2020 Kia Telluride Problems, Recalls & Reliability
925 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Kia Telluride, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 35,600 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2020 Kia Telluride sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings.
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Where 2020 sits among all Telluride years
What owners report
“Both high-beam headlights stopped working simultaneously, creating a safety concern.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Telluride
“This is the 2nd chip and 2nd crack in my windshield. My vehicle had 16500 miles on it. And is my 11th Kia. I have never had an issue with windshields before this car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Telluride
“Excessive oil consumption causing monthly oil changes. No low oil indicator causing engine to rattle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Telluride
“Sunroof went off track and will not close. Took it to the dealership and it will need a totally new sunroof assembly totaling $5,000 because the sunroof got off track on its own.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Telluride
“The front axels are leaking and the transmission is lagging/jerking while accelerating.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Telluride
“Peal white paint peeling off in large patches started above the windshield, not the hood.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Telluride
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 193 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 7,867 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,200 and 30,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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.
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…
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.
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…
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.
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…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 24V148.
Technical service bulletins
145 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2020 Kia Telluride. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 Telluride TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2020 Kia Telluride reliable?
The 2020 Kia Telluride drew 925 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2020).
What are the most common 2020 Kia Telluride problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Kia Telluride are electrical (239 complaints), visibility & wipers (153), and engine (144).
At what mileage do 2020 Kia Telluride problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Kia Telluride problems around 7,867 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,200 and 30,000 miles.
Does the 2020 Kia Telluride have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2020 Kia Telluride. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.