2020 KIA Telluride Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Telluride years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 773 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 KIA Telluride. That is the most of any Telluride model year in the database (7 years). The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (185 complaints, 24%), typically at around 9,150 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 9 fires, 11 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

- 773owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 KIA Telluride problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 185 | 24% | 9,150 | “high beams” (43%) | $1,900 |
| Engine problems | 152 | 20% | 75,500 | “oil consumption” (32%) | $4,100 |
| Unknown or Other | 146 | 19% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 136 | 18% | 4,450 | “hit windshield” (28%) | $1,050 |
| Power Train problems | 70 | 9% | 6,438 | “oil consumption” (14%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 60 | 8% | 26,488 | — | — |
| Structure problems | 56 | 7% | 3,836 | “paint peeling” (20%) | — |
| Suspension | 33 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 17 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 17 | 2% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 2% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 2% | 16,450 | — | — |
| Seats | 12 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 1% | 7,976 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 9 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 1% | 81,250 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 1% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 0% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 3 | 0% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 KIA Telluride recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats:front assembly:power adjustPark outside
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seats:front assembly:power adjustPark outside
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Trailer hitchesPark outside
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights; electrical system:wiring
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seat belts:rear/other; seat belts:front
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Complete Loss of High Beams (PE23002) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Apr 17, 2024, led to recall 24V148.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have this 2020 telluride and itâs consuming a lot of oil I have to add a quart of oil every 600 miles. I was wondering if there is any open recalls for this.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an electrical bleeding…
This afternoon i noticed that my 2020 Kia Telluride paint has and continues to peel in large chunks in my driveway. All was good this morning and then all of the sudden large pieces of paint started to break away. Near the windshield hood area.
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving excessive engine oil loss and persistent oil leakage on my 2020 Kia Telluride, VIN [XXX]. The vehicle currently has approximately 100,367 miles. It has been experiencing significant oil loss, approximately one quart of engine oil per week. I am…
I am filing this safety report regarding my 2020 Kia Telluride, which currently has approximately 133,000 miles. The vehicle is experiencing severe internal oil consumption, burning through multiple quarts of engine oil rapidly between normal service intervals without triggering any dashboard…
Other KIA Telluride years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Telluride | 26 | 2 |
| 2025 Telluride | 120 | 3 |
| 2024 Telluride | 221 | 5 |
| 2023 Telluride | 207 | 6 |
| 2022 Telluride | 327 | 7 |
| 2021 Telluride | 370 | 5 |
| 2020 | 773 | 7 |
See all KIA Telluride problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 KIA Telluride?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 185 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 KIA Telluride?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 KIA Telluride a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Telluride model years, the 2020 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.