NHTSA has received 748 owner complaints about the 2020 Kia Telluride, or 112.1 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 2.66, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #79 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Kia models its rate is 216% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 111% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-03-02 and 2026-08-28. Median delay from incident to filing: 13 days.
748Complaints
112.1Complaints per year on the road
2.66Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
7Recalls · ⚠ 3
2.3%Share involving a crash or fire
158Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2021) drew 62.4 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 196 complaints, 244% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (26.2% of complaints), followed by Lighting (22.1%) and Engine (19.3%). Body & structure complaints are 2.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Body & structure reports, owners most often mention “windshield”, “crack”, “small”, “chip” and “paint”. 17 reports (2.3%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 11 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 43 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (33% of incidents). In the last 12 months 158 new complaints were filed, versus 111 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls for this model year, 3 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 36% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Complete Loss of High Beams” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2024-04-17).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles2.66
vs. other Kia models3.16
vs. other 2020 models2.97
vs. other Midsize SUVs2.11
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (196)3.44
The engine failed catastrophically and caught fire while I was driving. The vehicle was towed to the Kia dealership, where it remains available for inspection upon request.
Engine · 2026-07-29 · ODI 11753450 · Fire
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that four door belt molding trim pieces had become loose and unsecured, but the front driver’s side door belt molding trim piece had become unsecured and detached from the vehicle.
Body & structure · 2026-07-02 · ODI 11747891
The car has stalled numerous times on the roadway while driving. The issue has been identified as an oil consumption issue.
Engine · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760354
I went to open my sunroof and I see a piece sticking up. My sunroof then wouldnt close. I get home and find out its the wind deflector. I tried to close the sunroof and now my sunroof if stuck open.
Interior & equipment · 2026-08-23 · ODI 11758832
The factory-installed driver/passenger side LED headlight assembly suffered a sudden, total internal electrical failure while driving at night, causing an immediate loss of forward visibility and creating a severe crash hazard.
Lighting · 2026-08-22 · ODI 11758772
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob or an improper recall 24V407 repair, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC374. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 24V407. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 17, 2026.
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT Campaign 24V214000 · 2024-03-20
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Risk: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will update the electronic parking brake software and replace any damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC303.
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.
Risk: Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the high beam headlights, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC299.
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and a wiring harness extension. Dealers will also inspect and replace the tow hitch harness assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 12, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC247.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
PE23002 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2024-04-17 · Campaign 24V148 · Model years: 2020
On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23002 to investigate allegations of loss of high beams with no warning and no re-engagement resulting in reduced visibility at night in the 2020 Kia Telluride. The investigation revealed that the halogen bi-function projector beam, used in vehicles built between January 2019 and November of 2019, is composed of one halogen bul…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Kia Telluride?
748 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Kia Telluride, or about 112.1 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Kia Telluride?
The most common category is Body & structure, accounting for 26.2% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Kia Telluride have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall(s) for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Complete Loss of High Beams” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2024-04-17).
Is the 2020 Kia Telluride still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 158 new complaints were filed, versus 111 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2020 Kia Telluride compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 748 owner complaints about the 2020 Kia Telluride, or 112.1 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 2.66, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #79 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Kia models its rate is 216% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 111% higher.