NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Kia Telluride. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Three windshields in a row have cracked seemingly without cause. My windshields never chip, they have only cracked or shattered.
The vehicle had approx 10k miles and I simply tried to open the sunroof before leaving my driveway and something snapped. The Sunroof was then stuck in the open position, I could not close it. I called my regular dealership for help as it was under warranty and practically new. The dealership said they are too busy to help me, I have no garage and there was rain in the forecast. I called other dealerships and was able to find one who would take it in for a look. I was told it might take a few days and left the car. After a few days the dealership said they needed to order parts, that the entire sunroof track has to be replaced and it may take weeks. They were able to close the roof and I picked up the car, I had to take it back as wind was coming in as I drove and rain can too. I returned for repairs and issues approx 5 times until it was "repaired". I have not opened the sunroof again since, for fear of additional problems and no longer under warranty as many other Kia Telluride owners who have this issue with the sunroof. Being away from home and it breaking again would be a disaster and having to drive from a secluded area with unpredictable weather can be dangerous.
While applying the brake at an approaching Stop sign the brake pedal was completely depress and the vehicle continued to roll forward into the intersection. This happened twice in a week. Kia dealer assessed the vehicle on two occasions and was unable to find a fault. This could very well cause a major crash and impact the Safety of myself, my family and others on the roadway.
The windshield failed spontaneously, overnight while not being driven and not having been impacted by any object. The crack began as about 10 inches long, and has grown to more than two feet long. The windshield requires replacement for safety. The problem has been confirmed by Safelite (which will replace for $1,000, as compared to Kia's $1,600), but has not been inspected by others. There was no warning or any symptom of the problem prior to the failure.
Safety and security bypass via USB port in steering column making vulnerable to theft with only a USB cord
Part number 97279-S9010 fell on my feet while I was driving from under dash. Part block access to the brake as it fell on my feet between my foot and the brake/gas making it impossible to apply the brake. Fortunately, was a rural road so I put in neutral and coasted to the side of the road. Very confusing until I saw the part blocking the brake and gas pedal.
These tires ball super quick and are a danger to the road. Others have complained as well on review sites. Since they wear fast they also pop easily. Have popped 3 tires in 1.5 years all different tires. 1st tire popped at 12K miles 2nd tire popped at 20k miles 3rd tire popped at 26k miles SCORPION ZERO ALL SEASON - SIZE: 245/50R20 These need recalled. They are pour quality and are a road hazard if anyone pops their tire at higher speeds. Thankfully all three of mine were lower speeds. I have now replaced the latest tire with a different brand as these tires put me at risk.
Upon driving my new vehicle for approximately 5 months, the windshield got chipped. I took this to an individual and had this sealed. Last week, after driving my Telluride for about a year, the windshield began to crack in a different spot. The crack has grown and grown and now encompasses most of the windshield.
I was driving over the Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas with my kids and nephew when suddenly my front sunroof exploded. It blew from inside out based on the way the glass is pointing outward. Luckily I didn’t wreck into another car, or even have my sunroof headliner open. Kia said theirs no recall under my vin, but there are several other people I’ve found online with the same car and issue.
The windshield cracked without getting hit by a foreign object. It happened overnight while parked in a garage. It wasn't there the day before or I would have noticed it because it was so visible. It cracked from the very top and spread down around the rearview mirror and spread across and you can't feel the crack either from inside or outside, it is very smooth and you can only see a line.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH there was a loud rattling sound that came from under the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then pulled over safety. The contact stated there were parts of the vehicle that fell onto the highway. When the contact was on the side of the vehicle they checked under the hood, and located smoke and fire from the engine. The contact exhausted the flames with liquid from a nearby driver. The CHP and fire arrived on the scene; however, the fire was extinguished by the time of their arrival. There was no CHP report filed that the contact was aware of. There were no injuries or medical treatments needed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed two pistons came from the engine, and it was a catalytic failure. The vehicle currently was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.
Windshield cracked about 7 inches in diameter with no point of impact.
I was parked and wanted to bring window down the one in back seat made a weird noise and put the window back up but did not close completely and tried to close it from driver seat and nothing
Driver side rear window stopped going down while car was in motion. Window will no longer go up or down and is stuck about 1-1 1/2 inches open. Vehicle has only approximately 9,000 miles on it. Have seen several other posts with similar issues.
Windshield appeared to have 6 inch crack in windshield, even though no rock or chip were noticed. Crack grew to an 18inch crack within 1 day. Crack will likely spread across entire windshield and inhibit visibility. This was 1 year to the day of purchasing the vehicle. Brought it to the dealers attention, and they are aware of the issue with 2020 models, but didn't have guidance from KIA on 2021 models.
Returning from a trip, driving through the mountains, I heard a noise on the passenger side window. The next day I noticed a chip spidering. This should not be.
Tiny rock, not visible to me but heard a soft tink sound, hit the windshield causing tiny chip and a huge crack from near the top of the drivers side to the bottom near the wipers. No reason for a tiny pebble to completely crack a windshield.
The contact owned a 2021 Kia Telluride SX. The contact stated while the wife was driving 70MPH the vehicle was stuck on the rear driver's side and crashed into a tree. No warning lights were noticed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to an impound yard. The vehicle could possibly be totaled. There was a police report. The driver sustained injuries to the face, head, knee, chest, and shoulder. The passenger sustained back injuries. The spouse drove the passengers in a separate vehicle to the hospital where they received medical attention. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.
Chip in front windshield due to a rock quickly became an 12 inch crack.
I was broadsided by a chevy cobalt traveling over 40mph. The impact was so great it spun my vehicle. No airbags deployed at all and the rear passenger door took the brunt of the impact.
Driving on smooth road about 40 mi/hr heard loud boom. Sunroof had broken, sounded like an explosion. No rain or anything overhead to cause breakage. Weather mild, above frost temp and overcast. Cover was closed so no glass in interior of car.
Had a new transmission installed in February 2022. Now, beginning March 13, warning lights come on to check blind spot and forward collision systems. About 10 seconds after the car lurches violently. This has happened at full speed on interstate which is a huge risk for injury/death. I have video of this phenomenon.
Windshield cracked without reason
The windshield began to crack on the edge of the glass and spread across the entire windshield for no apparent reason. Nothing impacted the windshield like a rock or debris during driving. This happened overnight and then continued to spread, again, for no apparent reason. I have had windshield repair technicians look to see if I am missing something and they also agreed there were no chips or anything obvious that would start the crack on the windshield.
We were driving the car and it began lurching unpredictably. It was difficult to maneuver safely. It is now 3 weeks past that time and my Kia has been at the dealership this entire time. The dealer says that they cannot do anything without checking with Kia HQ and each time they do, Kia has them run another diagnostic.
When starting in the cold (approx 30 degrees F or less), the Kia has a very high pitch squeal. The sound appears to be coming from inside the engine and is NOT a pulley or slipping belt. There is a lot of discussion about this issue on the web, and Kia has not issued any resolution to any of the customers who have complained and taken to dealers. This link is not my car but is the same noise - if necessary, I too have my own video I can share. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-68J5bocqVxzPLIDpabmgd_St6CMoxky/view Note: Dealer was able to replicate, and has a video of the issue from us, but has stated that they do not know how to fix.
On cold mornings when the temperature falls below thirty degrees, the car emits a loud screeching noise from the area of the throttle body. I had the belts and pulleys checked at my last oil change (two weeks ago) and they were fine. It it’s distinctly coming from the area of the air intake and throttle body. The high pitched squeal will last for about 10 seconds and stop. By the time the vehicle gets to the dealer, it has warmed up or the temperature has gone above 30.
Sustained small rock chip in lower left of windshield. After a few miles formed a crack that extended half way across windshield. Research shows that Kia claimed 2020 vehicle issues and would replace windshields for no charge. They will not for 2021 Kia Telluride. I feel they have a quality issue in the windshield of the model I own, yet they refuse to take ownership if the issue. I see forums with owners having the exact same issue. I have owned vehicles for over 50 years and have never seen a windshield crack as easily as these.
Optional LED headlight buckets fog up and will not dry out. Kia has a service bulletin out regarding this issue, it was performed and the situation has not improved. Recently, in minus 20-30 degree F weather, the condensation inside the housing frosted up the entire inside of the housing. The LED headlights do not generate enough heat to adequately melt the frost creating decreased headlight performance. The vehicle has been into the dealer multiple times and the service bulletin was performed once and the desiccant packs were replaced the second time. The frost issue occurred after both had been done. Kia states that this is normal operation for their LED headlight bucket and the dealership, claiming to be under orders from Kia will not dedicate any more time to the investigation of my issue.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH into a right curve, the steering wheel did not respond while turning. The contact stated the "Take to Dealer Immediately" warning message was displayed. The contact was able to regain control of the steering wheel and drove the vehicle to her residence. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a bolt had become loosened and fell off into the driver’s side from the steering column. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer who diagnosed that the entire steering shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
The windshield of the car cracked on its own. There were no chips in the windshield and nothing hit the windshield of the car but it cracked while driving and continued to grow significantly in a very short period of time affecting visibility.
Windshield cracked and quickly spread with no sound or impact. Inspection at dealership reveals a tiny chip along the crack that the dealership says indicates and impact. Windshield seems very fragile as I have had other cars that have suffered more serious impact and not had major cracking issues. Also windshield replacement cost is very high as the dealership claims they need to recalibrate the camera that is use for lane keep assist. The previous years also had windshield issues that were covered by warranty.
While driving, small amount of snow fell from roof on to windshield and was unable to see the road clearly. Wipers were unable to lift the small about of snow to clear the windshield. Luckily I was not on a busy road an was able to stop. After clearing the small amount of snow the wipers were able to function.
We were sitting in the a parking lot (not driving), and heard a loud pop. The windshield had spontaneously cracked. There were no chips prior. The entire windshield had to be replaced. I had to pay $563 (insurance deductible) to have it replaced.
As I started the car, it began to shake and shudder while idling. And the check engine light turned on. I could smell the unburied gas inside the car.
A tiny rock hit the windshield going 30 miles an hour. The crack has consistently grown every day. My whole windshield has to be replaced. I've never had a vehicle that has such a weak windshield. This car is only 11 months old. The crack is horizontal and affects my view if the road because it's right in the middle.
What happened: The analog speedometer and digital speedometer were not working. I was driving the car and I would be moving but my speedometer and digital readout remained at 0 mph even with my RPM showing as moving. All other gages and read outs were working except for speed. Safety risk for myself and others: I was unaware of how fast I was driving Problem also happened once prior a few weeks ago I put the car into Park and put back into Drive and it fixed it. This time however when I tried that it did not fix the issue. I even tried turning the car off and back on and it did not fix the issue. The issue was fixed after waiting until the next day to drive and when I got in to drive it worked again. Unable to repeat the issue as it is happening sporadically and does not seem to have a specific cause. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure.
Two chips are in the windshield . Low speed. Then the windshield cracked. At low speed and nothing hit the windshield.
The front windshield cracked. There was no known hit by an object and the windshield has cracked on the passenger side and continues to grow. Visibility is reduced due to this crack and it is a known issue in the 2020 model year and it appears to be continuing in the 2021 model year. The windshield will need replacement.
The child safety locks will randomly start latching and unlatching until the button is disengaged. I have videos of it and the dealership has been able to reproduce the issue multiple times. If the button is not on, the issue does not occur. This is a problem since I have a 3 year old and he has had opened the door while I drive on at least 1 occasion. The issue began October 2021, I took it in for service in December and had to wait for the replacement part until almost March. At this point I have taken the car in for service 6 times for the exact same issue, they have replaced multiple components, actuator, master key lock system, etc. The issue will be fixed temporarily but will then reappear within as little as a day to a week or two. There are multiple reports of this happening on Kia forums and the issue is not model specific. This also happens with Palisades which happen to share the same frame as the Telluride. I have contacted Kia corporate, case number 14666961, to let them know and will be sending a certified letter.
Windshield chipped very easily when driving on the highway. Only have 2000 miles on here. Reading this model has this issue commonly
The windshield on my vehicle chips and crack easily. It is a common problem among other Kia Tellurides as well.
UNKNOWN. Crack on the windshield appeared overnight. Starts at the top of the windshield and comes down the center, affecting visibility. Vehicle did not provide any warning or indication prior to the crack.
The molding on the left side of the windshield, driver's side repeatedly came lose and impaired my vision when turning left.
3 cracks from separate small rock incidents in one week period on front windshield. Never had a crack on any of my cars in 10 years and in a week I got 3 different ones at different times with the Telluride.
Windshield cracked while driving starting at drivers side edge under trim propagating left to right across half the windshield. There was no impact from an object; simply stress crack. This has been shown to dealer and confirmed by the glass shop they use as “no impact” crack. It affects safety because it is directly in drivers vision and is blinding when the sun reflects and refracts through the crack. No action taken by dealer to replace the windshield. Seems clear that this is a defect.
This incident has happened twice in a short matter of time. While driving a small rock hit the windshield, and then the windshield cracked immediately. This seems to be a major complaint from many owners and I know it was an issue for 2019 and 2020. There are now two cracks spanning across the windshield that obstruct a clear view. This is a major safety issue and it is difficult to get a windshield due to supply issues.
On my wished a small object hit my windshield on the passenger side and within an hour it spread more by the best day it was almost on the driver side of the windshield. Second, the forward collision and lane departure lights came on. I took the SUV to Kia they said it was an issue with the camera and they where going to order the part and replace it for me. It seem I was not the only one with this issue.
The brakes on my 2021 Kia Telluride failed while pulling into my side entry garage. The Telluride's brakes went limp, losing pressure and dropped to the floorboard. The Telluride crashed into the interior of the garage, coming to a complete stop after slamming into the foundation of the house. Once stopped, the Telluride could be put in park and braking was restored. Home surveillance captured the event and it is available for viewing at: https://youtu.be/AdJ6tXyK57k
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, he heard an abnormal popping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home and upon inspection, he discovered that the sunroof glass had exploded without incident or impact. The contact called the dealer and reported the failure. The contact was informed that a representative would call him back with more information. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 8,137.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026