dash. Switch seem to be working. High beam sign goes on and off when you try to switch between the low and high beams, But only low beam lights working.
High beam lights stopped working. Regular lights work. Seems like this is happening to other owners of same make and model year.
All of my oil changes have been done religiously at the same Kia dealer where I bought my 2020 Telluride but ever since my 1/14/23 oil change, I have experienced oil leaking from my car on and off. Was told by the dealer that the issue was faulty oem oil filters and that the o-rings weren't sitting properly. I have had a total of 8 oil changes between 1/14/23 & 10/9/23. I explained on 3/25/23, during one of my return trips to the dealer, that I didn't want my car back until they could guarantee it wasn't leaking. They had it up on the lift, ran it for a while, gave it back to me, no leaks finally! My car didn't leak between 3/25/23 & 6/10/23 when I had my next routine dealer oil change done. I also didn't experience any leaks between 6/10/23 & 9/5/23 when I had another routine oil change. However, shortly after the 9/5/23 oil change, we discovered the car was leaking oil again. Brought it back to the dealer on 9/25/23 where they said it was another bad filter, changed it and sent me on my way. The following week, I noticed oil leaking, yet again, so I brought the car back to the dealer where they then diagnosed it as a cracked oil filter housing. I am out of warranty so naturally they expect me to pay out of pocket. Either way. I don't see how this is a consumer issue considering I had 8 oil changes in 10 months when I should have only had 2 or 3. So if the oil filter housing is now indeed cracked, the additional wear & tear is not a result of normal wear & tear (consumer issue) but of excessive oil changes done by the dealer due to faulty oil filters. Or maybe it's been a crack in the plastic oil filter housing all along but then why didn't it leak between 3/25/23 & 9/5/23? Either way, the problem shouldn't fall back on the consumer. The internet is full of Kia owners experiencing oil leaks after oil changes and it needs to be addressed.
One day with approximately 58,000 miles on the car it would not start. No warning lights had appeared prior to not starting. The car was towed to a Kia dealership. They claimed there was no oil in the car. Kia refused any warranty work and the dealer filled with oil and said everything was fine. Three weeks later the car stalled at highway speed in a dangerous situation on the highway. Again no lights were present until the stall. The car would not restart and was towed back to the dealership. The dealer says Kia is refusing to cover under warranty and claiming the car was not maintained unless I can find every oil change receipt from purchase. They want to disassemble the engine and have me be responsible for the cost to prove I did not maintain the car which makes no sense. Kia does not accept any responsibility and fails to see the seriousness of the car stalling at speed on a highway three weeks after they did nothing to properly diagnose and fix the issue.
BELIEVED TO BE FRONT POWER TRANSFER UNIT WAS LOOKED AT BY ANOTHER DEALER NOT KIA. FOUND PTU LEAKING FLUID AND HOWLING DURING TESTING. NOT SURE IF IN FUTURE THE UNIT WILL LOCK UP CAUSING UNSAFE VEHICLE CONDITION. . HAS HAD BRAND NEW MICHELIN TIRES INSTALLED AT THE REQUEST OF KIA DEALER. VEHICLE STILL HAS A VIBRATION AT 67-72MPH DEALER FOLLOWED TRA099 TSB, DIDN'T FIX ISSUE/DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND THE TIME DIAGNOSING BECAUSE ITS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY DON'T GET PAID FOR THEIR TIME. HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR CONCERN WAS TOLD NORMAL OPERATION. NOT NORMAL AT ALL THE WHOLE VEHICLE GROANS AND SHAKES.
The 2020 KIA Telluride was purchased with the "tow package" which included "self-leveling" rear shocks. The self-leveling rear shocks failed early and has created a safety concern with braking/handling/steering in addition to comfort in ride. Concern with the shocks began around 60,000 miles (roughly Jan 2023), but there was no indication of shock failure or leakage. Our independent service center/mechanic told us the shocks looked fine and that typically shocks should never fail this early. We just assumed the ride was rough and even after replacing tires, the ride never improved. As it progressively worsened, the local certified KIA dealership has now inspected and verified that both rear shocks have failed (leaking and rusting) and that the ride is unbearable (the vehicle is over 77,000 miles now). I believe the vehicle is unsafe to drive in its current condition and though it is out of warranty for this repair, we are having the dealership replace both rear shocks. Over the course of the past 17,000 miles, braking, steering, and cornering have certainly been compromised due to this early shock failure, putting me and my family as well as other motorists at risk. There were not any warning lamps or other obvious signs of wear other than riding in the vehicle. The ride left most passengers feeling ill, with headaches from a very rough ride even on smoot concrete.
High beam lights on both sides stopped functioning
High beam lights suddenly stopped working on both front headlights.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the headlights failed to adequately illuminate the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the headlamp actuators were inoperable, and the headlamp housings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23002 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The rear self adjusting shocks do not work - the smallest bump jolts anyone in the car, even at the slowest speeds (10 mph), NOTHING works to keep bumps from feeling like there are no shocks at all or they are frozen (and I am accustomed a Jeep Wrangler's rough ride). My son has an LVAD implanted in his chest, attached to his heart that keeps his heart pumping, and every ride to the doctor is like the car is trying to yank the LVAD off his heart, causing him great pain. I can't stop the car from hurting him!! The dealer replaced the cap on the shock but it did NOTHING to help. I have another appointment, they admitted there were problems with the shocks, and my car isn't even included in the TSB!!! They fit me in for an appointment in October but said they had received word the manufacturer might be going to try something else. The problem first started being really noticeable at the beginning of 2023.
As the owner of this 2020 KIA Telluride, I have noted that the headlamps on both din and bright are very poor and are a safety concern when driving on a dark road, particularly when wet or no other lights around. I did some online research and found that many Kia owners had the same concern so I reached out to KIA Care or Kia America (Case # 15236897). Twice I was directed to my local dealer who basically did an inspection and stated" the lights work as designed" With that, I said that this was a poor or bad design and that Kia America should have safety people look and get a resolve. The internet has many complaints regarding the OEM lights for this vehicle but i would like someone to physically do a road test and do a comparision. The headlamps on this vehicle are a major safety concern and need evaluation.
High beams stopped working. When I called with issue the dealership stated that it was a safety issue. Took car to dealership and they stated that the actuator lighting system more than likely has a short. They recommended that it would be $1700 for them to replace the system and then retest to see if that was the issue. Upon further research it was found that other owners with the 2020 model were experiencing the same issue after 60,000 miles.
Hooded projector lights provide very limited vision on dark roads. We hit a deer and have significant damage to our vehicle due to this issue. Our brights do not come on either. Nothing happens when we select the bright option.
Both high beams suddenly stop working. Kia systems report high beams are functional. Also low beams have reduced brightness resulting dangerous driving conditions at night. Kia claims both headlight assemblies need to be replaced at an estimated repair of $2370