2021 KIA Telluride Engine Problems
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2021 KIA Telluride, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 76,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil consumption” (19% of reports).
- 67engine complaints
- 76,500median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 63%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 13 of 67 complaints (19%)
- Filter housing: mentioned in 6 of 67 complaints (9%)
- Engine started: mentioned in 5 of 67 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 4 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 67 complaints, 3 a fire.
KIA Telluride engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Telluride | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2025 Telluride | 45 | 38% | 22,000 |
| 2024 Telluride | 15 | 7% | 10,000 |
| 2023 Telluride | 23 | 11% | 20,000 |
| 2022 Telluride | 30 | 9% | — |
| 2021 Telluride | 67 | 18% | 76,500 |
| 2020 Telluride | 152 | 20% | 75,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2021 KIA Telluride. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 KIA Tellurides have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 67 owner complaints about engine for the 2021 KIA Telluride (18% of the 370 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 KIA Telluride engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 76,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2021 KIA Telluride?
The most frequent phrase is “oil consumption”, in 13 of 67 complaints, followed by “filter housing” (6).
Other 2021 KIA Telluride problems
See all 2021 KIA Telluride problems or engine problems across all Telluride years.