2021 KIA Telluride Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Telluride years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 370 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 KIA Telluride. That ranks 2nd out of 7 Telluride model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (102 complaints, 28%), typically at around 3,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 4 fires, 9 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 370owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 102 | 28% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Engine problems | 67 | 18% | 76,500 | “oil consumption” (19%) | — |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 64 | 17% | 1,850 | “windshield cracked” (25%) | — |
| Electrical System | 42 | 11% | 2,950 | — | — |
| Structure | 33 | 9% | 4,400 | — | — |
| Power Train | 28 | 8% | 15 | — | — |
| Visibility | 23 | 6% | 5,819 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 22 | 6% | 9,300 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 5% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 3% | 34,594 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 2% | 500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 1% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 1% | 10,750 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 1% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 804 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 KIA Telluride recalls (5)
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.
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.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger; air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
NHTSA Recall Number 26V430000.
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. Suddenly the rpms shot all the way up and then dropped to nothing and I was forced to coast off the freeway, thankfully we were by an exit. The vehicle had zero power and…
Vehicle was sitting all night and entered the garage in the morning and found the radiator fan at full speed. Car was not running, so backed it out, turned it off and the fan turned back on. Took it to a KIA dealer and kept it for a few days and just stated they couldn't duplicate the issue…
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
On September 4, 2026, my son was driving our 2021 Kia Telluride on the highway at approximately 70 mph with cruise control engaged when the vehicle suddenly began making a clicking noise, followed by a catastrophic engine failure. We observed no oil-pressure warning or other advance dashboard…
Other KIA Telluride years
← 2020 Telluride · 2022 Telluride →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Telluride | 26 | 2 |
| 2025 Telluride | 120 | 3 |
| 2024 Telluride | 221 | 5 |
| 2023 Telluride | 207 | 6 |
| 2022 Telluride | 327 | 7 |
| 2021 | 370 | 5 |
| 2020 Telluride | 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 2021 KIA Telluride?
Owners most often report unknown or other, engine, visibility/wiper problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 102 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 KIA Telluride?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 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 2021 has 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.