NHTSA has received 204 owner complaints about the 2023 Kia Telluride, or 55.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.32, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2023 vehicles we track, it ranks #71 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Kia models its rate is 56% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 5% 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 2022-12-16 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 9 days.
204Complaints
55.5Complaints per year on the road
1.32Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls · ⚠ 2
3.4%Share involving a crash or fire
68Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2022) drew 68.3 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2024) drew 80.4 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2023 model collected 110 complaints, 32% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (23.0% of complaints), followed by Electrical (19.6%) and Interior & equipment (18.6%). Body & structure complaints are 2.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Body & structure reports, owners most often mention “windshield”, “crack”, “glass”, “spread” and “rock”. 7 reports (3.4%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 3 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 16 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (36% of incidents). In the last 12 months 68 new complaints were filed, versus 32 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year, 2 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 58% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.32
vs. other Kia models1.56
vs. other 2023 models1.32
vs. other Midsize SUVs1.05
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (110)1.32
Standard vehicle component- shattered window. I was driving on highway I 275 and heard a loud sound, when I investigated I realized that the window in the second row to the right simply just shattered, glass flying everywhere.
Interior & equipment · 2026-05-05 · ODI 11735747
VIN: [XXX] Owner: [XXX] Purchase Date: December 2022 I am filing an urgent safety complaint regarding my 2023 Kia Telluride.
While driving 2023 Kia Telluride driver side over head visor detached tangling in front of driver obscuring vision.
Interior & equipment · 2026-09-02 · ODI 11761566
On XXX, at approximately 7:40 a.m., my 2023 Kia Telluride, VIN [XXX], experienced a sudden mechanical failure while traveling approximately 65+ mph southbound on [XXX].
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760459
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V430000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available.
Other · 2026-08-18 · ODI 11757708
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.
STRUCTURE:EXTERIOR TRIM Campaign 25V494000 · 2025-07-28
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached trim piece can become a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the belt molding trim assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC347.
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 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW Campaign 23V035000 · 2023-01-29
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Telluride vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the wire harnesses for the second row seat side air bags may become damaged, causing them not to deploy in the event of a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the air bag wire harnesses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC262.
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2023 Kia Telluride?
204 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Telluride, or about 55.5 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2023 Kia Telluride?
The most common category is Body & structure, accounting for 23.0% of complaints.
Does the 2023 Kia Telluride have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2023 Kia Telluride still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 68 new complaints were filed, versus 32 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2023 Kia Telluride compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 204 owner complaints about the 2023 Kia Telluride, or 55.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.32, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2023 vehicles we track, it ranks #71 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Kia models its rate is 56% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 5% higher.