NHTSA has received 369 owner complaints about the 2021 Kia Telluride, or 63.8 per year on the road — more complaints than typical (complaint index 1.58, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #67 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 83% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 22% 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 2020-08-20 and 2026-10-09. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
369Complaints
63.8Complaints per year on the road
1.58Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls · ⚠ 3
3.0%Share involving a crash or fire
113Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 113.7 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 68.3 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 104 complaints, 70% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (29.3% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (21.4%) and Engine (18.7%). Body & structure complaints are 3.2 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 11 reports (3.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 9 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 42 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (38% of incidents). In the last 12 months 113 new complaints were filed, versus 56 in the 12 months before — up 102%.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year, 3 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.58
vs. other Kia models1.83
vs. other 2021 models1.65
vs. other Midsize SUVs1.22
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (104)1.7
Children helping to unload groceries from trunk. 2 different kids have burnt their legs on exhaust pipe while leaning into car to reach.
Unspecified or other · 2026-07-19 · ODI 11751416
Driving on the highway when all the lights on the dashboard came on and heard a loud sound. Pulled over and noticed flames coming out. The front part of the car 911 was called. An incident report was made. The flames were out quickly.
Engine · 2026-03-19 · ODI 11725589 · Fire
I was attempting to accelerate on the freeway and the rpms kept going up but it felt like the engine didn't want to shift gears.
Engine · 2026-10-09 · ODI 11770117
Rear seats coming unlocked on there own and will not stay in locked position once pushed back into place this is the second row of seats motor of fold down button keeps running
Unspecified or other · 2026-10-07 · ODI 11769663
The sunroof on vehicle is not able to open/close correctly due to track/clips broken. Vehicle was purchased used January 2023. The sunroof has been used less than 5 times during this period.
Body & structure · 2026-09-19 · ODI 11765569
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 2020-2022 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.
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE Campaign 21V164000 · 2021-03-11
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
